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 economic development”, but the term also refers to a specific funding source authorized under the Community Services Block Grant Act (CSBG Act) for which CAAs may apply.

This FAQ aims to help CAAs understand the purposes and requirements of community economic development funding under the CSBG Act so they can think strategically about how to utilize this source of funding to benefit their communities.