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National Community Action Foundation

Created in 1981, the National Community Action Foundation seeks to ensure the federal government honors its commitment to fighting poverty, especially through the work of Community Action Agencies. President Lyndon B. Johnson's Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Community Action Program, emphasizing the importance of local, individualized approaches to poverty. The vast network of agencies continue to provide crucial services to low-income individuals over fifty years later.

Current Executive Director David Bradley, with the mentorship of Sargent Shriver, co-founded NCAF in an effort to ensure the federal government continues supporting the Community Action Program. Political heavyweights of all generations, including Sargent Shriver, have praised the work of NCAF.

Issue Areas

Community Services Block Grants

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds the nationwide network of nearly 1,100 Community Action Agencies (CAAs). These organizations create, coordinate and deliver comprehensive programs and services to about 16 million individuals living in poverty, in the United States, in order to help individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency. In 2015, Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jim Costa (D-CA), Richard L. Hanna (R-NY), Glenn Thompson (politician) (R-PA), Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Lou Barletta (R-PA) introduced a bill to reathorize CSBG entitled the Community Economic Opportunity Act to the 114th Congress. The bill currently has around 60 cosponsors.

As a block grant, it is unique in that the funding is discretionary—agencies choose how to spend it in the most effective and efficient way for their community. One agency in a rural area may focus on facilitating access to reliable transportation for low-income people to get to work, while another agency in an urban center may prioritize community gardening so that residents have access to nutritious food. Among federal and state funding sources, block grants like CSBG are crucial because they provide needed choice in program allocations. They are the locally-driven answer to “one-size-fits-all” funding.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds are allocated to all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, federal and state-recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories. These block grants aid in providing health, employment, education, housing, nutrition, income management and emergency services. Members of Congress determine how much money goes to each grantee based on its share of the population with incomes below the Federal Poverty Guideline. Once the allocation reaches each state, at least 90% of it is given to locally-controlled organizations, primarily CAAs, in order to create opportunities for those Americans with the lowest household incomes. Specifically, programming is targeted toward people making no more than 125% of the Federal Poverty Guideline.

Affordable Energy Programs

The cost of housing is one of the major causes of economic insecurity for those at the bottom of the income scale, and energy is a major of component of housing costs.

Community Action Agencies (CAA) collectively manage integrated programs that deliver federal state and privately funded energy bill assistance and home energy efficiency retrofits to eligible lower-income households. They also advocate for consumer protections and utility rate designs that ensure vulnerable consumers are treated fairly and have affordable access to energy.

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Annual LIHEAP Funding

LIHEAP

The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides resources to assist low-income households in meeting their home energy bills. It pays a portion of bills to the energy vendor based on a sliding scale of need. In 2012, CAAs served about 4 million households, about 60% of all LIHEAP participants, and received more than half of the $3.4 billon appropriated for LIHEAP that year.

LIHEAP Funding is a primary focus for NCAF. In response to the economic crisis of 2008-9, Congress more than doubled LIHEAP funding. Budget concerns have resulted in program reductions regardless of the still-existing need. The Administration has proposed deeper cuts than those accepted by Congress in recent years. Like most of Community Action Agencies’ human services programs, LIHEAP must fit in the limited and shrinking HHS budget.

Weatherization

Professionally trained weatherization crews under management of local Community Action Agencies and other non-profit organizations use computerized energy audits and advanced diagnostic equipment, such as a blower door, manometer or infrared camera to determine the most cost-effective measures appropriate for each home. More than 7 million homes have been upgraded since the program began in 1979.

Typical measures are installing insulation, sealing ducts, tuning and repairing heating and cooling systems, mitigating air infiltration and reducing electric appliance and lights consumption. Weatherization crews also perform health and safety tests that include testing heating units and appliances for safety. Low-income families spend close to 20% of their annual income on energy, but weatherizing a home reduces energy use by an average of 20-30%.

Weatherization Funding is a major concern since the end of the $5 billion, 4-year program, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NCAF and its Congressional supporters are fighting to restore the funding to $230 million in 2014, the same as 2008 funding, as the base on which to build the future program.

Head Start

Head Start is integral part of many Community Action Agencies. Head Start, a national program administered through the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of education, health, nutritional, social and other comprehensive services to enrolled children and families. Head Start has served over 30 million children and their families in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories, and served almost 900,000 children and families in Fiscal Year 2014. Head Start and Community Action Agencies partner to ensure the mission of educating and assisting low-income children and families is achieved.

Events

Legislative Conference

NCAF holds a Legislative Conference each year, where many of the agencies throughout the nation are represented. During the week, the agencies make hill visits and are updated on NCAF's legislative agenda. Also, many important Congressional players speak to the agency representatives, often reinforcing the importance of the Community Action Program. Past speakers at the conference include Tom Harkin, Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Mike Fitzpatrick and Betty McCollum. The 2015 conference included speakers such as Senators Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Congressman Patrick Murphy (Florida politician).

Ideas and Innovations Conference

The annual Ideas and Innovations Conference serves as a think tank for Community Action Agencies to discuss new ideas and breakthroughs in serving the community. This event includes the discussion of successful new programs, agency best practices and a greater discussion regarding the future of the Community Action Program. Essentially, the conference is designed to enable collaboration between agencies to better serve those they serve.

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David Bradley conducts his renowned War on Poverty Workshop

War on Poverty Workshop

With more than 8 hours of video and enlightening discussions led by NCAF Executive Director David Bradley, the 3-day War on Poverty Workshop offers one of the most in-depth histories of the War on Poverty and Community Action to date. Having been intimately involved with CSBG and Community Action Agencies since their creation in 1981, Bradley offers tremendous insight into the intricacies and hardships involving the 50-year War on Poverty.