Hi, Folks-Here are some NYSCAA
updates and other items that you might find of interest.
NYSCAA
News and Updates
Symposium on
Poverty and Economic Security. Speaker Update: As you know
Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, OCFS Commissioner
Gladys Carrión,
Esq., and OTDA Commissioner David
Hansell have all confirmed for the Symposium. Chair of the NYS Assembly’s
Social Services Committee Assemblyman Keith Wright has now also confirmed for
the Symposium February 25-26, 2008. Please see the attached save-the-date
for hotel information. Registration is now open online via http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_details.aspx?cnfNum=123.
Reception for
Evelyn Harris. Registration is also
open for the reception to thank Evelyn Harris for all of her dedication and
support to the network over the years. Please join NYSCAA, FDANYS, NYSWDA
and Community Action Angels on February 25th at 5:00-7:00 at the
Albany Room of the New
York State
Museum. Registration
for the reception is included in the Poverty Symposium’s registration fee.
If you are not attending the Symposium, the cost is $25. Registration for
both events can be found at http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_details.aspx?cnfNum=123
Invitations will be mailed out early in the New
Year.
New Director of
the Division of Community Services:
As you likely saw via email this
week, Ms. Delores Franco, Esq. is the new director for CSBG and she began work
on Monday, December 17, 2007. We welcome Ms. Franco and offer her our
support and assistance.
Mini Technology “Drip”
Training. Don’t have much
time but want to learn a new skill? Join us for our new
15-minute,
FREE webinars that
provide a quick and free way to learn new skills. This month we offer
sessions in Outlook and Excel. To learn more and register, go
to http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events.aspx
FREE
Grant Writing Webinar: USDA Food Stamp Outreach Grants. Everyone is invited
to join NYSCAA's Program Director,
Lisa Allison, for this unique webinar opportunity scheduled for Tuesday, January 8th
from 2pm-3pm. As you may know, USDA recently
released the 2008 RFA for Food Stamp Program outreach targeted to
potentially eligible senior citizens and Hispanic/Latino populations.
During this webinar, Lisa will cover the basics of the RFA, walk
through a series of questions designed to help your agency decide whether this
is a funding source worth pursuing, and share some insights from her past
experience conducting and monitoring outreach projects throughout the state.
Please feel free to invite your development staff or others within your
agency. Register now by clicking on this link:
http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Registrations/main/Step1.aspx?cnfNum=145 If you have any
questions, email Lisa at lallison@nyscaaonline.org. NYSCAA is
pleased to offer this session to the FDANYS membership and the membership of the
Community Action Partnership.
NYSCAA Board
Meeting: The NYSCAA board will be meeting
on Monday, January 7th at noon at PEACE in Syracuse. Board
packets have been mailed out. Please remember that conference calling will
be available if you are unable to make the meeting in person at 1-866-680-1500
and entering code 3162050# at the prompt. We will be keeping an eye on the
weather and while we hope we can do this one in person, we will keep you
apprised of that likelihood.
Other
Items of Interest
Newly Released
IRS Form 990. The IRS has announced
the release of a redesigned Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income
Tax, the form that most public charities and other
tax-exempt organizations are required to file annually. The 2008 Form 990 and
background materials about the Form 990 redesign are available on the IRS Charities
and Nonprofits Web site. The new form will be used for the 2008 tax
year starting in 2009.
WHO ARE
AMERICA'S POOR CHILDREN? THE OFFICIAL STORY (Updated).
Although America's official poverty measure is widely viewed as a
flawed calculation of economic hardship (research shows that families need an
income of about twice the federal poverty level to make ends meet), it is still
used by researchers, policymakers, and the media to define economic
disadvantage. This fact sheet details some of the characteristics of American
children who are considered poor by these official standards. Fact Sheet "Who
Are America's Poor Children: The
Official Story" http://mcsv.net/cgi-bin/redir?MCid=fGvV5vq0waf1F9SwkftQ
Other
Events of Interest
The Community
Action Partnership’s Winter Conference. WORK HARD IN THE
BIG EASY! January 9-11, 2008 at the New Orleans Marriott.
Click
here to see the array of training
intensives, panels, and activities we have planned for the 2008 Winter
Conference. Meeting in New
Orleans is an emotional return for the Community Action
network and a fitting location for the release of the “Community Action
Plan to Reduce Poverty.” We will hear from the
New Orleans and
Gulf State CAAs on their rebuilding efforts. The intensive training sessions
cover relevant topics such as Housing Tax Credits, Maximizing
CAA Resources, By-Laws and Board Best Practices
and much more! Register today and reserve your room at the newly renovated New
Orleans Marriott at a fantastic rate of $159 single or double. Please
complete and return the registration form (click
here).
Registration is $395. Current members pay
only $345.
NYSCAA’s Annual
Professional Development Conference and Annual Awards Celebration.
Plan on joining
us June 11-13, 2008 in Lake
George, NY.
Details will follow in the New Year.
CACDE’s 3rd
Annual Conference. April 7-10,
2008 in Chicago, IL. For more information, go to
http://www.ncaf.org/vertical/Sites/{7D343F41-761C-4C17-A26E-0AC108C861C4}/uploads/{3D653384-F961-41DA-81A8-D11AEB740B21}.PDF
Low Income Forum
on Energy Conference. Mark your calendars for the
annual LIFE conference that will be held May 20-21 at the Marriott in Albany. The Walk a Mile
project will be highlighted at the conference as well as a diverse array of
workshop topics.
Family
Development Association of New
York State
(FDANYS). Mark your calendars with a save the
date for FDANYS’ annual confernce scheduled for May 21-22 at the Desmond in
Albany.
We
at NYSCAA wish all of you a peaceful and wonderful holiday and we look forward
to seeing you all in the New Year!
Denise,
Tom, Lisa, Liz, Kristine, and Patty
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
Register now for the Second Annual
Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security to be held February 25-26, 2008 at
the NYS Museum in Albany, NY. To register, go to: http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_details.aspx?cnfNum=123.