August 2021
Welcome to IACAA News!
This e-newsletter will come to you regularly to provide you with information you need to support your agency.
Important Upcoming CAPLAW Trainings:
Community Action Conversations with the Experts: Finishing Strong with Finances
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Time: 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm ET
Expert: Kay Sohl, Kay Sohl Consulting

CAAs received a historic influx of restricted funding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting unique challenges in addition to exciting opportunities. Many of these challenges, from managing indirect cost rate rates and cost allocation plans to revisiting budgets with your board, relate to the financial administration of new or increased funding streams. For that reason, we have invited one of our most knowledgeable and engaging financial experts, Kay Sohl, to answer your questions about managing your agency’s finances. We want to hear from you about your most pressing questions related to finance and accounting; submit them at the registration link below or join us to ask them live in what is sure to be an interesting and practical session.
Part 2: Uniform Guidance Cost Principles –
Let’s Do It Again!

Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Time: 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Speaker: Denes Tobie, CPA, Wipfli
Cost: Free
CAPLAW is offering a repeat session of the webinar, Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, from our recent Uniform Guiding Light series.

Join us for this repeat webinar and learn about the regulations governing what costs federal grant recipients may charge to their federal awards and the options for doing so. Topics to be discussed include basic considerations for cost recovery, the different ways to recover costs (e.g., cost allocation plans, indirect cost rates) and general provisions governing selected items of cost.
Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) is Back!
Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) is starting back up again with gratitude for the intrepid Charles McCann, CCAP emeritus. Mr. McCann is offering hybrid sessions, i.e. both in person and remote. Study groups will take place in both CHICAGO and ST. LOUIS this year. If you are a dedicated Community Action leader who wants to create more opportunities for your agency and enhance your leadership skills, please consider earing your 2022 CCAP!
Meet Dwight Ford: Executive Director of Project NOW
IACAA sat down with Project NOW Executive Director, Dwight Ford, for a candid conversation on starting a new leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic, the important role of Community Action and Poverty in Illinois. Born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, Mr. Ford has deep roots in faith, community and creating equal opportunities.

Q. How did you get your start in Community Action?

Fresh out of a successful 6-year Marine Corps career, Mr. Ford started his early days in the church and working with his local community as assistant to the pastor. He quickly learned that he truly enjoyed working with and helping his Community. Mr. Ford's work with the church lead him to a conference in Boston that "opened his eyes" to the world of Community Action and working on behalf of the poor.

From there, Mr. Ford went on to start his Community Action Career as Executive Director of Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership
 
Q. What do you enjoy most about your role Community Action?

Mr. Ford mentions that the mission to eliminate the root causes of poverty are crucial to him. He also cites that establishing meaningful relationships in his community (that are not just transactional) is the key to successfully lifting individuals out of poverty. Mr. Ford makes a consistent effort to go out in his community and get to know the people that his agency serves. He states "They must know me and see us out in the community, that is the only way to get people up and out"

Q. Is there anything you would like to highlight about Project NOW?

Considering Mr. Ford's career at Project NOW began during the Pandemic, he states that he has only known his team as outstanding operators in crisis. Like most of us, Mr. Ford and his staff had to quickly pivot and adapt to serve their customers. Mr. Ford states that he was extraordinarily excited to work with such a great team during a time of adversity. He describes his team as using "high tech and high touch" measures to keep their community engaged.

"We do not consider 2020 a lost year. We consider it a leveraged year"
-Dwight Ford, Executive Director at Project NOW.

Thank you to Dwight and Project NOW for all of the great work you are doing in "Helping People. Changing Lives."
Interested in Sharing A Job Posting With the Illinois Community Action Network?
Our job posting page is updated frequently with current featured job offerings. To share your agency's job posting on the IACAA website and newsletter, please send your job posting to Haley Wilson at hwilson@iacaanet.org.

Check out our job posting page today!