- NCAF Launches New Website!
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 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS COMING SOON!
| We know many of you were able to join us in San Francisco last week and we hope you had a great experience!
For those of you who were unable to join us, we hope you were able to follow us on social media at #Partnership15. Check out our Convention Storify to get a flavor of the event and see the many of the tweets, posts, and pics that were posted live during the convention by clicking here.
More pictures, copies of presentations, and videos of award winners will be posted on our website in the next week for all to access so keep an eye out. Send us your favorites! Here are a few including Dr. Blanca Enriquez, Director of the Office of Head Start who had the opening plenary dancing in aisles and CAA staff attending the awards gala Thursday night!
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GETTING IT RIGHT:
WEATHERIZATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY ARE GOOD INVESTMENTS
|  New studies released on the effectiveness and impact of Weatherization. Get the details on great blog post by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Kathleen Hogan.
She writes, "Two new major, peer reviewed, national evaluations of the Weatherization Assistance Program from DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provide fresh evidence that WAP is indeed a good investment with energy savings exceeding the costs by a factor of 1.4." She provides further analysis and comparisons to a recent E2e Project study.
An important read for all Community Action leaders.
Click here to read the blog.
Click here to access the summary of results.
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A CALL FOR PAPERS: YOUNG NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL NETWORK AND THE NONPROFIT QUARTERLY PARTNER FOR A SERIES ON EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS IN THE CIVIL SECTOR |
The Nonprofit Quarterly has issues a Call for Papers for those under 40 to submit paper concepts on Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness.
As NPQ notes, "Over the past few years, it has become clear that many young leaders think, analyze, strategize, and act differently than older leaders around issues of equity, diversity and inclusion."
This is a great opportunity for a younger leader in Community Action to develop an important piece and share it with a wide audience. They are seeking:
- Reflections on systemic inequities internal to our work environments and how to address them.
- Reflections on what can get done and how in the social dynamics of this moment - for instance: What are your experiences of helping communities grapple with recent social justice issues (like police brutality, community uprisings across the country such as Ferguson and Baltimore, reactions to the recent same-sex marriage Supreme Court rulings, etc.)?
- Reflections on personal experience - for instance: Personal accounts of the experiences of living and leading in the midst of the change you are making.
A short summary is due by September 11th with a full paper due by October 23rd.
Click here to read all about it. Share it with someone you think would take this challenge and run with it!
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ALBANY COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP SELECTED AS
W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION GRANTEE
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 On Wednesday, September 2nd, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced 14 grant recipients as a part of their $11.6 million nationwide initiative to "increase employment, workforce mobility and family economic security across the country". Albany Community Action Partnership was awarded one of the grants to participate in the foundation's Supporting Transitions to Employment for Parents (STEPS) Pilot Study. In the study, ACAP will work to improve educational, employment and economic security outcomes for families, specifically unemployed mothers and their children. "Through the program, unemployed mothers will complete job training and earn the credentials needed for employment," explained ACAP Executive Director, Neenah Bland. "In order to help both parents and children thrive together, we will use a two-generation approach to remove child care barriers while advancing employment outcomes." We are thrilled that Albany Community Action Partnership was selected and we look forward to hearing more about this exciting project! To read more, click here.
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WIOA UNIFIED/COMBINED STATE PLAN PRA 60 DAY COMMENT PERIOD
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Request for Comments on WIOA Unified and Combined State Plan Requirements
The comment period is open for 60 days and closes on October 5, 2015
The Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development are soliciting comments concerning a collection of data that will be used for unified and combined state plans under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The WIOA Unified and Combined State Plan Requirements is a consolidated information collection that would implement sections 102 and 103 of WIOA (P.L. 113-128). WIOA requires that, no later than March 3, 2016, each State, at a minimum, submit a Unified State Plan as a condition of receiving funds for core programs subject to the Unified State Plan requirements. In the alternative, States may submit a Combined State Plan as a condition of receiving funds under certain named programs subject to the Combined State Plan provisions. See 29 U.S.C. §§ 3112 and 3113. The Unified or Combined State Plan requirements are designed to improve service integration and ensure that the publicly-funded workforce system provides a range of employment, education, training, and related services and supports to help all jobseekers secure good jobs while providing businesses with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. To that end, the Unified or Combined State Plan would describe how the State will develop and implement a unified, integrated service delivery system rather than discuss the State's approach to operating each program individually.
A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request with applicable supporting documentation may be accessed at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ETA-2015-0006 or directly at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=ETA-2015-0006-0002. The comment period is open for 60 days and closes on October 5, 2015. Any comments not received through the processes outlined in the Federal Register will not be considered by the departments. Technical assistance materials will be available at http://wioa.workforce3one.org.
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AMERICORPS 2016 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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AmeriCorps announced the release of the 2016 AmeriCorps Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the related application instructions, and additional resources needed by applicants.
A Notification of Intent to Apply is required to be eligible for this competition and is due Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 5 p.m. ET.
Applications are due Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 5 p.m. ET. CNCS expects that successful applicants will be notified no later than May 13, 2016, contingent on timely full-year appropriations. Applications are submitted online via eGrants.
Please submit questions about this funding opportunity to americorpsgrants@cns.gov. Responses will be included in a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we'll update periodically on the NOFO webpage.
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ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS WEBINARS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER
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The CSBG Organizational Standards go live October 1st-Is your CAA ready?
We know many CAAs have been working hard to ensure their CAA is ready for Organizational Standards. The Partnership has been working to providing training and toolkits for each of the Standards areas and is in the midst of hosting a series of webinars this month. 
Category 5 - Board Governance
9/9 at 4:00 ET/3:00 CT/2:00 MT/1:00 PT
Category 7 - Human Resource Management
9/15 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Category 6 - Strategic Planning
9/16 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Category 2 - Community Engagement
9/17 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Category 1 - Consumer Input and Involvement
9/22 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Category 4 - Organizational Leadership
9/24 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Any or all of the webinar listed above can be registered for by clicking here.
In addition, you can listen to recently completed and recorded webinars by clicking here.
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ANNUAL POVERTY DATA WEBINAR TRAINING ON SEPTEMBER 9
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Are you ready to use the Census Bureau's newest poverty data?
There is increasing recognition that poverty is stubborn, entrenched, and damaging. There is also a growing body of evidence about what works to reduce poverty. Get ready for the September 16 and 17 release of Census Poverty data with CHN's annual webinar training. Join expert Jared Bernstein, former top economic advisor for Vice President Biden and nationally known economic expert, to hear what the new data will likely show about poverty, income, and health insurance. You'll also learn how you can quickly find and use national, state, and local data - with plenty of time for your questions. The training is free and all webinar registrants will receive timely follow-up information before and after the data is released. Webinar: Using the New Poverty DataWednesday, September 9, 20152:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) Register Now: https://chn.peachnewmedia.com/store/seminar/seminar.php?seminar=46565#blank Presenters:Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesJared is an economist and frequent commentator on CNBC, MSNBC, in the New York Times, and through his own blog, On the Economy. From 2009 - 2011, Jared was the Chief Economist and Economic Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, and now is a Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human NeedsDebbie has been analyzing the Census data for decades, at CHN and previously at the Children's Defense Fund, specializing in helping advocates to understand how to use the information quickly and accurately. She writes for CHN's blog, Voices for Human Needs, and occasionally for the Huffington Post and elsewhere. Moderated by:Ellen Teller, Director of Government Affairs, Food Research & Action CenterEllen is an attorney who has been a stellar anti-hunger advocate for FRAC for nearly 30 years. A very skilled moderator, she will make sure key questions get answered. To register and for more info: https://chn.peachnewmedia.com/store/seminar/seminar.php?seminar=46565#blank Questions or issues registering? E-mail Joanna Sandager at jsandager@chn.org.
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NCAF LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
| Have you seen the new NCAF website?
Take a look here to check out the new NCAF website layout and easy access to information. THE source for information on CSBG Re-authorization (HR1655). Follow them on Twitter at @NCAFNews and David Bradley at @BrshbackBradley. Nice job, NCAF!
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NATIONAL UPDATE ON CSBG ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS
ON SEPTEMBER 11
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September 11 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT
Join national partners for an update on resources available for CSBG Organizational Standards and what to do come October 1. This webinar is free, but pre-registration is required. Please register here.
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RISK MITIGATION T/TA CENTER (RMC) WEBINARS FOR SEPTEMBER
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Ethics and Community Action
Sept. 10, 4 ET/3 CT/2 MT/1 PT
Melanie Herman, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
How to Do the Right Thing: Ethics in Community Action
This webinar explores a variety of ethical challenges facing leaders of community action programs. The program continues with a strategy for spotting and managing ethical dilemmas. Learn how to apply a simple ethics filter to key decisions and actions, and how to avoid ethical blunders and mishaps.
Whistleblower Policies
Sept. 14, 2 ET/1 CT/12 MT/11 PT
Kevin Myren, CPA, CommonBond Communities
Essential Tips for Developing Conflict of Interest Policies
All non-profit organizations are required to have a whistleblower policy. If you do not currently have such a policy, hear what should be included in a policy as you develop one. If you currently have a whistleblower policy, this is also a good opportunity to assess whether your policy includes all the essential elements. Best practices in whistleblower policies will be reviewed and resources will be provided on examples of whistleblower policies.
Conflict of Interest
Sept. 21, 2 ET/1 CT/12 MT/11 PT
Megan Johnston, Johnston and Associates
Review and Wrap up of Risk Mitigation Blog Series
Sept. 28, 2 ET/1 CT/12 MT/11 PT
Ken Ackerman, VirtualCAP
Any or all of these RMC webinars can be registered for here.
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UPCOMING: CDFI & INTEGRATED FINANCE WEBINARS FROM OCS
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The Office of Community Services (OCS) Community Economic Development (CED) program is excited to announce two upcoming webinars in September 2015! These webinars will highlight key opportunities for funding community development projects, including CED and CED Healthy Food Financing Initiative projects. Click here for information.
The webinar dates and descriptions are below. More information and the opportunity to register for these webinars is available on the Upcoming Webinars page of the OCS Community Development website.
* CDFI Funding for CED/CED-HFFI Projects
Thursday, September 3, 2015; 2-3pm Eastern
Since its creation in 1994, the CDFI Fund has awarded more than $1.9 billion to CDFIs, community development organizations, and financial institutions. In FY 2015, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative will serve as a supplemental funding opportunity through CDFIs for healthy food-focused financing activities. This webinar is an opportunity to meet and hear from a panel of CDFI experts and grantees about HFFI funding and how CDFIs can support your communities and projects.
Speakers:- Keri McCrory, East Missouri Action Agency, Inc.
- Cassandra Archibald, Senior Vice President, Financial Services, Opportunity Finance Network
- Catherine Howard, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Northern California Community Loan Fund
* Integrated Finance
Thursday, September 17, 2015; 2-3pm Eastern
Recipients of the CED/CED-HFFI grant often need various types of funding: equity, debt and grants, to invest in the necessary property, equipment and/or resources to expand impact in their community. There are typically three options: (1) wait to raise all of the necessary funds from public grants, donations, and foundations; (2) approach a conventional lender viewing you through the lens traditional lending criteria; or, (3) seek funding from both sources, an integrated finance approach that can leverage public funds to access all funding sources available. This webinar brings together a panel of financial experts and grantees offering perspectives on an integrated finance approach to leverage grants.
Speakers:- Bob Porter, Director Business Advising and Lending, Pacific Community Ventures
- Brahm Ahmadi, President, People's Community Market
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COMMUNITY ACTION RISK MITIGATION BLOG
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Community Action Risk Mitigation Blog 
#8 in the series has been posted
A CAA's Balance Sheet and Organization-wide Revenue and Expenses statement provide essential info on the organization's sustainability, compliance, and risks. Learn how to find the info jewels on your financials and how to clear away the clutter than can make them hard to see and understand. Also access this week's webinar recording on CSBG Organizational Category 8: Financial Operations and Oversight.
Click here to read this post.
Need to catch up on the rest of the series? Join Community Action Partnership and Ken Ackerman of Virtual CAP for a review of the entire series via webinar on September 28 at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT/12:00 MT/11:00 PT. Register here.
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DATA SURVEY
| Data Survey Open until Friday!
The Community Action Partnership is jointly sponsoring work with NASCSP to create a better data dictionary for data collected by the CSBG Network and taking some steps that could help agencies more easily and cost effectively share data across systems. We have created a survey to help us along the way. The information we gather from this survey will be analyzed and used to inform this process.
The team responsible for the IS Survey at your CAA may be particularly suited to respond to the survey so please feel free to forward this to the right person. We ask that you please complete this survey as soon as possible but no later than Friday, September 4, 2015.
To access the survey, click here.
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CED SURVEY
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SURVEY ON BARRIERS TO DEVELOPING
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Dear Community Action Colleagues-
The Community Action Partnership is conducting research on the challenges and barriers faced by Community Action Agencies seeking to get involved in the variety of programs generally referred to as 'Community Economic Development' (CED) programs. We want to learn more, from your perspective, about those challenges and barriers.
We have developed a VERY brief Survey Monkey questionnaire in order to gather your thoughts and ideas. The questionnaire will only take a few moments of your time (it's less than a dozen questions!), but will greatly help us gain a better understanding of the issues confronting Community Action Agencies as they look to engage in the CED field. If you would like someone on your team to complete it, please forward it.
who are assisting us with this project. Please click on the link below to complete the Survey Monkey questionnaire - and be assured of our thanks!
Thank you,
Denise Harlow, CCAP
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ISA is an insurance provider providing property, liability, and risk management services. Click here to learn about the Irwin Siegel Agency alliance with the Partnership or visit their website. |
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