From: Denise Harlow
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 9:40 AM
To: executivedirectors@nyscaaonline.org; ballen@acapinc.org; Sherry Charlebois (scharlebois@ceo-cap.org)
Cc: sbrowne@eoc-nassau.org; Annette Marchese; Barbara Goldstein; Beatrice Murray; Cindy Denick; Conloy Finn; Craig Howard; Debra Relyea; Emmett Ferris; Evelyn Harris (eharris@dos.state.ny.us); Frances Hanna; James Kovarik; Katharine Hand; Kathy Wright-Austin (kwright-austin@dos.state.ny.us); Linda Snead (lsnead@dos.state.ny.us); Lisa Nieves ; Martha (Nancy) Pfohl; Nancy Flowers; P Wright; Patricia Purcell; Robert Grace; Suzanne Lehtonen; Tim Luse; William Breidinger; William Harlow; Jennifer Green; Tom Coffinger; Liz M. Hughes; 'kspeth@nyscaaonline.org'
Subject: NYSCAA News and Updates 6-6-07

Good Morning, Folks-

 

Here are some NYSCAA News and Updates along with other items that may be of interest.

 

NYSCAA News and Updates

 

NYSCAA Annual Member Meeting and Board Election.  Reminder that the NYSCAA will elect its Treasurer and Secretary as well as fill at-large board seats on Tuesday, June 12th.  The final slate of board and officer nominees will be put to the Membership at Tuesday morning’s Annual Member Meeting at 9:00 and nominations will also be solicited from the floor.  Voting will take place during the morning and lunch of Tuesday and with winners announced and sworn in at the Annual Awards Dinner Tuesday evening at 6:00.  Reminder that if you are unable to attend and wish to vote by proxy, you need to send me a letter or fax identifying who will be voting in your absence by Thursday of this week (6/7).  Thank you to all who have volunteered to run and serve in these important positions.  In a membership association like NYSCAA where the Board is made up of members, these positions play a significant role in ensuring NYSCAA’s activities meet member needs and expectations, not an easy job. 

 

Calling for a Statewide Commission on Poverty.  NYSCAA will be hosting a press conference in Albany on Thursday, June 14th at 11:00 in the Press Room at the Legislative Office Building.  In our meetings with legislative and gubernatorial staff, we have been encouraged to “till the soil” on the idea of a Statewide Commission.  The press conference will do just that.  If you would like to join us at the press conference, please let me know.  All are welcome!  In preparation for the press conference, we are looking to garner a large number of signatures on the one-page Sign-On Letter.  Please encourage your local partners and officials to sign on.  You can now sign onto the letter online (and see the growing list of supporters) or download a PDF to sign and fax back at http://www.nyscaaonline.org/FirstPageNewsArticles/StateWidePovAndEcoSec.aspx

 

NYSCAA Board Meeting.  Reminder that the NYSCAA Board will be meeting Monday, June 11th at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, NY.  We will be meeting in the Vassar Room, Room #430 on the 4th Floor of the hotel at 9:00.  If you are unable to join us in person, conference calling will be available.  Please call 1-866-680-1500 and enter in code 3162050# at the prompt.

 

CSBG Legislative Hearing.  Thank you to all who offered testimony during the 3-hour session yesterday.  Assembly Social Service Committee Chair Keith Wright and Senate Children and Families Committee Chair Carl Kruger heard from 15 different agencies and saw many more offering their support in the hearing room.  Several agencies brought customers which had a tremendous impact on the committee chairs, especially the youth who presented; Jasmine, Kevin, and Quinn.  It was a wonderful demonstration of the breadth of the network and impact Community Action has in our communities.  Thank you also to everyone who included a call for the Statewide Commission in your testimony. The consistency of the request across agencies made an impact and helped “till the soil” as noted above.

 

New York Community Action in the News.  In case you missed it, the most recent edition of The Promise Magazine, a publication of the Community Action Partnership features an article on the State Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security that was held in March.

 

Regional Roundtables.  NYSCAA will be conducting several regional roundtables this summer on issues related to changes in the Workers Compensation law, managing liability, and employee benefits.  These will be one-day events 10-2 with lunch provided.  A small fee of $10 will be charged.  Dates will be released soon.

 

Technology Training.  NYSCAA will conducting regional technology training this summer as well.  Dates for these will also be released soon. 

 

Website.  Reminder that NSYCAA has revamped its website and is conducting a raffle to encourage visitors to the site.  Visit www.nyscaaonline.org and find the MP3 logo to enter your name into a drawing for an MP3 player to be drawn during the conference.  All entries must be in by Thursday, June 7th

 

Other Items and Publications of Interest

 

Community Action Partnership National Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security.
More than 300 extremely enthusiastic people attended the National Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security, May 29-31 in Bethesda, Maryland. Presentations included sessions that explored unique strategies and anti-poverty plans from states and organizations representing a variety of sectors. On the final day of the Symposium, Community Action participants began the initial draft of Community Action's first national plan to end poverty. There were 31 workshops and several general sessions. Dr. Donna Beegle told an amazing personal story of her journey out of poverty that excited and motivated the audience. More information and additional papers will be posted on the Community Action Partnership website next week.

 

From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half
I know we have noted this report in the past, but it a good read so in case you missed it, the  Center for American Progress conducted a study that proposes a strategy for reducing poverty in this country by fifty percent. The study, "From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half," sets out a series steps to designed to reduce poverty. The steps include raising the minimum wage to half of the annual national wage, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, guaranteeing child care assistance for low and moderate income parents, and others. More information and the full text of the study can be found at www.americanprogress.org/is sues/2007/04/poverty_report.html.

                        

New IRS Guidance on Political Activities of Exempt Organizations.

The IRS released new guidance for exempt organizations on the scope of the tax law prohibition of campaign activities by section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations along with its 2006 Political Activity Compliance Initiative Report. The ruling sets out twenty-one examples illustrating the application of the facts and circumstances to be considered to determine whether a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization has participated in, or intervened in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. In each situation, the ruling applies tax law and regulations and concludes that prohibited political activity has or has not occurred. Click here for more information http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=170893,00.html.

 

Financial Literacy Items of Interest.

 

Financial Literacy Summit video-on-demand, transcripts, podcasts, and more.

If you missed the Financial Literacy & Education Summit 2007 sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Visa USA on Tuesday, May 1st, you can access a video-on-demand version now live at www.practicalmoneyskills.com/summit2007. You may view the entire program, or skip to various program segments, online, free, anytime. Also online are free transcripts, and audio and video podcasts for you to take with you.

 

Thursday June 7th, 2007 at 2pm

The U.S. Department of Labor Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) announces a conference call discussing financial literacy education. In conjunction with the Pittsburg Workforce Investment Board and Alison.com, this discussion will center on the crucial need to provide high quality and readily accessible financial literacy education to the increasing number of people suffering from financial stress. Speakers will discuss the American financial literacy crisis as well as the National Financial Literacy Action Plan instituted by the U.S. Treasury Department.  Instructions: ***CALL-IN INFORMATION*** To join the conference call by telephone: Dial 1-888-272-7337; The conference ID is 9374281 Follow the given prompts until in.  To join by the internet (view the PowerPoint presentation and listen to the discussion) Go to www.raindance.com; Click in "Join A Call/Meeting" (on the top right side of the screen); Scroll to "Reservationless Conferencing" and follow the prompts for "Join a Call" by entering your name, email address, and the Conference ID (9374281); Click "Join Call"

***The phone line can only accommodate 125 participants. However web participation is unlimited and you will be able to listen to the call on your computer

 

Other Events

 

New York State Association of Area Agencies on Aging: Aging Concerns Unite Us ConferenceThe NYSAAA will be hosting their Aging Concerns Unite Us conference on  June 19th at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Albany.  For more information, go to http://nysaaaa.org/acuu/.

 

CAPLAW.  The annual CAPLAW conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA June 20-22.  Please see www.caplaw.org for more information.

 

Community Action Partnership Annual Conference.  The Annual Partnership conference will be held in a San Diego August 28-31.  For more information, visit Community Action Partnership Annual Convention in San Diego

 

Council of Community Services of NYS, Inc.  CCSNYS’ Annual Money for Mission Conference will be held July 19, 2007 in Verona, NY (Turning Stone Casino).  Keynote speaker will be Katya Andresen, VP of Marketing, Network For Good Author, Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes.  $99 for CCSNYS members, $129 for nonmembers See http://www.ccsnys.org/events_conferences/conferenceDetails.asp?conferenceid=6 for more information.

 

Thanks and I look forward to seeing many of you next week in Poughkeepsie.

Denise

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Harlow
Chief Executive Officer
New York State Community Action Association
2 Charles Blvd.
Guilderland, NY  12084
(518) 690-0491, ext. 24
Fax: (518) 690-0498
www.nyscaaonline.org
 
A Member of the Community Action Partnership-Helping People.  Changing Lives
 

Check out   http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_Events_NYSCAAEvents.aspx for information on upcoming NYSCAA events such as the Annual NYSCAA/NYSWDA Professional Development Conference and Member Meeting, June 11-13, 2007 in Poughkeepsie, NY.