Community action agencies
Program Resources
Agency & Strategic Planning
- 2025 Poverty Guidelines
- Bradshaw Theories of Poverty - Bradshaw's Theories of Property and Anti-Poverty Programs in Community Development.
- A Comprehensive Guide to Community Action Strategic Plan
- Data Collection - CAP'S Organizational Standards Center of Excellence Strategic Planning Webinar Series, Strategic Planning: Data Collection
- CSBG Equity Plan Guidance
- Implement Evidence-Based Social Programs - Gorman-Smith (2006): How to Successfully Implement Evidence-Based Social Programs: A Brief Overview for Policymakers and Program Providers.
- Implement the Strategic Plan - CAP's Organizational Standards Center of Excellence Strategic Planning Webinar Series, Strategic Planning: Implementing the Strategic Plan.
- Logic Model - Strategic Planning Logic Model Template.
- Outcomes Based Planning - CAP's Organization Standards Center of Excellence Strategic Planning Webinar Series, Strategic Planning: Developing an Outcomes-Based Strategic Plan.
- Overview & Preparation - CAP's Organizational Standards Center of Excellence Strategic Planning Webinar Series, Strategic Planning: Overview & Preparation.
- Standards Concerning Strategic Planning - Table of Standards to Consider when Strategic Planning.
- Sucks the Life Out of Nonprofits - Strategic Planning Sucks the Life Out of Nonprofits From Joan Garry
CSBG Reporter
- CSBG Reporter User Guide - This document is a how to guide for using CSBG Reporter.
Communications and Media
Community Action Plan
- 2025 CAP Plan Manual
- Tips for Community Action Plans - Tips to navigate through the CSBG Reporter submission of your agency CAP Plan.
- Federal Poverty Guidelines Spreadsheet 2024
- Virginia Rural Opportunity Dashboard
Data Management
- Data Breach Response Policy - Template for data breach policy
- Data Capacity in Virginia
Financial Empowerment Resources
- Economic Empowerment Toolkit - The OEO has created this toolkit for your staff to utilize when assisting clients with financial empowerment services.
- Community Action Social Enterprises Toolkit
- Barton Institute for Community Action- Social Enterprise Fellowship Projects
- National Community Action Partnership - Community Economic Development (CED)
Funding & Grant Resources
Grant Writing
- Research Sources - Data and Research Sources Useful in Grant Writing (2019)
LearnWorlds Guide
- LearnWorlds Community Guide - Step-by-step resource for how to use LearnWorlds' Community Feature where you can engage with your peers/groups.
- LearnWorlds Start-Up Guide - Step-by-step resource to understanding how to use LearnWorlds and make the most of its many features.
Monitoring
Needs Assessment
- CAP Resources Guide - CAP Community Needs Assessment Resource Guide
- Checklist for Monitoring Community Needs Assessments - 2017 NASCSP Checklist for Monitoring Community Needs Assessments for State CSBG Offices
- Guide to Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment - 2011 NASCSP Community Action Guide to Community Needs Assessments
- Key Principles and Expectations for CAAs Community Needs Assessments
- Expectations of Community Action Agencies During the Community Needs Assessment Process
- Things to Consider When Hiring a Consulting Firm to Conduct the Agency Needs Assessment
Organizational Standards
- Virginia Organizational Standards Documentation (Private)
- Virginia Organizational Standards Documentation (Public)
- 2015 Standards of Excellence - CAP's 2015 Standards of Excellence: Pursuing and Achieving Excellence in Community Action
- 2016 Calendar of Required Actions - CAP's 2016 Calendar of Required Actions within the COW Developed CSBG Organizational Standards
- Board Governance - CAP's COE Developed Organizational Standards, Category 5: Board Governance.
- Community Assessment - CAP COE Developed CSBG Organizational Standards, Category 3: Community Assessment
- Community Engagement - CAP's COE Developed CSBG Organizational Standards, Category 2: Community Engagement
- Financial Operations & Oversight - CAP's COE Developed CSBG Organization Standards, Category 8: Financial Operations & Oversight.
- HR Management - CAP's COE Developed CSBG Organizational Standards, Category 7: Human Resource Management
- OCS IM 138 - State Establishment of Organizational Standards for CSBG Eligible Entities (2015)
Program Evaluation
ROMA/Performance Management
- Performance Management Highlights & Opportunities
- Performance Management Working Definitions & Practices
- Guidance for Annual ROMA Plans
- Checklist for Community Needs Assessment - NASCSP's Checklist for Monitoring Community Needs Assessments for State CSBG Offices. (2017)
- Community Level Work - CAP's ROMA Next Generation Video Series Presentation: Understanding Community Level Work.
- Intro to Data Analysis and Use - CAP's ROMA Next Generation Video Series Presentation: Introduction to the Analysis and Use of Data.
- Local Theory of Change - CAP's ROMA Next Generation Video Series Presentation: Creating a Local Theory of Change.
- Observable Results Graphic - Using the National Theory of Change and ROMA principles to promote observable change.
- ROMA Audit Document
- ROMA Definitions - Terms and Definitions for ROMA.
- Revised Measurement Tool Toolkit
- Strengths-Based ROMA Implementation - CAP's Utilizing a Strengths-Based Approach to Implement ROMA throughout the CAA. (2014)
Risk Assessment
- Risk Assessment Toolkit - CAP Quick Reference Guide to Risk Assessment for CAAs.
Succession Planning
- Executive Transition Guide - CAP's Preparing for Your Community Action Agency's Future: Sustainability, Succession & Transition. Part 3: Executive Transition Management Guide.
Technology & AI
- How to Make AI Work for Your CAA
- How to Make AI Work for Your CAA - Fundraising
- How to Make AI Work for Your CAA - Everyday Tasks
- How to Make AI Work for Your CAA - Data
- A Complete Guide to AI Adoption for Nonprofits
- Demystifying Artificial Intelligence for Nonprofits: Why You Should Care About AI Right Now, Not Later
- How Nonprofits Are Using AI
Whole Family
- Two-Generation Mutual Reinforcement Measurement Tool
- 2023 Whole Family Infographic - Summary of results from participants in the Whole Family Approach Pilot Program in Virginia.
- Messaging Guide - Messaging Guide for the Two-Generation Approach to Supporting Families.
- Whole Family Domain Categories
- Success Stories 2022
- Success Stories 2023
- Two-Generation Approach - Framing Two-Generation Approaches to Supporting Families, from the FrameWorks Institute.
- What is 2Gen - An overview from Ascend, the Aspen Institute.
- Understanding and Utilizing Wraparound Services
Creating Strong Communities
Who we are
The Virginia Community Action Partnership and the Virginia Office of Economic Opportunity works together to provide all Virginia Community Action Agencies with the training and technical assistance needed to be successful. We aim to provide training for all levels of staff at an agency and board members.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2501VACOSR from the Community Services Block Grant within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the [ACF Office/Program].
Copyright © 2026
Former STOP, Inc. Project Discovery alumnae Annette Booker was recognized by the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce as one of Austin's "Hidden Figures!" Annette is a Process Integration Engineer at Samsung Austin Semiconductor. She is graduate of Oscar F. Smith High School in Chesapeake and received her undergraduate degree at Norfolk State University, and her graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Luna Powell, a recent graduate of Warwick High School, joined Project Discovery during her freshman year. Ms. Powell states “Project Discovery has changed me as a person and expanded my horizons. I am genuinely grateful to Project Discovery because, without it, I would have likely lack the essential knowledge about higher education and not be able to meet all the delightful people in the program. Project Discovery helped to become more extroverted and exposed me to new experiences that have led to who I am now”.