On April 22, 2024, The Federal Office of Community Services released proposed changes to the CSBG Annual Report. 

The Virginia CSBG Office in partnership with VACAP hosted a webinar on May 21, 2024  where we reviewed the proposed changes and discussed the implications for Virginia.

That webinar was recorded and is available on LearnWorlds, also all of the documents referenced in the webinar are attached to the course and available to download or review.

We want to thank the agencies that submitted comments to our office and to OCS directly. The Virginia CSBG office did submit comments on behalf of the network, we encourage you to review our comments that were submitted. Once the next draft of the proposed report is available we will inform the network.

More information on next steps from OCS can be found in the latest Dear Colleague Letter.

A memo was sent from our office on June 17, 2024 with some key upcoming deadlines related to submission of Cost Allocation Plans to be sure we have current information for all CSBG recipients, and to provide opportunities for CAAs to review and revise their cost allocation plans and strategies for recovering agency-wide administrative costs before the revised Uniform Grants Guidance becomes effective October 1, 2024.

• July 31, 2024:
• Each CSBG sub-recipient must send OEO a copy of their current written cost allocation plan, and a completed checklist (attached to June 17 email) documenting that your cost allocation plan includes all the elements described in the Cost Allocation Plan Elements document attached to the June 17 email.
• CAAs that have submitted their Cost Allocation Plan or Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate determination letter to OEO in response to our requests in 2022 or 2023, have received a checklist noting areas in the cost allocation plan that our consultant, Kay Sohl, has identified as needing to be clarified or revised. These revised plans must be submitted to OEO.
• September 30, 2024:
• Each CAA must submit a fully compliant Cost Allocation Plan and checklist to OEO.

Please refer to our email dated June 17, 2024 for attachments and additional information. You can contact Violet Peyton, v.peyton@dss.virginia.gov, with any questions.

The CSBG 4th quarter report is due August 15, 2024. A new webinar is now available on LearnWorlds. This webinar reviews all components due with the 4th quarter report, also available on LearnWorlds is our reporting manual. One on one assistance is available for those who need additional support in completing the reports. For one on one technical assistance please contact Abby at Abigail.hanks@dss.virginia.gov.

Don’t miss these free webinars coming up for community action agencies in Region III (VA, PA, MD, WV, DC, and DE. You will need to register for each training individually using the links for each session. Once you are registered, you will receive a Zoom link to add to your calendar. The full list of webinars and recordings of previously held webinars can be found at:

https://vacsbg.learnworlds.com/course/2024-region-iii-trainings.

• Cost Allocation Plans (July 11, 10-11am) - This webinar will provide valuable insights and strategies to help streamline your cost allocation processes and alleviate the unnecessary complexities that often come with managing multiple accounts. Register
• Cost Allocation Recovering Agency-wide Admin Costs, & Indirect Rates: A Deeper Drive (July 25, 2-3pm) - This training will explore strategies to maintain compliance with multiple requirements while maximizing the CAAs ability to recover its full costs, including the costs of agency-wide management. Register
• CAA Financial Management Challenges and Strategies (August 8, 2-3pm) - The training will provide a fresh look at the budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting systems that CAAs need to build financially health nonprofits and ensure compliance with multiple funding source requirements. Register

Thank you to all our ROMA Implementers who diligently worked on the 24-25 CAP implementer plans. Our office has observed growth in the activities outlined for the year, as well as the measurement tools agencies are using to provide services and achieve quality measurable outcomes. We look forward to following up and tracking these plans throughout the new year.

The scheduled third-quarter ROMA Peer Group Superhero meeting on July 28th has been cancelled. We will reconvene in November for the fourth-quarter closeout meeting.

For agencies currently conducting their community needs assessments, please remember to check out the new one-pager, "Tips for Conducting Virtual Focus Groups," which is attached to the Community Needs Assessment Fireside Chat training series on LearnWorlds. This document outlines tools and resources that agencies should consider when conducting virtual focus groups or interviews.

The Office of Economic Opportunity wants to hear from you! If your agency has training needs throughout the year please let us know. We have created a simple form for you to submit any ideas you may have to support your staff, clients, and board make an even greater impact on your community. You can submit a need at any time and our staff will reach out to you to get more information. This form is also available on the LearnWorlds homepage.

People Incorporated was recently one of seven organizations receiving funding from the Commonwealth’s Capital for Communities Fund (CCCF). Governor Youngkin announced that $1.3 million in grants from the CCCF will fund projects to expand lending to communities lacking banking options across the Commonwealth. Technical assistance will also be provided to future borrows for business ventures. To learn more visit: https://vacsbg.learnworlds.com/blog/people-inc-commonwealth-capital