CSBG Community Action Plans Due August 1

The 2026–2027 CAP Plan cycle is approaching, and this year brings important updates tied to the transition to Annual Report 3.0.

Important Dates for the 26–27 CAP Plan

• Plan opens for entry: June 1, 2026
• Plan due: August 1, 2026
• Data covered: October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

This cycle will be the first to fully utilize the Annual Report 3.0 services and outcomes, so early preparation will make a big difference.

empowOR 3.0 Module Release

Agencies using empowOR can expect the 3.0 plug‑in module to be released on June 1, 2026.

Training opportunities on mapping and other 3.0 transition topics will follow shortly—keep an eye out for announcements.

Recommended Preparation

Before beginning your CAP Plan, it’s strongly encouraged to watch the Annual Report 2.1 → 3.0 Transition Webinar. It provides essential context for navigating the new reporting structure.

You can find this webinar and other transition resources here:

https://vacsbg.learnworlds.com/annual-report-3-transition

Technical Assistance Available

If you’d like help reviewing any part of the 3.0 transition or the CAP Plan, 1‑on‑1 TA is available. Don’t hesitate to reach out to schedule time for personalized support.

Transforming Virginia's CAA's - Goal 9

Over the course of the next several months we will be reintroducing the Transforming Virginia goals through newsletter articles, trainings and webinars.

Community Action has always been rooted in the belief that lasting change happens with people, not to them. As we continue advancing the Transforming Virginia framework, Goal #9 calls us to deepen that commitment:

People with limited income should not only be recipients of services — they should be active participants in shaping agency work and driving community change.

This shift is more than a strategy. It’s a mindset. It’s a recognition that individuals with lived experience bring insight, leadership, and innovation that strengthen our agencies and our communities.

From Service Recipients to Community Leaders

For decades, Community Action has provided essential services to individuals and families with limited income. But Goal #9 challenges us to go further: to invite, equip, and empower community members to help shape the very systems that affect their lives.

This transformation means:

• Creating leadership pathways for individuals with lived experience
• Engaging community members in planning, decision‑making, and evaluation
• Building authentic partnerships rather than transactional service relationships
• Sharing power in ways that honor community wisdom
• Embedding lived experience into agency culture, governance, and strategy

When people with limited income help shape programs, policies, and community initiatives, the results are more relevant, more equitable, and more sustainable.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Agencies across Virginia are already modeling this shift. Examples include:

• Community Advisory Councils made up of individuals with lived experience
• Peer Navigator or Peer Advocate roles within programs
• Compensated community focus groups that inform program design
• Leadership development workshops for emerging community leaders
• Board recruitment pipelines that intentionally include people with limited income

These practices don’t just improve services — they strengthen trust, build capacity, and create shared ownership of community change.

Resources to Support This Transformation

Below is a curated set of tools and learning opportunities to help your agency advance Goal #9:

• Engagement Toolkit — Practical strategies for involving community members in planning and decision‑making
• Lived Experience Leadership Guide — Frameworks for building leadership pathways
• Facilitation Tools — Methods for hosting inclusive conversations
• Compensation Models — Approaches for fairly compensating community contributors
• Board Inclusion Resources — Guidance for diversifying governance structures

If you’d like, I can also create training slides, a staff discussion guide, or a community‑facing version of this article.

A Call to Action

Transforming Virginia Goal #9 invites us to rethink how we define expertise, leadership, and partnership. It reminds us that people with lived experience are not just beneficiaries — they are co‑creators of solutions and drivers of change. By embracing this shift, we strengthen our agencies, honor community voice, and build a more resilient Virginia.

CSBG State Plan - Public Comment Period Now Open

The Virginia 2026-28 CSBG State Plan is available for public comment. The public comment period is currently active through June 21, 2026. Any comments, questions, or feedback can be submitted by using our comment form. A new dedicated page on LearnWorlds contains the CSBG State Plan document as well as the comment form. If you have any questions or have trouble accessing the documents please do not hesitate to reach out to csbg@dss.virginia.gov.

Reminder! Annual report not due until November 15!



The 4th quarter report will be due November 15th this year. The report will contain information on 15 months to account for the shift to the federal fiscal year for reporting. The report will contain information from July 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026. A webinar will be held in the fall to review the report components.

Organizational Standards Reminder

All agencies received an update on their Organizational Standards status on May 22. A full review of standards will occur in September 2026. A recorded webinar on Organizational Standards—including helpful resources and guidance for uploading documentation—is available here: https://vacsbg.learnworlds.com/course/quality-org-standards

Important note from HHS

HHS reminds grantees that they are required to comply with all Federal law and regulations under the terms of their award. Under the Single Audit Act (31 USC 7501-7507) and Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200 Subpart F), grantees must adhere to Federal audit requirements, including submitting a Single Audit if expending $1,000,000 or more in Federal funds annually. In compliance with the law, HHS will be actively reviewing Single Audit findings and expects grantees to take prompt and appropriate corrective action on identified deficiencies and material weaknesses. Grantees that issue subawards are also required to monitor their subrecipients’ audit compliance as required under 2 CFR 200.332.

Consequences of Noncompliance

Grantees that fail to meet audit and subrecipient monitoring requirements may be subject to enforcement actions, including specific conditions on their award under 2 CFR 200.208 or remedies for noncompliance under 2 CFR 200.339, up to and including suspension of funding or award termination.

Update Your Services and Contact Information

Keeping our statewide network informed and connected is essential to the success of Community Action. This month, we are asking every agency to review and update its contact information and current services to ensure our shared records remain accurate, accessible, and up to date. Maintaining reliable information helps strengthen communication, supports coordinated service delivery, and ensures that partners and community members can easily find the resources they need.

You will receive an email from Gail Doyle, who is leading this year’s update process. Gail will provide instructions and a link to submit your agency’s revised details. Please take a few moments to confirm your primary contacts, program offerings, and any changes to services so our statewide directory reflects the most current information.

Accurate information supports stronger collaboration and helps us better tell the story of Community Action across Virginia. Thank you in advance for your timely attention to this important update.