December 1, 2021 | Issue 66
Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning Training Now Available on LearnWorlds!
The Virginia CSBG office has pre-recorded two trainings, Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment and CAA Strategic Planning. The trainings contain learning modules, activities, quizzes and resources, you can take each module at your leisure. Both trainings are now live on our LearnWorlds site. LearnWorlds is a learning management system which contains resources, trainings and a blog section. All staff and board members can sign up for LearnWorlds and have access to all materials. You can sign up at: https://vacsbg.learnworlds.com/.

Once you create an account you can access the needs assessment and strategic planning courses. Please email csbg@dss.virginia.gov if you have questions or need assistance in creating an account.
Finance Reminder: Invoices for November Expenses Need to be Received by December 13th
VDSS will be switching to a new eVA system in December. The old system will be shutdown on December 17 and the new system will come online on January 4. Between those dates, we will not be able to process invoices. Invoices for November expenses must be submitted to CSBG Reporter by close of business, December 13 in order for them to be processed by December 17. Please contact Violet Peyton, violet.peyton@dss.virginia.gov, if you have any questions.
Community Action VISTA Program Recap
The Virginia CSBG Office administered the Community Action VISTA program from 2016-2021. The VISTA members made significant impact at agencies across the state over those five years. We had a total of 42 VISTAs serving at 16 agencies over the course of the 5 years. VISTAs worked on a variety of projects including: needs assessment development, strategic planning, volunteer recruitment, program development and fund development. To see more accomplishments from the VISTA program, click on the infographic.
Community Action Updates
Upcoming Events
  • December 1st - Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning Training Available on LearnWorlds
  • December 13th - November Invoices Due
  • December 23rd - 24th - State Offices Closed
  • December 31st - State Offices Closed
A Big ROMA Thank you!
We would like to thank everyone that has participated in the Intro to ROMA network trainings and peer group sessions this year. With a new spark of interest, our trainers have impacted staff and board members from almost all of our agencies. The Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) framework is one of the key guiding principles in ensuring that CAAs are performing at a greater level to foster effective change within their communities. Network training will be on hiatus for the beginning of next year but will resume in summer 2022. If your agency would like to hold a ROMA training, please reach out to your program consultant. 
Community Action Agency Spotlight
Tri County Receives Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant
Tri-County was selected to receive a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund—the largest private grant in the history of the agency. The Fund was launched by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2018. The Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.

This one-time grant will allow Tri-County to expand services to stabilize homeless families after they are rehoused. It will also allow the agency to expand affordable housing opportunities in the communities it serves. Tri-County was selected by an independent advisory board comprised of homelessness experts with experience in policy, advocacy, racial equity, child welfare and housing and service delivery, as well as firsthand experience in homelessness.

Tri-County was one of thirty-two organizations across the country to receive awards—only one other community action agency in the nation—Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP)—received a grant this year.

For additional information, visit: www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund
Virginia Community Action Two- Gen Whole Family Pilot Project Achievements
Over the past three years, the Community Action Two Generation Whole Family Pilot Project has been in full swing with six of Virginia's CAAs. The level of connectedness between programs, staff, and clients has forged extraordinary collaborations in building strong paths towards stability and equitable self-sufficiency. Recently, the National Community Action Partnership shared an evaluation report about the progress Virginia's CAAs are doing. In closing out 2021, the CSBG office wanted to highlight a variety of their successes with you. 

1. From mid-February to March 30, 2020, the CAAs worked diligently to enroll families and begin providing support from mid-February to March 30, 2020. Enrollment level results are as follows:
  • September 30, 2020 - 61 families enrolled, representing. 81 adults and 131 children under the age of 18.
  • September 30, 2021 - 91 families enrolled, representing 123 adults and 200 children under the age of 18. 
2. Through this framework, the sites have achieved the following milestones in Years 1 and 2 of the project through this framework:
  • Hiring and training at least one coach at each pilot site and 3 agencies have added a second part-time or full-time coach position;
  • Participation in extensive training and T/TA engagement schedule, including monthly cohort meetings, weekly and monthly coaching calls, EmpowOR training, and knowledge building webinars;
  • Development of individual agency design plan theories of change and logic models for all six sites;
  • Development of the tools for sites to use to measure family progress, including the Life Scale and Family Success Plan;
  • Administering the Life Scale and Family Success Plan on a regular basis (projected target is quarterly for each family;
  • Development and deployment of a whole family approach database, with all six sites making progress on tracking family data through the EmpowOR system; and
  • Initiation of data walks to assess family progress and project results.
Community Action Resources
Risk Alternatives: 3 Ways to Avoid Risk Burnout
Like anything else worth doing, nonprofit risk management takes time and effort. For every three successes, you will have a setback or two.

So how do you maintain momentum and avoid nonprofit risk management burnout? Here are three suggestions.

Virginia Community Services Block Grant Office