November 30 , 2009
The Community Action Partnership is in the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign.
Our CFC number for designating donations is 80371.
2010 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE
JANUARY
13-15, 2010, IN NEW ORLEANS — REGISTER NOW!
Register now for the 2010 Community Action Partnership Management and Leadership Training Conference. Reserve your room today at the New Orleans Marriott — they are going fast! Great rates of $159 single and $169 double are guaranteed until Friday, December 11, based upon availability. The New Orleans Marriott is on Canal Street just steps from the famed French Quarter. Call 1 (800) 228-9290 or (504) 581-1000 and ask for the special Community Action Partnership rate.
Begin the New Year with in-depth learning and sharing of ideas with your colleagues. Our 2010 Management and Leadership Conference will take place at the New Orleans Marriott and will include sessions on Head Start, Green Jobs, Job Creation, Board Training, and the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. Please visit our website regularly for more information as it becomes available.
Click here to download a pdf of the Conference flyer; click here to download
the Conference Registration Form.
COMMUNITY ACTION IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
The Partnership is delighted to announce that Ms. Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, recently appointed by President Obama as the new national Director of the Office of Head Start in the Administration for Children and Families (HHS), will be a featured speaker on Thursday morning, January 14th at our annual Management and Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Early in her distinguished career, Ms. Fuentes worked in Head Start for the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo in California (nee Economic Opportunity Commission of San Luis Obispo). Her remarks will follow a session with our colleagues from the federal Office of Community Services.
Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Director – Office of Head Start
Yvette Sanchez Fuentes brings extensive experience in providing services to young children from low income families at the local, regional, and national level to her appointment as the Director of the Office of Head Start. In her role as Director, Ms. Sanchez Fuentes will help lead ACF’s critically important mission of enriching the quality of early childhood development for our nation’s most vulnerable children.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sanchez Fuentes served as the Executive Director of the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA). She worked with early education services, policies and resources for migrant and seasonal farm worker children and their families.
YVETTE SANCHEZ FUENTES
Before joining NMSHSA, Yvette worked for the Education Development Center where she was the Early Childhood Specialist for the International Systems Division and provided technical assistance to projects in Honduras, El Salvador, and Egypt.
Ms. Sanchez Fuentes has served as a National Head Start Fellow where she provided consultation in literacy, parent education, child care collaborations, and program improvement to Migrant and Seasonal Head Start and other early childhood education programs nationwide.
Early in her career, Ms. Sanchez Fuentes managed services for a large migrant and seasonal program for staff development and family child care initiatives. She received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from California State Polytechnic University.
AND BY-LAWS REQUIREMENTS
CAPLAW—Community Action Program Legal Services, Inc.—is considered one of the most respected and informed training and technical assistance providers in our Community Action Movement. The Partnership is again pleased to have CAPLAW provide its intensive, high-quality training for Community Action’s board and staff leaders.
Ensuring Accountability and Transparency:
Bylaws Briefing and Board Best PracticesWith their emphasis on accountability and transparency, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the new IRS Form 990 underscore the importance of sound governance practices among federal grantees and nonprofit organizations, including CAAs. Clear, authoritative, and up-to-date bylaws are a cornerstone of good governance. Examine the main issues to look at when reviewing and updating your CAA’s bylaws – bring a copy of your bylaws and discover whether they are up-to-snuff. Find out how to comply with the CSBG and Head Start board composition requirements. Learn about nonprofit corporate and 501(c)(3) requirements – including new governance questions on the IRS Form 990 – as well as ARRA accountability and reporting requirements. Review the board’s duties and get practical tips on how your board can fulfill its oversight role. In this interactive presentation, you will have the opportunity to apply the legal issues presented to real-life situations and hypothetical scenarios. You will also receive governance checklists and a copy of CAPLAW’s newly updated Bylaws Toolkit, which includes sample CAA bylaws language. Board members are encouraged to attend!
Presenters:
Anita Lichtblau, Executive Director, CAPLAW
Eleanor Evans, CAPLAW
Anita Lichtblau, Esq. is an attorney who serves as Executive Director and General Counsel to CAPLAW and General Counsel to Action for Boston Community Development, Inc., Boston’s community action agency. In directing the CAPLAW program, Ms. Lichtblau advises Community Action Agencies on issues such as tax-exempt organization requirements, lobbying and political activity rules, non-profit board responsibilities, contracts, and Head Start and other government program requirements. She has presented numerous workshops on these topics across the country. Prior to holding these positions, she was a senior trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice prosecuting bank fraud in federal courts in New England. Ms. Lichtblau also previously practiced law with the Boston firm of Hill & Barlow, specializing in civil litigation, and the Washington, D.C. firm of Steptoe & Johnson, specializing in civil litigation and government contracts. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard Law School.
ANITA LICHTBLAU
LACAP TRAINING CENTER
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On Tuesday, January 12th (the day before our conference officially begins), Jane Killen, Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnerships (LACAP), is working with us on a high-visibility, special public education/media event that will showcase LACAP’s Weatherization training and certification programs in Baton Rouge.
We have contracted with The Hatcher Group in DC to work with us to draw a wide range of media coverage to audiences across America. Jane has arranged for two buses from New Orleans to her Baton Rouge training center for a 2 hour special event. We will be offering slots for up to 60 of our conference attendees to participate in this event, for example, be available to answer questions and describe Community Action’s successes and achievements with Weatherization, with a special focus on ARRA funds. Those of you who administer WZ programs have the opportunity to be a proactive part of this event. If this whets your media/marketing appetites, please let me know ASAP, at dmathis@communityactionpartnership.com or 202-449-9774.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP
Call for Applications: Assets for Independence Program
The Office of Community Services (OCS), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is now accepting grant applications of up to $1,000,000 for the Assets for Independence Demonstration Program (AFI). The next round of applications is due on January 15, 2010.
Community-based, faith-based, and other organizations – such as state, local and Tribal government agencies– that assist low-income people to become economically self-sufficient are encouraged to apply. Applicants provide clients financial education and assistance while they save earned income into a matched savings account called an Individual Savings Accounts (IDAs).
More information can be obtained by downloading step-by-step guidance and suggestions for project development to help with application guidelines by contacting the AFI Resource Center at: (866) 778-6037. Visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding to get your free copy of the AFI Project Builder, federal program announcement and related forms.
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One in six Americans is in a struggle against hunger.
A Webinar: Tuesday, December 8, 2:00 - 3:00p.m., Eastern time
Register today: http://www.bostonconferencing.com/chn/register
In just one year, the number of people in households that sometimes lacked the money for enough nutritious food rose from 36 million to 49 million - the highest number on record. Among them were 17 million children - 4 million more in 2008 than in 2007.
This is called food insecurity. The recession is making it worse. It is hurting children.
Learn more:• What the USDA food security survey means
• How to use the data compellingly, simply, and accurately
• Research showing how food insecurity hurts children
• What policy choices can halt this very disturbing trendPresenters:
• James D. Weill, President, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
• Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Principal Investigator, Children's HealthWatch; Professor of Pediatrics at Boston U. School of Medicine and Director of the Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center
• Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
• Moderator: George A. Braley, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy, Feeding AmericaTo register for the webinar, click here: http://www.bostonconferencing.com/chn/register
You will receive information about connecting to the webinar (by computer and phone) after you register.
2010 Tax Credit Outreach Kits Available
The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit are two of the federal governments most effective ways of helping low-income families and individuals, especially during the current economic downturn. One of the most widely-used and popular tools for helping Community Action Agencies access these tax credits for their agency’s participants is the packet of materials developed and refined each year by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ 2010 Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit Outreach Kit can be ordered via email, eickit@cbpp.org, or by going to www.cbpp.org/eic2010.
The kit includes posters, flyers, fact sheets, and outreach strategy ideas to help organizations promote the availability of tax credits and free tax filing assistance to low-income families and individuals.
The Earned Income and Child Tax Credits will mean more for working families and individuals than ever before as they continue to grapple with the pressures of the weak economy. They need to know that help may be there when they file their tax returns in 2010: they may be eligible for tax credits worth as much as $5,657, and they may qualify for credits even if they did not earn enough in 2009 to owe income tax. Effective outreach prevents them from missing out on opportunities that will help them achieve economic stability.
This year, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress and the President have improved and expanded the array of tax credits that can provide a significant boost to workers’ paychecks, including the above-mentioned credits as well as the newly created Making Work Pay Credit. In addition, a new American Opportunity Credit can help low-wage workers pay for college.
As a result of the new legislation, more people will qualify, credits will be larger and benefits will be tailored to better meet family needs. These enhanced benefits make outreach efforts more critical than ever, so we greatly appreciate The Center producing this great resource!
OCC Reminds Consumers To Read Fine Print on Gift Cards
WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reminds consumers to read the terms and conditions of gift cards this holiday season.
While a popular and convenient way to give, gift cards can have expiration dates, fees, and other terms that can reduce their value. Other terms may limit where cards can be used or explain the process of handling complaints and lost or stolen cards.
Whether you buy or receive gift cards, you should read the disclosures to understand important terms and conditions, including:• Any fees that apply during or after the sale that reduce the value of the card;
• Expiration date;
• What to do if the card is lost or stolen;
• What to do if there are problems with the card;
• Where the card can be used; and
• How to claim any unused portion of the card.If these disclosures are not stated on the gift card or its packaging, check for a toll-free number or Web site.
For national banks that issue gift cards, the OCC has issued guidance about “stored value cards,” such as gift cards. The guidance requires banks to clearly disclose the fees and terms associated with the gift card. It also states that banks should avoid any marketing that misleads people about the terms, conditions, or limitations of the gift card.
Learn more about gift cards and how to escalate issues that you have not been able to resolve by contacting the bank directly at www.HelpWithMyBank.gov.
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