CAPLAW Publications
Have questions about your organization’s bylaws? Confused by Head Start regulations or preparing for an agency audit? CAPLAW has publications for all your organization’s needs – order now and keep up-to-date on the issues that affect all Community Action Agencies!
As organizations across the Community Action network resume operations and services disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, it is critical to thoughtfully consider issues that are likely to arise and plan carefully to adjust to the new normal. CAPLAW has developed this Building Readiness: Planning, Prevention, Response, and Liability Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource in an attempt to anticipate and address many of the questions on the forefront of CAAs’ planning efforts. CAPLAW will update this resource as regulations are issued and new guidance becomes available. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, offers various forms of aid to nonprofit Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and state associations whose operations have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. This resource covers each of the benefits available to the Community Action network under the CARES Act, including a detailed analysis of what CAAs should consider with respect to these programs. CAPLAW will update this resource as regulations are issued and new guidance becomes available. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present numerous challenges for CAAs that impact existing governance structures and practices related to board meetings, board member terms and selection, authority to take action, and more. This has caused many boards to grapple with competing concerns such as compliance with bylaws provisions and health and safety precautions, and has emphasized the need for and benefit of flexible bylaws that contemplate emergency situations. The suggested bylaws language and actions to consider included in this resource can help CAAs prepare their bylaws for future emergencies and avoid the significant problems that result from failing to comply with the rules that govern the organization. While no set of bylaws will be able to fully anticipate how a CAA board may be affected by emergency situations, this resource can assist CAAs to proactively build in flexibilities and be better equipped to more nimbly and effectively streamline operations in response to future, unknown challenges. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
As Community Action Agencies (CAAs) continue to adapt and evolve in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, their strategies for protecting employees from serious illness resulting from COVID-19 has shifted from mitigating the risk of transmission via measures like PPE and social distancing to promoting vaccinations. This article provides guidance for CAAs that want to encourage employee vaccinations and offers some key do’s and don’ts as they engage in vaccine-related efforts. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
In this collection of short snapshots, CAPLAW presents the experiences and outcomes of CAAs that successfully recruited and elected new low-income sector representatives to their board during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some agencies tested out new ways of conducting their process, while others implemented their existing procedures in an exclusively remote or socially-distanced environment. We hope their stories will inspire other CAAs to consider innovative methods of engaging their communities and complying with tripartite board requirements throughout the pandemic, and beyond. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Updated in 2021 CAPLAW’s case studies provide an in-depth view of the various ways CAAs are meeting the CSBG Act’s requirement that the low-income sector of the tripartite board be selected in accordance with “democratic selection procedures." We updated these case studies in 2021 to show how these CAAs adapted their existing democratic selection procedures in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
CAPLAW has updated its popular video series, All a-Board! The Purpose, People, and Process of CAA Boards, with three new videos. These 7-11 minute animated shorts help boost the capacity of community action agency (CAA) boards to recruit, engage, and fulfill their responsibilities. Whether you’re a new CAA board member eager to orient yourself to the work of community action, an existing board member looking for clarity on your role and responsibilities, or a board chair planning to facilitate a training at the next board meeting, the All a-Board! series can serve as a starting point or a refresher. > View the Board Training Videos .......................................................................................................................................................................
Now more than ever, CAAs are exploring mergers as a strategy to improve their sustainability and enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. This new tool and the accompanying webinar can help CAA leaders understand the risks and benefits associated with merging, identify and evaluate potential merger partners, prepare for and approach the merger process, and learn from the experiences of CAAs that have merged in the past. Whether or not your agency is currently contemplating a merger, this tool will help you understand what may be gained by and what should be considered in the pursuit of a strategic merger transaction. .......................................................................................................................................................................
CAPLAW and the National Community Action Partnership have developed two case studies focused on the ability of CAAs to respond to unique challenges and effectively govern themselves during difficult times. These case studies highlight the examples of two CAAs, and how each relied on good governance practices and communication to navigate complex challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. > Pro Action of Steuben and Yates
> Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission ....................................................................................................................................................................... Crosswalk of the CSBG Organizational Standards and Head Start Performance Standards Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that run Head Start programs are tasked with following two sets of different, yet overlapping requirements that apply to the funding they receive under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Act and Head Start Act. To help CAAs understand this overlap, CAPLAW developed a crosswalk showing the connections between the CSBG Organizational Standards, published in Information Memorandum (IM) 138, and the Head Start Program Performance Standards, located at 45 C.F.R. Parts 1301 through 1305. This crosswalk is intended to be a practical tool for CAAs, highlighting ways that board and staff members can leverage the intersection between the two sets of requirements to demonstrate compliance with the rules of both programs.
....................................................................................................................................................................... Training & Orientation Tool for Tripartite Boards These presentations were created in response to a need in the network for training and orientation materials that state Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) offices, state associations, and individual Community Action Agencies (CAAs) can use to educate their own boards and staff that work with the board on the board’s vital role in the organization. One presentation is designed specifically for tripartite boards of nonprofit CAAs, and the other is for tripartite boards of public CAAs. Both presentations act as guides for those training or orientating board members on the board’s responsibilities. > View the Tool for Nonprofit CAAs > ....................................................................................................................................................................... Tips for Responding to ICE Inquiries at Your CAA or Head Start Center The following resources cover tips for responding to immigration officials who show up at your CAA's offices or Head Start facilities asking to speak to employees or clients, or seeking records pertaining to employees or clients. > ....................................................................................................................................................................... Developing a Board Training Strategy This presentation was created to help the board of directors of a Community Action Agency (CAA), as well as individuals and organizations supporting the board, design a plan for providing training and orientation to the CAA’s board members regarding their roles and responsibilities. Many CAAs understand the need to implement a comprehensive and systematic approach to training board members—whether it be the initial orientation for new directors, or ongoing training for the board—but lack the capacity to develop a strategy for delivering high-quality board training. This presentation aims to help boards take a step back and consider the basic building blocks of good board training—the Why? Who? Where? When? How? and What? of board training. ....................................................................................................................................................................... WIOA Resource GuideThis guide is intended to help Community Action Agencies (CAAs) find resources related to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, or the Act). Since President Obama signed the Act in July of 2014, CAAs and other workforce partners have been working hard to understand the myriad WIOA requirements contained in the various statutes, regulations, and guidance from multiple federal agencies. There are many resources available to help understand WIOA and its rules, and CAPLAW has created this resource guide to help CAAs quickly find the WIOA help they’re looking for. ....................................................................................................................................................................... Glossary of Community Action Acronyms Welcome to the world of Community Action words! Like many sectors of our society, Community Action has a lingo and acronyms to go with it. The legal world also has its fair share of acronyms which when coupled with Community Action’s can at times be challenging to navigate. In an effort to increase accessibility and comfort for those involved with Community Action and its many applicable legal requirements, CAPLAW has compiled a list that briefly defines the acronyms that those in Community Action may regularly encounter. ....................................................................................................................................................................... CSBG Organizational Standards Resources Guide Check out CAPLAW's newly launched online guide, where resources developed by CAPLAW and the national Community Action Partnership are linked to specific CSBG Organizational Standards to help Community Action Agencies in their compliance efforts. ....................................................................................................................................................................... Pace CAA Social Enterprises: A Case Study Free Publication! How did a nonprofit Community Action Agency come to operate for-profit businesses? This case study examines how a nonprofit CAA leveraged its experience to establish social enterprises focused on helping individuals reach self-sufficiency, offering lessons in the common legal, governance, and financial issues that federally-funded organizations should consider before starting these businesses. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Public CAA Case Study: The Power of a Tripartite Board Free Publication! This case study focuses on how the tripartite board of Montgomery County Community Action Agency, a public CAA, fulfills its responsibilities with respect to the CSBG Organizational Standards. Ongoing efforts by the tripartite board to achieve 100% compliance are inspiring and, we hope, informative, especially for public CAA tripartite boards struggling with challenges related to meeting the Standards. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Do the Right Thing: How CAAs Can Cultivate a Culture of Compliance and High Ethical Standards Free Publication; Updated for 2016! In the face of increased scrutiny, it’s more important than ever for Community Action Agencies to establish and maintain a strong ethical culture within their organizations. CAAs are also being held to higher standards of accountability in terms of their ability to exercise effective financial oversight and stewardship to comply systematically with the many rules that apply to their operations, including the requirements of the CSBG Organizational Standards. CAPLAW’s updated version of its publication, Do the Right Thing: How CAAs Can Cultivate a Culture of Compliance and High Ethical Standards, helps CAAs adopt policies and procedures that implement an effective compliance and ethics system as well as discusses ways that CAAs can manage risk and ensure programmatic, fiscal, and governance compliance with the CSBG Organizational Standards. Through interviews with CAAs, links to resources from compliance and ethics experts, and sample documents, this publication offers practical steps CAA boards and management can take to ensure that their organizations operate effectively and in compliance with the requirements that apply to them. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Working With Attorneys Free Publication; Updated for 2016! An attorney plays a key role in helping a CAA maintain accountability and avoid liability. By proactively working with an attorney to ensure that its organizational infrastructure is legally compliant and enforceable, a CAA may avoid costly litigation and the negative press and low employee morale that goes along with it. The Working with Attorneys Guidebook examines the ins and outs of developing and maintaining an effective attorney-client relationship and answers questions including: Why work with an attorney? How do you find an attorney? How do you hire an attorney? How do you pay for an attorney? and What is the role of the attorney on the board? ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
CAA Leaders' Legal Guide Free Publication! The legal framework that governs both public and nonprofit Community Action Agencies (CAAs) as recipients of federal grant funds is vast. This Guide attempts to give leaders of CAAs – the board and the executive management – an overview of some of the legal requirements that they will work with on a regular basis. The guide covers topics such as the federal grant life cycle; the legal authority underlying federal grants; the federal Community Service Block Grant Act; federal financial management requirements; and tax rules specific to nonprofit CAAs operating as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Bylaws Toolkit Electronic Copy: $35.00 member, $55.00 non-member ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Dynamic Duo: A Guide to Enhancing the Board & Executive Director Partnership Free Publication! This guide, created in collaboration with the National Community Action Partnership, analyzes the board and executive director relationship including roles and responsibilities; board recruitment and development; internal and external communications; the executive director and board chair relationship; executive director transition; executive director compensation; and executive director supervision and evaluation. Throughout the Guide, we suggest actions each party can take to strengthen their working relationship and further the shared goal of creating a compliant and sustainable organization. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Working Better Together: CAPLAW's Guide to Shared Services and Mergers Free Online Resource! Increasingly, Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are exploring shared services and mergers as strategies to improve their sustainability and enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. CAPLAW has prepared this guide to help CAAs and other Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) organizations better understand these arrangements. The guide includes questions and answers on shared services and mergers, as well as additional resources – including case studies prepared by CAPLAW on CAAs that have shared services or merged (or both) with another organization, as well as information on books and online publications on these topics, and more. ....................................................................................................................................................................... CSBG Training Tools for Nonprofit and Public CAA Boards Free Publication! One way to empower a CAA board is to give it the tools it needs to educate itself. With this in mind, CAPLAW has created a self-training tool to provide a CAA board with the guidance and information it needs to teach itself about the Community Service Block Grant Act (CSBG) tripartite board requirements. The tool consists of questions, quizzes, exercises and resources that the board is instructed to work through with the help of a board member facilitator. > Learn more and Download Nonprofit Training Tool > Learn more and Download Public CAA Training Tool ....................................................................................................................................................................... Analysis on Some Frequently Asked CSBG Questions Free Publications! If your CAA has questions or concerns about the Community Service Block Grant Act (CSBG) eligibility requirements; the prohibition against using CSBG funds to acquire, construct or permanently improve facilities; child support referral requirements; or carryover requirementscheck out CAPLAW’s recent analysis of these CSBG Act provisions. With this analysis, CAPLAW proposes practical ways to approach and think about these sections of the Act. It is important to note that the analysis does not represent the opinions of the federal Office of Community Services (OCS). > Learn more and Download Q&A on Carryover > Learn more and Download Q&A on Child Support Referral > Learn more and Download Q&A on Eligibility > Learn more and Download Q&A on Property Issues .......................................................................................................................................................................
Free Publication! This toolkit, created in collaboration with the National Community Action Partnership, outlines the key concepts behind Personnel Activity Reports (PARs), spotlights potential trouble spots for Community Action Agencies, and provides best practice samples to help CAAs better meet this requirement. .......................................................................................................................................................................
This toolkit, created in collaboration with the National Community Action Partnership, is designed to help your Community Action Agency meet the requirements for cost allocation contained in Office of Management and Budget A-122 (OMB Circular A-122, now incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations as 2 CFR Part 230). ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Tools for Top-Notch CAAs: A Practical Approach to Governance and Financial Excellence Free Publication! This six-section toolkit is intended to assist boards and management in their collaborative efforts to build well-governed and effective Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The toolkit includes case scenarios and examples to help you understand and apply the principles discussed. And, many of the sections provide sample documents that CAAs can use as a starting point for developing their own policies. Check out the updated Section 4: Getting the Most Out of Your Financial Statements! ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
Monitoring Map for CAAs: A Guide for Navigating the Monitoring Review Process This new toolkit represents a collaborative effort between the Community Action Partnership (Partnership) and CAPLAW to provide timely training and technical assistance (T/TA) material about the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) monitoring process. The toolkit outlines key aspects of the monitoring process as defined by the CSBG act and more specifically IM 116. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
CAPLAW Governance Case Studies The CAPLAW Governance Case Studies are designed to educate board members and nonprofit managers about the challenges involved in creating an effective, well-managed board. Each case study includes discussion questions and suggested solutions to the issue in question. ....................................................................................................................................................................... |
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Building Readiness: Planning, Prevention, Response, and Liability
Check out the Sample Due Diligence Checklist for Mergers and Shared Services under the Resources tab of this online resource.