Effective communication

As a new parent, I could not wait for my son to say his word first.  As an adult, some days I do not want to hear his next. Though as I joke, we know that maintaining open lines of communication with not only children, but coworkers, customers, and members of the community, is an important piece of furthering the Community Action mission.

My friend Merriam defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. I frequently hear leaders say, “We communicate all the time.” However, I also hear their peers say, “No one ever tells us anything.”  Communication must be delivered and received which may require multiple methods and approaches.  A six-page newsletter delivered twice a year may not be as effective as a one-page memo emailed once each month. Depending on what your audience needs and wants to receive, and the multiple audiences seeking a variety of information, tactics may need to vary. Listening to their spoken or unspoken feedback will help you determine the content and the best ways to deliver it.

Email, Facebook, blogs, or even inserts with paystubs (yes—most staff still look at their paychecks even with direct deposit) are excellent methods to communicate to staff and other publics where appropriate. Your board of directors may request a written report though a verbal summary of the report may help to go along with it. Other nonverbal communication is also just as important when building and maintaining relationships with staff, board, customers, or the community. Sharing smiles, a handshake, or even brief encouraging remarks are just as important as inviting someone to the next strategic planning meeting.

Take the time to walk out of your office and communicate—most importantly, listen. After all, Merriam says it is an exchange, a give and take; communication is interactive. And when done effectively, your audience, like a new mom, will look forward to that next exchange.

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Julia Wise is the executive director of Highland County Community Action Organization (HCCAO). She has a master’s degree in Organizational Management and over twenty-five years of experience in Community Action. Julia also serves as an Internal Consultant with OACAA and Ohio Community Action Training Organization. Her specialized trainings include Bridges Out of Poverty, board training, customer services, Head Start Policy Council, Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) and strategic planning. 

HR / Fiscal Conference: What the heck happened?

Are you paying your exempt employees at least $50,440/year? Starting in 2016, you may have to in order to maintain their exempt status. And that’s not all…

In mid-September, OACAA hosted a one-day Human Resources / Fiscal Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin for over sixty Community Action professionals across the state. Scott Warrick, who specializes in human resources and employment law and training, entertained a mix of Community Action management, human resources, and fiscal staff as he guided us through recent and upcoming changes to the employment laws. Just some of the morning topics included were: off-duty duties, 50-hour exempt agreement, various legal case reviews, and employees' rights to organize.

After lunch, Scott covered FMLA, ADA, and Workers Compensation similarities and differences, how they work and recent changes. Discussions included eligibility for FMLA, the importance of written essential functions in your job descriptions and much more.

Handouts were provided to attendees and can be made available to other OACAA members if requested. Please contact GregBollenbacher, Fiscal Director, for more information. Or, to learn more about the conference’s speaker, visit his website at www.scottwarrick.com, where you can find an abundance of resources on these and other topics.

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Greg has over 25 year's of experience in fiscal management in the Community Action Network and has worked with OACAA, since 2007, to manage all accounting and fiscal reporting. His experience also includes over six years as an accountant for local for-profit corporations. Gregn earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and his master's degree in business administration from Keller School of Business.

The importance of program evaluations

Adapted from: Community Toolbox (nd). 

A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools. 

How do you tell your story? Why is the work that you do relevant and worthy of funding? These are questions that all non-profits ask to be more sustainable and worthy of funding to provide programs and services to their community. By tracking and measuring data, each organization can have a better understanding of the populations they serve and how to serve them, as well as help to identify areas to improve their reach and the efficiency of their programs. We all do this through our mandated Community Needs Assessments to receive CSBG funding. But, many Community Action Agencies struggle with collecting data and defining what should be tracked. As the non-profit world adopts a more data-driven model, is your agency ready? What opportunities are you missing out on to improve your program activities? A strong evaluation can help you answer these questions and more.

To determine an appropriate evaluation model, it is important first to understand its purpose and definition. Program evaluation is the process of delineating, obtaining, and providing useful information to describe and understand a program. Evaluations also provide data to assist in making judgments and decisions related to its operation. Also, evaluations can help identify the underlying mechanism or causal processes by which the outcomes of the programs are achieved; that is, understanding the “why” of the outcomes. To ensure that an evaluation will yield useful information, evaluators should determine the nature of the required information in the planning stages including Utility, Feasibility, Propriety and Accuracy. Examples from the Community Toolbox can be found here.

In short, the program evaluation process decides what information is useful, gathers that information, and facilitates the distribution and use by key audiences and stakeholders. The evaluation data is also an extremely effective tool to tell your story that will enhance the likelihood that the information will be a useful resource for others. The evaluation serves as an important tool allowing you to better understand why the program works, why it doesn’t, in what circumstances might it be expected to perform better, and why adjustments may make it more effective.

For help in developing your own program evaluation or revising a current evaluation method, contact OACAA or visit the Community Toolbox Website.

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Anita Maldonado, Ph.D.

Anita Maldonado serves as an internal consultant (IC) for OACAA and is the chief operating officer for IMPACT Community Action in Franklin County. She also serves as an adjunct faculty at Kent State University and Franklin University. Anita has over nearly two decades of experience in social services field and working with nonprofit organizations managing budgets and programs in excess of $10million. She earned her master’s degree in public administration and holds a doctorate in higher education administration from Kent State University. Anita specializes in trainings including strategic planning, program assessment, research and evaluations, board training and Bridges Out of Poverty. 

Building a strong bridge out of poverty

Jeffrey Diver presents Bridges Out of Poverty

Earlier this week I joined one of OCATO’s Internal Consultants (ICs) at a Bridges Out of Poverty training hosted by Ross CountyCommunity Action Commission for District Four. Jeffrey Diver, IC and executive director of Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families (SELF), delivered the training and challenged perceptions of poverty to break down stereotypes. By the end of the day, participants had gained a deeper understanding of the obstacles faced by those living in poverty.

Based on the book Bridges Out of Poverty by Ruby K. Payne, this nationally-known concept aims to remove barriers and build stronger and sustainable communities. Certified trainers introduce a framework that includes mental models and Hidden Rules of Class while also discussing key concepts of situational and generational poverty. Jeff facilitated discussions and showed video clips throughout the day to get us all looking through a different lens. The training served as a powerful reminder of what our customers struggle with every day. Each path to self-sufficiency is unique, and the Bridges Out of Poverty training is an excellent way to engage your staff, partners, and community.

Whether you’re a case manager, head start teacher, executive director, or any one of the over 6,000 professionals in the Ohio Community Action Network, this one-day training may be beneficial for you! Trainings are typically free for OACAA members. Visit our website or call us today to find out more.

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Kathryn A. Clausen, OACAA Communications Director

Kathryn has over a decade of nonprofit experience with more than half of that time spent directly in the Community Action Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication Summa Cum Laude from Franklin University, her associate’s degree from Ohio University and is currently pursuing her graduate degree from Kent State University. Kathryn manages the association’s public relations including regular communication federal and state lawmakers, media, OACAA members and the general public. She also supports CAs across the state as needed in their communication efforts.

Another successful event: Annual Summer Conference 2015

David Bradley, Co-founder and Executive director of National Community
Action Foundation

Last week, the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) held the Annual Summer Conference, which was hosted by Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron, and Richland Counties. Together, we welcomed over 200 Community Action professionals from across the state to Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio.

Breakout sessions kicked off the conference Wednesday morning and included four tracks: Leadership, Head Start, Fiscal/Human Resources, and Family Development/Special Populations. Presenters from CAPLAW and Head Start Region V discussed national and regional Community Action topics while Family Development speakers presented tools and ideas for working with special population groups such as Reentry, Migrant Farmers, and Veterans populations

Pictured (left to right): Larry Price, Representative Alicia Reece and Philip E. Cole

We were honored to have Ohio House Representative Alicia Reece take the stage during Wednesday’s lunch where she spoke about her legislative priorities in House District 33 Representative. Representative Reece discussed an Ohio voter bill of rights and the priorities of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. She also discussed the recommendations from the Ohio Community-Police Task Force on which she was appointed by Governor John Kasich last year and served alongside Philip Cole, executive director of OACAA. Later that afternoon, the Office of Community Assistance (OCA) presented an update to the network which was followed by district meetings. During the district meetings, three board of trustee representatives from each district were elected to serve two-year terms. On Wednesday evening, guests were invited to attend a relaxing networking event on Lake Erie.

Thursday continued with breakout sessions followed by lunch with guest speaker, educator, and author, Harvey Alston. A plenary session wrapped up the day with speakers Bo Chilton of OURS, Ron Reese of COAD, and Hugh Cathey of HealthSpot, Inc. The conference wrapped up on Friday morning with a membership meeting and guest speaker David Bradley, co-founder and executive director of National Community Action Foundation (NCAF).

OACAA would like to thank our sponsors, advertisers, and exhibitors this year. With their support, we were able to provide great snacks and beverages throughout the conference to recharge all of our guests. A special thank you goes out to our meal sponsors Applied Energy Products and Sales, InHealth Mutual, Wichert Insurance, and Selective Insurance.

Activity from throughout the conference can be viewed on Facebook and Twitter using #OACAASummer15 and photos are now available on Flickr. We have already received outstanding feedback from the network and we are glad those who attended found it informative, relevant, and fun! We are proud of the work the Ohio network does to help people and change lives and are happy to have completed another successful conference in support of your efforts throughout the state.

Stay in touch with OACAA by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media! 

What is on the table?

On occasion, I and other OACAA staff are asked why we place toys and candy on the tables at our conferences. With the Annual Summer Conference coming up next month, now is a great time to explain their purpose.

These toys are actually called “fidgets” and are tools to help self-regulate, calm stress and anxiety and can help you focus and retain information. You can get fidgets anywhere and they don’t have to be expensive. You’ve probably seen our baskets; they include stress balls, cars, bendable creatures and more. The fidgets promote movement and tactile input that is critical for some adult learners.

Learners that benefit from fidgets can be easy to spot when none are available to them. They may get up from their seat often, tap their foot or rummage through their purse or tote bag. They may read, re-read and flip through their program or handouts throughout the session, or they may even play with their name tag. They don’t do this on purpose, and it is not planned—many times they don’t even realize they are distracting anyone.

Adult Learning Styles teach us that learning can be enhanced when fidgets are introduced. Learning requires us to use both the left and right hemispheres of our brain and appropriate fidgeting can increase learning reception. Movement and sensory input can help direct restless movement.

So, at the next OACAA conference you attend, when you see the little creatures, stress balls, Slinky’s or figures, go ahead—pick one up! You may find that you too benefit from a fidget.

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Lorie McClain, Program Specialist

Lorie is a certified trainer in the Prep® Within My Reach curriculum, and Love’s Cradle® curriculum, Family Development Specialist and Family Development Specialist Trainer, as well as a certified Personal Financial Teacher. She is directly responsible for managing all of OACAA’s Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) and other funded programs.

#BeCommunityAction

The celebration of National Community Action Month is more than spreading awareness of our programs and services; it’s about sharing the achievements throughout our network, celebrating the successes of our customers and strengthening our communities by helping people and changing lives. This year, agencies across Ohio are not only celebrating our successes, achievements and stories, but many of you are celebrating 50 years of innovative thinking and progressive programs that have helped inspire, motivate, encourage and overcome obstacles to allow opportunities for low-income families and individuals to reach self-sufficiency.

The Community Action Partnership has called on agencies and associations to be inspired, proud, innovative, enthused, motivated, and to #BeCommunityAction. Agencies don’t need to host a major event to do this and, though it sounds like fun, they don’t need to host a flash mob (though if you’re interested in hosting one, be sure to check out the toolkit)!  All you need is a few minutes and social media to get that two-way communication going with your customers, your community, your local elected officials, your volunteers and of course, your staff. Keep your community engaged by asking staff, volunteers, board members and more, to share #MissionMoments and post them on your social media pages or website. You can also take advantage of the sample social media posts provided by Community Action Partnership in the toolkit.

OACAA is proud to be part of this network and pleased to celebrate Community Action’s achievements every day of the year. Let’s show our community how we continue to #BeCommunityAction! 

Kathryn A. Clausen,
OACAA Communications Director

Kathryn has over a decade of nonprofit experience with more than half of that time spent directly in the Community Action Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication Summa Cum Laude from Franklin University, her associate’s degree from Ohio University and is currently pursuing her graduate degree from Kent State University. Kathryn manages the association’s public relations including regular communication federal and state lawmakers, media, OACAA members and the general public. She also supports CAs across the state as needed in their communication efforts. 

Hunger Banquet: An Experience to Remember

In March, Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC), with the support of local businesses, caterers and partner organizations, hosted the 2015 Hunger Banquet in Williams County. This banquet was not your typical fundraising event but instead, it was an experience to remember. As guests arrived, they were greeted by individuals holding cardboard signs—not signs that directed them to the venue or the parking lot, but signs that said, “homeless veteran,” “will work for…” and “I used to be someone you could talk to.” A family of four stood next to their truck, with two young teenagers huddled in blankets watching their parents politely ask nearly 200 guests if they could spare some change. Some offered help, though many did not.

A lucky, or unlucky, roll of the die directed guests to their dining area for the evening that ranged from upper-class to poverty. The wealthy were seated at elaborately decorated tables complete with shrimp appetizers and steak dinners while those in poverty were greeted with tables made of pallets and tarp table cloths. The homeless and lower-class watched the wealthy and upper-middle class enjoy steak, chicken and even envied the lower-middle class’s bologna sandwiches while they waited to find out if the soup kitchen would open before the end of the evening.

The Hunger Banquet did not attempt to simply explain what poverty is like, it let guests experience it first-hand. Like a game of chance, families were thrown from the upper-class to lower- class or further when, during the evening, they lost their jobs, got sick, or in one case, were even widowed.

“My husband always took care of everything for me. I didn't know about insurance or that we didn't have any…”

“I worked long hours driving a truck... I fell asleep at the wheel… (sobbing)… I didn't mean to hurt anyone; I just wanted to provide for my family.”

“I invested everything in that company. Then came the depression… then the addiction… I lost everything I had ever worked for…”

Guests also heard stories of success. Stories of families receiving intensive case-management, securing housing, overcoming their addictions, finding help for their mental illnesses, and overcoming odds and obstacles by getting accepted into college despite being moved from foster home to foster home. Many stories of those helped by Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) and The PATH Center illustrated the effectiveness of Community Action and how creative solutions are effective in alleviating poverty. NOCAC administers locally controlled programs, creates partnerships and helps low-income families and individuals across six rural counties in Ohio while on their path to self-sufficiency.  The Hunger Banquet was an event to remember and just one of the ways NOCAC works to change the story of poverty in Ohio.

Be sure to check out our video of NOCAC’s 2015 Hunger Banquet! Are you interested in hosting your own Hunger Banquet? Contact Angie Franklin at afranklin@nocac.org for more information.

Family Development Certification Training

Family Development is an intense case-management program that establishes a framework to work holistically with those seeking comprehensive services at Community Action agencies. The program encourages work with the entire family with the result leading them to self-sufficiency.

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) provides certification to Community Action Professionals across the state to become Family Development Specialists (FDS) and Trainers. Regardless of your program specialty (employment, housing, family support, etc.), Family Development certification will provide you with valuable hands-on tools to work with families across all spectrums. Certified Family Development Specialists are better able to focus resources for eligible families to achieve self-sufficiency in many areas such as housing, income and budgeting, transportation, family and social relations, recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, mental and emotion health and much more.

The Family Development program consists of five core areas. They include: 

1. Joining – Interviewing and dialog skills, building relationships, and cultural competency
2. Assessment – Assessing family strengths, challenges and resources
3. Planning – Develop well-formed goals and create plans to reach a family’s vision towards self-sufficiency
4. Support – Evaluate barriers that may prevent families from moving forward
5. Linking – Connecting families to community partners by providing effective referrals while continuing to support the family

The three-day training program involves homework on the first two evenings. Participants take part in a Celebration of Knowledge at its conclusion. OACAA is proud to offer CPEs from the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage and Family Therapist Board to graduates of the program who earn their certification as a Family Development Specialist. The program requires an annual recertification which is also offered by OACAA.

If you are a Community Action Professional and would like to be equipped to effect change in your area by taking part in an OACAA’s Community Action Family Development Specialist Training please contact Lorie McClain at lorie@oacaa.org to check for availability of FDS trainings. Classes are typically offered annually. 

Lorie McClain, Program Specialist

Lorie is a certified trainer in the Prep® Within My Reach curriculum, and Love’s Cradle® curriculum, Family Development Specialist and Family Development Specialist Trainer, as well as a certified Personal Financial Teacher. She is directly responsible for managing all of OACAA’s Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) and other funded programs.

State of Poverty in Ohio Report 2014

In cooperation with Community Research Partners (CRP), OACAA released the State of Poverty in Ohio Report on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. The report, which is now available online, aims to illustrate the effects of poverty in an effort to understand economic hardships today and over the last fifty years.

Throughout the report, you will learn about many of the barriers that have kept nearly 32 percent of people in the United States teetering on the edge of, or prevented them from escaping, poverty. You will also learn how the Federal Poverty Measure (FPM), which was developed over fifty years ago, is an insufficient way to measure Americans’ ability to provide basic necessities such as housing and utilities—because the FPM was developed to measure only the minimum food budget. And you will learn more about the challenges people in poverty face when working to overcome the benefits gap while learning to financially manage soaring education debt in order to live a self-sufficient life without public or private assistance.

Utilizing graphics, case studies and data, the report dispels commonly held myths and misconceptions about poverty. The report also illustrates how Community Action agencies utilize a holistic approach to meet the needs of low-income families and individuals while on their unique paths to self-sufficiency. Poverty is a complex issue and cannot be alleviated with simple solutions. We hope this study of poverty and its effect on millions of Ohioans will shine a light on the issues in order to develop long-term solutions.

Organizational Standards: IM 138 Released

As many of you have seen, IM 138 was released by the U.S. Office of Community Services (OCS) which provides guidance and responsibilities for the establishment of Organizational Standards for the CSBG Network. These Standards reflect more than two years of work led by the Community Action Partnership. The goal of the Standards is to establish a set of good management practices that every Community Action Agency should meet to demonstrate adequate organizational capacity while delivering services to low-income persons. The 58 Standards are divided into three thematic areas: 1) Maximum Feasible Participation, 2) Vision and Direction, and 3) Operations and Accountability. Together, these areas represent minimum threshold requirements that will ensure the CSBG Network can continue to improve the lives of those we serve.

Some key items to note include:

• State CSBG lead agencies (Office of Community Assistance/OCA) are responsible for establishing and communicating expectations for organizational standards to eligible entities across a State, assessing the status of Standards among all of the eligible entities annually, and reporting to OCS on the Standards in the CSBG Annual Report
• In cases where the eligible entity may be able to meet the Standard in a reasonable time frame contingent on some targeted technical assistance, the State and entity may develop a technical assistance plan to target  training and technical assistance resources and outline a time frame for the entity to meet the Standard(s)
• OCS and States do not have the authority under the CSBG Act to bypass the process described in CSBG IM 116 in order to re-compete CSBG funding based on failure to meet Organizational Standards
• States must integrate the Standards into their State Plan beginning in FY 2016, which is due to OCS on September 2, 2015

While the IM 138 includes a large number of Standards, many agencies throughout Ohio’s CAA network are already implementing many of them. For others, your state T&TA provider, OCATO, can help. Below are some free resources to get you started on Standards with which you are less familiar. For further assistance, contact Josh Summer.

IM 138 Resources:

• GeneralStandards Information
• StrategicPlanning, Board Training, ROMA support
• Free Online RiskAssessment Tool
• FreeCommunity Needs Assessment Tool
• Online ResourceDatabase
• Management andGovernance Resources

2015 Winter Legislative Conference #WLC2015

Last week, the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) hosted the 2015 Winter Legislative Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Nearly 300 Community Action professionals, partners and legislators joined the OACAA board and staff to discuss, learn and inspire each other. New and innovative approaches were pursued as the Community Action Network continued to do what they do best—help people and change lives.

The conference kicked off with visits with state legislators and agencies discussed their progress, ideas, and successes while advocating for their community’s low-income population. That evening, we were joined by several cabinet members, representatives, senators and legislative aides at the Legislative Reception and discussions continued regarding our network’s programs and initiatives to alleviate poverty across Ohio.

Thursday morning began with breakfast and speaker Denise Harlow, chief executive officer of Community Action Partnership, who discussed the newly released Community Action Standards. The Standards were coordinated by the Partnership over a three-year period along with 50 individuals connected to CSBG funding. Following breakfast, five breakout tracks commenced which included Leadership, Fiscal/Human Resources, Family Development, Public Relations, and Weatherization.

During lunch, OACAA was honored to host Governor John Kasich as the keynote speaker during which he released a preview of the next state budget proposal. Included in the preview was the initiative to expand child care assistance to families and individuals at up to 300 percent of the poverty level as opposed to the current 200 percent limit. In addition, Kasich aims to coordinate state services to eliminate barriers to low-income people to increase their successful transition to self-sufficiency.  Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Director Cynthia Dungey and Office of Human Services Innovations Director Douglas Lumpkin followed the Governor’s speech with additional details.

The conference wrapped up on Friday with a discussion among members and OACAA executive director Philip E. Cole, as well as a federal policy update from speaker David Bradley. Mr. Bradley, co-founder and executive director of National Community Action Foundation, discussed NCAF’s work toward the federal reauthorization of CSBG, which he expects to accomplish in 2015.

Photos from the conference can be viewed on our new Flickr photo feed: OACAA Flickr. OACAA would like to thank all of those throughout Ohio’s 88 counties who participated in this year’s conference. All attendees, speakers, workshop presenters, staff and members of board of trustees played a vital role in the success of the conference. We are excited to begin working on the 2015 OACAA Summer Conference and look forward to seeing you there! Stay up to date with more details for the next conference and other activities by subscribing to our blog.