The annual Community Action Plan is due May 1, 2023. All components of the Community Action Plan (CAP) are submitted through CSBG Reporter. On March 2nd at 1pm the CSBG Staff will be conducting a webinar to review the components of the CAP Plan. If you registered for this webinar you should have received the meeting invite and link. If you did not register or did not receive the meeting link please email csbg@dss.virginia.gov.

The webinar will be recorded and added to LearnWorlds. We have developed a CAP Tip Sheet which contains common questions regarding the CAP plan.

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!

March Sessions:

• March 9 - Agency Wide Budgeting Webinar - 2pm (Register)
• Agency-wide budgeting is critical for financial planning and ongoing monitoring. The CSBG Organizational Standards require an agency-wide budget. This session will address the nuts and bolts of building one and, even more important, will address the role the agency-wide budget plays in agency planning and ongoing fiscal health.
• March 23 - Authentic Communication, Part I: Introduction and Mindful Communication Webinar - 10am (Register)
• Join us as we explore why Authentic Communication is vital to our success and well-being and the five communication practices that strengthen our deep awareness, focus, and clarity.

The Office of Economic Opportunity is excited to introduce our new VISTA Member, Wyatt Spage. Wyatt is a recent graduate with a degree in history. He was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. Growing up in the backyard of the Nation's capital, he has always been drawn towards public service. It was natural for Wyatt to join AmeriCorps post-graduation. In his free time, he enjoys writing, movies, and following current events.

Wyatt will be working with OEO to learn more about Financial Empowerment Programs nationally and here in Virginia. Wyatt will be developing resources, seeking funding sources and providing training. Wyatt will be reaching out to agencies soon with a survey to learn more about what Financial Empowerment Programs are currently being offered in Virginia Community Action Agencies.

The CSBG Office recently conducted four in-person regional board training opportunities. This day long board training offered board members and executive directors and opportunity to review board roles and responsibilities, legal responsibilities of board members and how to handle common problems. Nearly 100 board and staff members attended the trainings across the state. This was an in person training and not recorded however all materials and handouts from the training are found on LearnWorlds, our learning management system. Once logged in (it is a free account) you can click on resources, board resources and board training 2023.

The CSBG office would like to thank the entire network for participating in the Virginia Community Action Agencies Wellness Workshop Survey. We received an overwhelming 268 responses, the largest response to a survey to date. Our office will take your feedback and plan accordingly to the needs of our network. 

As part of their mission to lift people with low incomes from poverty to self-sufficiency, Community Action Agencies (CAAs) often seek to spur growth and build wealth in their communities through job creation and business development. These efforts can generally be referred to as “community economic development”, but the term also refers to a specific funding source authorized under the Community Services Block Grant Act (CSBG Act) for which CAAs may apply.

This FAQ aims to help CAAs understand the purposes and requirements of community economic development funding under the CSBG Act so they can think strategically about how to utilize this source of funding to benefit their communities.