Resource Library
All of CAPLAW’s resources and publications are now available in CAPLAW’s new Resource Library. Use the search filters below to find the resource you need.
Featured Resources
Spotlight on Immigrant Eligibility for Public Benefits
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) working with immigrant communities often struggle to provide effective assistance due to the complexities of immigration and public benefits laws…
Open Meetings Law State-by-State Guide
Open meetings laws typically apply to federal, state, and local governmental bodies. However, some states expand applicability to non-governmental entities, such as recipients of government grants and certain nonprofit organizations…
Responding to Data Incidents
With cybercrime increasing, this question arises more and more often. Many CAAs have moved away from paper records toward electronic systems which contain significant amounts of data, and it isn’t always clear what obligations a CAA has when data within its care is compromised…
Mastering the A-B-CSBGs: Mechanics of CSBG
This webinar covered the planning and reporting requirements that facilitate the implementation of CSBG at the state and agency level. In this session, we discussed topics such as allocation of funding, designation of new eligible entity, state plans and the community needs assessment. This...
Mastering the A-B-CSBGs: Uses of CSBG Funds
CSBG funds are unique among federal grants in that their use is guided by the needs of the communities served. In this session, we discussed the rules and guidance governing the various ways CSBG funds can be used. This session is part of CAPLAW’s Mastering the A-B-CSBGs series, which covers the...
Mastering the A-B-CSBGs: Tripartite Board Selection and Composition
Maintaining a tripartite board is challenging enough without questions about who can serve and how to elect them. In this session, we reviewed the rules and guidance applicable to the public, private, and consumer sectors. This session is part of CAPLAW's Mastering the A-B-CSBGs series, which...
Election Year Refreshers for Nonprofit and Public CAAs
Keeping track of the rules relating to election and campaign activity for both nonprofit and public Community Action Agencies (CAAs) is never easy! As the election season enters its final stretch, read CAPLAW’s updated Election Year Refreshers for a quick review of some of the most significant...
Ask the Financial Experts: Fiscal Navigation in 2022
Fiscal administration and management issues for federal grants have become more complex for CAAs due to the historic influx of funding they received in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these challenges, from managing new programs and a rapid ramp-up of services, to cost allowability as...
Community Economic Development for CAAs
As part of their mission to lift people with low incomes from poverty to self-sufficiency, Community Action Agencies (CAAs) often seek to spur growth and build wealth in their communities through job creation and business development. These efforts can generally be referred to as “community...
Social Enterprise Case Study: CT Food 4 Thought
This webinar discussed CAPLAW's case study on CT Food 4 Thought, a hydroponic greenhouse farm operated by New Opportunities, Inc., a CAA in northwest Connecticut. The webinar featured New Opportunities’ Executive Director Bill Rybczyk, who shared the story of how his team pivoted strategically to...
Bridging Across Barriers
At first glance, a state CSBG office and state association might seem like an odd couple. State CSBG offices administer CSBG funding and oversee and monitor CAAs in the state. State associations support and advocate for those CAAs, and their boards of directors are typically executive directors...
Case Study: New Opportunities, Inc. and CT Food 4 Thought
This case study profiles CT Food 4 Thought, a hydroponic greenhouse farm operated by New Opportunities, a CAA in northwest Connecticut. It discusses how the CAA's leadership pivoted strategically to grow its business from an idea to a successful farm producing 8,000-11,000 heads of lettuce per...