The CSBG 4th quarter reports are due August 15th. It is important to get all reports in on time as the information from these reports are reviewed and utilized in your annual dashboards and are sent to the federal OCS office. Remember the CSBG Report is a comprehensive report—it should contain all programs and services your agency provides.

4th quarter reports contain the following sections:

1. 4th quarter progress
2. FNPI Report
3. CNPI Report (If Applicable - Smart Form*)
4. ROMA Implementer 4th Quarter Progress
5. Individual Demographics
6. Household Demographics
7. CSBG Expenditures
8. Capacity Building
9. CSBG Resources

We have updated our 4th quarter report instruction guide which contains helpful tips for completing the annual report. The Financial Reporting Instruction Manual can be found on the NASCSP website.

Final CSBG/ TANF Invoices for the 2022-2023 program year should be submitted by July 30, 2023. If your agency will need beyond July 30th to submit your final CSBG/TANF invoices please email csbg@dss.virginia.gov for an extension.

Once final invoices are submitted for the 22-23 program year, if you have carryover you can complete a budget modification to add your carryover to the 23-24 program year budgets. All budget modifications to add carryover will be due by August 30, 2024 so we can begin the process of contract modifications which will take place in the fall. 

The Virginia State CSBG Office and Virginia Community Action Partnership (VACAP) are eager to learn about your agency’s training and technical assistance needs for the 2023-2024 Program Year. Use this brief survey to provide any thoughts on how our offices may provide additional tools, resources, and best practices for the upcoming year. Click here for survey. Deadline for survey completion is July 30^th.   

Over the past few weeks each agency received feedback on all components of the Community Action Plan. If your agency needed to make revisions or respond to questions, this is a reminder to please do so. We need to finalize the plans in July.

We are excited to be partnering with the Region 3 Regional Innovation and Performance Consortia (RPIC) to offer a variety of trainings over the next several months. These trainings are open to any staff or board member who may be interested, please forward as needed. There will be two webinars each month between February and August, topics vary each month, so make sure to sign up for any session relevant to your position!

July Sessions:

• Keys to Successfully Managing the Implementation of Your Strategic Plan
• July 13, 2023, 2-3pm
• Register
• Today’s operating environment has grown in complexity and, too often, our planning processes haven’t kept up. Does your strategic plan implementation need some improvement? If so, this session is for you! You’ll learn specific tools to take your organization’s strategic plan implementation to the next level including project management techniques, monitoring, and tracking necessities, and other implementation strategies. These techniques and strategies will elevate your ability to measure, track, communicate, and align what matters most in order to drive improved results for your agency and those you serve.



• Standards of Excellence
• July 20, 2023,10-11am
• Register
• America’s communities need and deserve excellent Community Action Agencies. Every organization can improve, and should continuously strive to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and to exceed expectations. In this session we will explore what excellence means in Community Action as defined by the 35 Standards of Excellence, and discuss strategies for strengthening your agency, including through the National Community Action Partnership’s Pathways to Excellence program.

Region 3 State Community Action Associations and the Regional Performance and Innovation Consortium (RPIC) in collaboration with the Association of Nationally Certified ROMA Trainers and Implementers (ANCRT) is presenting a ROMA Update Training to be held in person for the first time since 2019!!

This session is an In-service Continuing Education Program alternative. The Registration Fee for this event is being paid for NCRPs by the state Community Action Associations in our Region (CAAP, WVCAP, MCAP, VACAP) so your only costs for participating in this event will be your travel expenses. 



• Register for the Update Training at https://www.roma-nptp.org/r3pic_registration.html

Food Desert or Food Apartheid?

Karen Washington is credited with coining food apartheid; this article suggests if inequities are visible, actions must be taken. While a food desert might indicate an absence by physical limitation and neglect, that minimizes the vibrancy and self-determination toward nutritional health and progress within a community. As Nina Sevilla wrote in this article, “sovereignty through community-driven solutions and systemic change,” brings dignity along with self-sufficiency to residents. She notes that changing the term avoids the implication that inequities are based on nature; therefore, avoiding the connotation of a wasteland obscuring the essential richness in local life and indigenous food systems. Virginia’s capacity to provide a natural bounty for its residents is a given. Making equitable access to healthy produce and nutrition education is the commitment of organizations throughout the Commonwealth. Creating economic opportunities through traditional foodways and modern technology can follow.

The OEO AmeriCorps VISTA Wyatt Spage has been working on developing an economic empowerment toolkit, one thing has become apparent from his discussions with community action agency leaders: In the realm of building and preserving generational wealth, few assets hold as much significance as housing. A home serves not only as a place of shelter but also as a powerful financial instrument that can shape the trajectory of families for generations to come. Through the acquisition and ownership of property, individuals can create a solid foundation for intergenerational wealth transfer, ensuring a brighter future for their descendants. In this article, we explore the importance of housing and its profound impact on the creation and sustainability of generational wealth.

One of the key reasons why housing plays a crucial role in generational wealth is its potential for appreciation and asset accumulation. Unlike many other assets, residential property tends to increase in value over time. This upward trend can generate substantial returns on investment, enabling homeowners to build equity and accumulate wealth. As property values appreciate, families can leverage their home equity for various purposes, such as financing higher education, starting businesses, or even purchasing additional properties. This process allows families to grow their wealth exponentially, establishing a solid foundation for future generations. Read More.