4E. Roadmap to Resources and Initiatives of the National Partner Organizations
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
The national CSBG-network partner organizations are here to serve you. They have established initiatives to further the anti-poverty goals of the CSBG Act and developed an abundance of resources to help CAAs and state CSBG offices fulfill their missions. Attend this workshop and get the information you need to join the initiatives, navigate the websites, sign up for the newsletters, access the resource materials and participate in the audio conferences, workshops, listservs and blogs offered by the national partner organizations.

Jenae Bjelland, National Association for State Community Service Programs
Lindley (Lil) Dupree, Community Action Partnership
Cara Loffredo, CAPLAW

4D. Payroll Puzzles: The Davis-Bacon Act and Community Action
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
Don’t miss a discussion of the latest Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) issues relating to Head Start and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This session will briefly review the DBA and its application to Head Start facilities projects and to WAP projects funded with ARRA monies. Scenarios addressing different DBA issues will be presented and resolutions will be discussed. Participants are encouraged to bring their DBA questions and concerns.

Richard (Rick) V. Pins, Esq., Leonard, Street and Dienard

4C. FISCAL/Managing Multiple Funding Streams
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
CAAs receive funding from a wide variety of sources, many of which have varying requirements and program years. Effective financial management of multiple funding streams involves more than tracking profit and loss segregated by fund. Budgeting and providing cash flow information to management and the governing board are key. In this workshop, discuss the challenges CAAs face in managing funds from multiple sources and learn about effective strategies for addressing those challenges and keeping your organization’s finances on track.

Marjorie Lombard, Action for Boston Community Development
Dan Miller, CPA, Meliora Partners

4B. HR/Keeping Good Time – Wage and Hour Law
CPE Field of Study: Business Law                                                                      Level: Overview
Brush up on the basics of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), take a practical look at common wage and hour compliance issues facing nonprofits and government employers and discover ways to reduce wage and hour law liability. In this session, you will learn how to categorize workers as employees vs. independent contractors and employees as exempt vs. nonexempt and get answers to questions such as: How do you calculate minimum wage and overtime pay? How do you compute hours worked? What records are employers required to keep under the FLSA? You will also examine the salary basis requirement for exempt employees – what it means to pay an employee on a salary basis and how to avoid impermissible deductions that can jeopardize the salary basis of an employee’s pay.

Lawrence S. McGoldrick, Esq., Fisher & Phillips, LLP

4A. GOVERNANCE/ABCs of CAA Bylaws
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
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. Find out how to comply with the CSBG and Head Start board composition requirements. Get answers to questions such as: How do an organization’s bylaws relate to its articles of incorporation, board resolutions and agency-wide policies? What provisions should CAAs have in their bylaws? How should CAA bylaws deal with issues such as board size, term limits and conflicts of interest? Participants will receive a copy of CAPLAW’s recently updated Bylaws Toolkit, which includes sample CAA bylaws language.

Eleanor A. Evans, Esq., CAPLAW

3E. Head Start Hot Topics
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Update
Be sure you’re up to speed on the latest developments affecting your organization’s Head Start program. This session will feature a lively discussion of the impact of ARRA on the Head Start grantees; issues related to reauthorization, including the status of the re-designation process and of regulations interpreting the reauthorized Head Start Act; monitoring trends and issues in the wake of reauthorization; changes to the National Training and Technical Assistance System; and recent income eligibility and documentation issues. A dialogue on Head Start facilities issues will round out the agenda.

Ann Linehan, HHS Office of Head Start
Robert Sasser, Esq. and R. Brian Tipton, Esq., Sasser, Sefton, Connally, Tipton & Davis, P.C.

3D. Expand Your Reach with Reporting
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
Learn ways to transform the required reporting for your various CAA programs into dollar signs. This workshop begins with an overview of federal, state and local reporting requirements associated with a CAA’s major funding sources, including ARRA, and a discussion of how a CAA can efficiently and effectively meet those requirements. It then goes a step further to offer practical and proven methods for applying the data used to meet these requirements not only to sustain current funding sources but also to attract those highly coveted private funds.

Jenae Bjelland, National Association for State Community Services Programs
Marjorie Lombard, Action for Boston Community Development
Christina Sieber, Action for Boston Community Development

3C. FISCAL/Fiscal Sponsorship: Making the Right Connections
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
CAAs often offer support to other groups and endeavors sharing a similar charitable mission by accepting and managing funds on their behalf and, in some cases, by providing other administrative and management services as well. Many refer to the CAA’s role in these relationships as that of a “fiscal agent,” a “pass-through,” or a “conduit.” Find out why “fiscal sponsorship” is a more appropriate term and learn how to structure fiscal sponsorship arrangements to avoid scrutiny by the IRS and state charity regulators and to reflect what is actually occurring.

Rachel Spears, Esq., Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

3B. HR/Cutting Edge Issues in Employment Law
CPE Field of Study: Business Law                                                                      Level: Update
This workshop will provide an overview of new employment laws, as well as recent changes to existing ones, that are likely to impact your organization. Topics will include the most recent revisions to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the new Form I-9 and E-verify requirements, and cases interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended in 2009. Time permitting, we will also discuss current "hot topics" in employment law, such as issues relating to the H1N1 virus and the flu epidemic. Workshop attendees can expect to explore the practical implications of these laws and discuss the steps that may be taken to ensure that personnel policies and procedures are up to date.

Jessica E. Margolin, Esq., Ropes & Gray LLP

3A. GOVERNANCE/Governance When Everyone Is Watching: Internal Controls
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
New federal dollars have arrived in the form of stimulus funds. Whether it’s CSBG, Weatherization, Head Start, or a host of other federal programs, CAAs and other federal grantees have received significant increases in funding. New funding brings additional scrutiny and governance responsibilities have increased accordingly. Internal controls are key to assuring those outside your organization that all funds are secure. If you are a non-fiscal type with governance responsibility, attend this session to develop a better understanding of what internal controls are, how to implement them and what your role is in that process.

Dan Miller, CPA, Meliora Partners

2E. Fast Fundraising Facts for Fame & Fortune
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
This fast-paced workshop addresses ways that Community Action Agencies can diversify their funding and take advantage of revenue sources other than traditional grants. Attend and find out how to connect effectively with corporate and individual donors, try special events and more. Discuss ways to ask successfully and to implement Jean's 10 Rules for Fundraising Success, including how to handle a “no” (hint: It's no big deal). This session will feature practical insight from the CAA perspective along with a brief discussion of the legal requirements related to fundraising. Taught by a nonprofit pro with nearly 50 years experience as staff and volunteer, a CAA planning director and an experienced nonprofit attorney, this workshop will motivate and inspire you to put the FUN unto FUNdraising!

Jean Block, Jean Block Consulting, Inc.
Christina Sieber, Action for Boston Community Development
Rachel Spears, Esq., Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

2D. Tapping into the Technology Wave
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
The ever-expanding world of information technology (IT) and the web offers CAAs the opportunity to increase their scope and effect in exciting, innovative ways. However, the legal implications of tapping into this often uncharted area can seem daunting. This workshop will not only dispel fears associated with using the Internet and various technologies but also offer practical feedback from those who have ventured into this new frontier. It will also cover: legal implications of using social media; tips on email and Internet usage policies; complying with tax and charitable solicitation rules when using websites for development and fundraising purposes; intellectual property issues associated with the web; and other related topics.

Allison Ma’luf, Esq., CAPLAW
Jessica E. Margolin, Esq., Ropes & Gray LLP
Colin A. McRae, Esq., Hunter Maclean Exley & Dunn, P.C.

Sherry Heyl, Concept Hub, Inc.
Joyce J. Dorsey, Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority, Inc.

2C. FISCAL/From the Auditor’s Desk:
Taking a Proactive Audit Approach and Coping with Cost Principles
CPE Field of Study: Auditing                                                                               Level: Overview
In this two-part session, get practical advice from experienced auditors on preparing for your organization’s audit and complying with federal cost principle circulars. In Part I, our presenters will share tips and tools – including sample audit planning schedules and questionnaires – to help you make your organization’s next audit more efficient and to reduce future audit costs. They will also discuss the impact of ARRA requirements on the OMB Circular A-133 audit process and offer insights on audits of employee benefit plans, particularly 403(b) plans. In Part II, they will use CAPLAW’s annotated guide to OMB Circular A-122 not only to review the plain language of individual cost principles, but also to apply them in combination to especially tricky issues faced by grantees. Among the topics to be discussed in this part are: facilities expenses; donations and contributions, including in-kind; fundraising costs; and the possible impact of the ARRA funding model on the allowability of certain costs.

Mary Pockl, CPA, S.R. Snodgrass A.C.
Michael Zeno, CPA, S.R. Snodgrass A.C.

2B. Workplaces that Work: Positive People Management
CPE Field of Study: Personnel/HR                                                                      Level: Overview
In most workplaces there is at least one disgruntled employee who is unreliable, unwilling to accept direction, behaves badly, bends the rules and is full of excuses, excuses, excuses!  Don’t let the bad attitude of one or two sour apples taint the whole batch!  Rather learn how to make apple pie with that seemingly rotten fruit!  Attend this workshop to discover positive ways to grapple with the negative employees in your workplace.  This session focuses on the legal compliance issues associated with creating a positive work environment, avoiding hostile ones and instituting productive ones.  We will discuss some practical tips related to how supervisors can effectively motivate, evaluate and manage employees – even the most difficult ones – while simultaneously developing and maintaining a positive, legally compliant rapport with those they supervise.

Merrily S. Archer, Esq., Fisher & Phillips, LLP

2A. GOVERNANCE/Putting Good Governance into Practice: Nonprofit Governance Case Studies
CPE Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications                                Level: Overview
Explore the practical implications of nonprofit governance by participating in this interactive session. Participants will be divided into small discussion groups to address scenarios based on key governance areas including: board composition; for-profit ventures; executive director compensation; and the development and maintenance of communication channels. Each group will arrive at a solution for each case and share it with the session as a whole. Then, the workshop leaders will summarize the solutions and provide a brief presentation on best practices. Participants will be provided with a copy of the cases before the session so that they can familiarize themselves with the facts in advance. This is an opportunity to test your governance knowledge, express your opinions, meet other CAA and nonprofit leaders from around the country, and learn from the experience of others.

Anita Lichtblau, Esq., CAPLAW
Patricia Steiger, Management Consultant and CAPLAW Board Member