Now that the holidays are over, you can finally give your pocketbook a rest. Right? Ha, ha, ha and ha.

If your workplace is like many, you've returned to Girl Scouts cookie order forms, pledge lists for the office marathoner raising money for heart disease or cancer, or the newest semester of school fundraisers — pizza kits, wrapping paper, candy bars.

Americans raised nearly $2 billion for schools and nonprofits in 2002, according to the most recent survey published by the Atlanta-based Association of Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers.

That sum is up from $1.77 billion in 1997.

There is no figure available for how much of this was raised in the workplace, but a lot of it occurs there, says Jon Krueger, spokesman for the association, which also offers advice on how best to raise money at work:

"Avoid office e-mails. Instead, place fundraising fliers, sign-up sheets and self-serve product kits in a high-traffic, central location such as the office break room or bulletin board."

But even if that advice is followed, workers can still find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.

Lynn Jarrett, a career coach from Canton, Mich., says employees should set some guidelines on how to give at the office.

"If it's a cause you don't know much about, you can say that you have your set charities that you give to and that you stick to those," she says.

If you do want to give and don't want to look like you're playing favorites, set an amount that you will give to everyone, she says.

If you're a manager, it gets a little hairy. You might want to put out the word that you're collecting money for something and then leave it alone.

No matter what your title, don't go cube to cube asking: "Where's your $10?"

At Louann Hanson's workplace, Origen Financial in Southfield, Mich., there are about 12 fundraisers a year.

"Some people get annoyed," says Hanson. "We have a common area where everybody puts their fundraising items. Whoever wants to can participate, and if they don't they can just ignore it."

Hanson, an analyst, has been on both sides. When her kids were younger, she raised money in the office, too.

"Instead of going door to door, it's easier to do it at work — easier and safer — and you make more money doing it this way. There are 180 people in this building who will see a flier. You can't send your kid out to knock on 180 doors."

It's an unspoken rule that people will not go desk-to-desk asking for help, she adds.

Since she was one of those who asked, she also buys from those who are raising money.

"You probably can't buy from all of them," she says. "I buy the wrapping paper instead of the candy and when it's a contribution like breast cancer, I have a flat fee. I give $20."