From: Denise Harlow
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 4:58 PM
To: ExecutiveDirectors; ballen@acapinc.org; Sherry Charlebois (scharlebois@ceo-cap.org); sbrowne@eoc-nassau.org
Cc: 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; Kristine Speth
Subject: NYSCAA News and Updates 6/26/07

Good Afternoon, Folks-

 

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

 

NYSCAA News and Updates

 

NYSCAA Annual Membership Meeting and Board Election.  Congratulations and Thank You to all who ran and have been elected to serve on NYSCAA’s Board of Directors.  We welcome our new Treasurer Charlie Kalthoff and Secretary Roberta Keller.  We welcome Lee Dillon, Melinda Gault, L. Nathan Hare, Joseph O’Hara, Winston Ross, Denis Wilson to new successive terms and Alan Jones, Dan Maskin Debra Schimpf to their first term on the board.  

 

Calling for a Statewide Commission on Poverty.  We are looking to build the momentum we have started on the Call for a Statewide Commission on Poverty and Economic Security.  We currently have 175 signatures from 133 organizations across the state.  If you haven’t already, please add your agency’s name 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.  We strongly encourage you to illicit the support of your partners in the community and engage them in this effort as we hope to generate some press coverage at 250 organizational signatures.

 

Assembly Social Service Committee Chair to visit 13-15 New York CAAs.  NYSCAA received an exciting phone last week from Elaine Fernandez, staff to the Assembly Social Services committee.  She told us that based on what he heard at the CSBG Legislative Hearing, Assembly Social Service Committee Chair Keith Wright wants to visit several CAAs over the several months to see first hand what is happening in these counties and how Community Action is addressing poverty.  He has selected the following counties for consideration: Bronx, Kings, Tompkins, New York, Oswego, Broome, Chautauqua, St. Lawrence, Allegany, Oneida, Chemung, Jefferson, Clinton, Erie, Niagara, Monroe, Westchester and Onondaga. This plan is still in the VERY early stages so details are sketchy.  We hope to make this an opportunity for the full CAA network to gain visibility and will keep you apprised.  Thanks to all who offered testimony that made this opportunity possible!

 

Regional Risk Management 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, 10:00-2:00, and lunch will be provided along with a NYSCAA member update.  A small fee of $10 will be charged.  We will be in Cortland, NY on July 24th at the Cortland County Community Action Program and in Batavia on July 25th at the Terry Hills Golf Course.  Westchester and Saratoga Spring dates and locations will follow shortly.  Please keep an eye out for registration materials.

 

Technology Training.  NYSCAA is conducting training this summer and fall in Excel (August 8-Beginning and August 22-Intermediate), Outlook (July 11 and 12) and offering sessions on the APR (September 25, 26, 27).  For more information, see http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_Trainings_NYSCAATrainings.aspx.

 

Other Items and Publications of Interest

Community Action Partnership Selects New President
Welcome Mr. Donald Mathis! Mr. Mathis has been selected as the new president by the Board of Directors of the Community Action Partnership. He will assume his new position in mid-July and will be introduced to the Community Action network at the 2007 Annual Convention in San Diego this August. Announcement here>

Official Transcript: National Conversation on Poverty and Economic Security
The Transcript is the listing of what was created on May 31 -- it is NOT the draft of community action network's plan although it will provide the core elements of that plan. Read the Transcript on the Community Action Partnership web site. You can also view other recent updates here. (Source: Jim Masters, Center for Community Futures)

CAA Survey on Micro Enterprise DevelopmentCommunity Action Partnership and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), the national association for micro-enterprise development organizations, are asking for information about the involvement of CAAs in micro-enterprise development. We know that some CAAs operate “micro” programs, but we don’t know how many. We also want to find out how many more CAAs may be interested in starting a program. We think that most urban areas of the country have micro-enterprise organizations operating in them, but that many rural areas do not. We would like to know if this is, in fact, true.  Please complete and return the short survey available here. It will be very helpful to know the current level of micro-enterprise activity that CAAs are engaged in. In addition, if there is sufficient interest, Community Action Partnership and AEO will look into developing a project to expand the number of micro-enterprise programs in CAAs. Programs could provide training, technical assistance and loan capital (or some combination) to local micro-entrepreneurs. Your response to this survey will help determine whether there is sufficient need for and interest in developing an effort to stimulate new micro-business programs in the Community Action network. Please reply by Friday, July 15, 2007. E-mail your reply to Avril Weisman at aweisman@communityactionpartnership.com or fax to the Partnership at (202) 265-8850.

Framework for a New Safety Net for Low-Income Working Families
This paper by the Urban Institute paper for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation conceptualizes a framework for a new safety net for low-income working families. It is organized around five key goals:(1) enabling parents to meet their family's needs while working in lower- wage jobs, (2) helping families weather gaps in parental employment, (3) supporting parents' job advancement, (4) helping parents combine work and child-rearing, and (5) improving children's well-being and development. The paper describes these families' circumstances, discusses gaps in current safety-net programs, and explores possible alternative approaches to meeting families' most pressing needs. More information >

 

Other Events

UPK-Head Start Regional Forums

In coordination with the Administration for Children and Families Region II Head Start, the New York State Head Start Collaboration Project and the New York State Child Care Coordinating Council, we have established four statewide meetings to assist districts in implementing new programs.  These meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss the UPK collaboration requirement and strategies for fostering strong partnerships between school districts and the existing early childhood programs within communities.  We encourage and appreciate your participation at this busy time of year and look forward to your attendance.  The meetings will be held at the following locations and dates:

 

Ø       Wednesday, June 27, 2007, 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Washington Irving Intermediate School - Auditorium, 103 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY. Directions: http://ny.localschooldirectory.com/schools_info.php/school_id/61374,

 

Ø       Friday, June 29, 2007, 10:00 AM – Noon, Rome Free Academy - Auditorium 95 Dart Circle, Rome, NY  Directions: http://www.romecsd.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=7290&pagecat=221      

 

NYS Attorney General’s CHARITIES SYMPOSIUM: Right from the Start - Governance and Internal Controls Issues for Not-for-Profit Organizations, Thursday, June 28, 2007, Genesee Community College, One College RoadBatavia, New York 14020-9704.  Topics include: Current Issues - Views from the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau and the IRS; Pick a Winner! What You Need to Know Before Conducting Raffles and other Charitable Gaming; and Accounting From the Inside Out - Internal Controls and External Accountability.  Click here for a registration form: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/charities/Web%20Invitation-Batavia%2007.pdf.

 

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

 

Financing Your Capital Improvements and Purchases -
Learn how you can finance your next Capital Improvement or Purchase through a new Council of Community Services Member Benefit. CCSNYS is sponsoring a new composite tax-exempt bond financing program to provide our members with access to permanent long-term fixed rate financing for the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation and equipping of programs and facilities. The composite nature of the bond financing program allows each CCSNYS Member to have their bond underwritten separately from every other participating Member.  Individual projects as small as $500,000 can be financed in the CCSNYS composite bond financing program. Closing costs, most of which can be included in the tax-exempt bond, are fixed at an incredibly low rate that will be solely based upon the size of the individual Member’s bond. Therefore, even small projects can participate since there are no minimum fees. In this way, Members with projects too small for an individual bond issue can obtain the benefits of IDA financing in a cost effect manner. There is even regular bank financing available to cover any remaining closing costs, effectively making this a 100%, no money down, financing arrangement. This program will save our Members significant time and money, and finally allow many of you to purchase your own offices rather than continuing to rent. If you are interested in pursuing Capital Improvements or Purchases, or both, for your nonprofit in the near future, we encourage you to attend!  Join CCSNYS on July 11th for this free, informative hour-long introduction to our composite bond financing program.  Date: July 11th, 2007. Time(s): 1:00pm to 2:00pm OR 3:00 pm to 4:00pm (You may attend in person or via WEBINAR).  Location: CCSNYS Main Office, 272 Broadway, Albany NY, 12204, Workshop Cost: FREE.  To learn more, go to http://www.ccsnys.org/events_conferences/eventsDetails.asp?eventsid=62.

Council of Community Services of NYS, Inc. Money for Mission III Confernece.  CCSNYS’ Annual Money for Mission Conference has been announced for 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,

Denise

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Harlow, CEO

New York State Community Action Association, Inc.

2 Charles Blvd.

Guilderland, NY  12084

518-690-0491, ext. 24

FAX 518-690-0498

dharlow@nyscaaonline.org

 

Join the Call for a Statewide Commission on Poverty and Economic Security.  Learn more and add your name and organization to the list of supporters at http://www.nyscaaonline.org/FirstPageNewsArticles/StateWidePovAndEcoSec.aspx