2023 Conference Program

Several state representatives will come together in a “roundtable” and discuss their unique organizational paths to equity in all their variances, how recent events prompted this magnification, how agencies are leaning in to change (with and without a plan), how the wider group is being engaged, and more. This session will be moderated by Tanisha Johnson, MBA, the Child and Family Services Director of the Communication Action Partnership of Strafford County, NH. Tanisha is an experienced racial and social justice lecturer and trainer.

Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) has been on the journey to design their service integration strategy, and have “woven” (blended and braided services/resources) to create their Whole Family Approach and complementary Comprehensive Service Delivery Model. They have been intentional about centering their WFA in family centered coaching, while simultaneously allowing “form to follow function” in advising how to best restructure and change their organizational model to best facilitate the work across their very rural and geographically vast county. During this session, ACAP CEO Jason Parent will share how ACAP created an organizational “tapestry” which has been instrumental on their journey towards better assisting families with their overall well-being and social and economic mobility.

Explore the most effective ways to begin a fundraising program in a CAP agency, ways to increase results in a fledging program, and how to build the kind of deep, meaningful relationships with donors that produce results not just for today, but for the long-term. Uncover commonly held myths that threaten to lead you and your board down a less productive path, discover the key metrics that indicate you are on the right track, and learn how to create the “magic” of private philanthropy by connecting with the caring donors who are ready to help you create hope, help and change for your clients.

Learning Outcomes
Learn the keys to getting a Community Action fundraising program off the ground: where do we get the seed money, where do we find our first donors
Learn the essential elements of a successful long-term strategy in a Community Action context, such as effective use of the tri-partite board.
Create the first high-level outline of a development plan, whether your first or an enhancement to an existing plan, so you have a road map to get you started.

Intended Audience
Communications and Development staff, Agency Leadership, Program Directors

Led by Catherine Crooker, Crooker Consulting

You know the basics, so now let’s take a deeper look into the roles and responsibilities of CAA boards. In this session, CAPLAW will discuss legal issues related to CAA board engagement and democratic selection procedures; capacity building and the private sector of a CAA’s board; CAA board meetings and board meeting minutes; CAA board responsibilities related to the CSBG organizational standards; differences between public and private CAAs, and more. Come prepared to ask questions and explore these areas in greater detail.

Led by: Jonathan Cohen & Emily Center-Brigasi, Staff Attorneys, CAPLAW

Come and join other young professionals within the regional network for an informal discussion to share your experiences and talk about challenges. 

Facilitated by Isabella Dickens-Bowman, Training & Resource Manager, MASSCAP

Touching on the continuum of services, this moderated session will focus on innovative practices throughout New England.  From street outreach and support services to prevention, retention and zoning, the topics are based on the idea that we can solve homelessness through comprehensive policies and programs that are coordinated and integrated at the local, municipal and the state level. The panelists will discuss both rural and urban dynamics that affect the cause of homelessness.

Positive change can be just as stressful as negative change because with every gain there is a loss. Processing it with excitement, not threat, requires insight into the dynamics of change, appreciation for those who resist it, and techniques for moving people and the organization forward.  Attendees will leave with immediately applicable insights and techniques that can be integrated into their personal and professional styles.

Presenter: Gerri King, Ph.D, President, Human Dynamics Associates

Don’t despair, you and your CAP agency DO have the potential to attract the right donors so you can raise the major gifts that will help you achieve your vision! Whether you are contemplating your first major gift program, or are in your third capital campaign, come learn how to build from the great work you have already done creating your current donor pool, and learn how to tap into the valuable relationships unique to YOUR organization so you can grow your circles.

Learning Outcomes
Learn how to identify the best potential major donors in your current pool
Learn how to engage your current donors, board and volunteers to help you expand your circle and engage new donors. Includes form and tools you can apply immediately.
Learn how to use other industry-standard methods, such as wealth screenings, to broaden your base even further.
Develop a pro-active strategy for retaining new donors, especially those who may have joined you with their first gift in response to the COVID crisis.

Intended Audience
Communications and Development staff, Agency Leadership, Program Directors

Led by Catherine Crooker, Crooker Consulting

This interactive session will feature the Board meeting of the fictitious Patriots CAA. Facilitator Kathleen McDermott will help the audience figure out what’s going right and where the Board, led by its Chair Debbie Downstream, and its Executive Director Brad Pittman, could draw the unwanted attention of OCS. Featuring many of our friends from across New England!

Intended Audience
Board Members, Leadership staff, Administrative staff

All roads do not necessarily lead to food pantries when it comes to addressing food insecurity in our region. Come listen to an engaging food access panel, with representatives from various states, discuss how innovative and out-of-the-box strategies are often needed to tackle the food issues facing underserved populations throughout New England.

There are five generations represented in our workforce today: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, Millennials and Generation Z. Understanding and appreciating the different values and work styles of each generation fosters engagement and reduces communication challenges in the workplace. This highly interactive workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to enhance the capacity to communicate and collaborate effectively across generations. Participants will discover effective resources, tools and strategies that can be integrated into workplace culture to build cohesion in a multi-generational environment.

Engaging in robust conversation about poverty and inequality with the people we serve, with local, state and federal elected and appointed officials, with the press, and the general public is a key feature of the work of Community Action Agencies and our associations and is critical to setting the context for advocacy for important public policies, programs, and practices.  This session will include information about how MASSCAP and its members worked with the MASS Budget and Policy Center to implement an approach to raising awareness and inspiring action around poverty.  The discussion will include how other states in New England are keeping poverty and inequality in the public eye.

An engaging discussion will be facilitated around the identification of steps which organizations may take to lead to more equitable programs. Workgroups will be formed with the goal of leaving with three actionable points to help participants integrate equity into programming.

This session will be facilitated by: Tanisha Johnson, MBA, the Child and Family Services Director of the Communication Action Partnership of Strafford County, NH; Colleen Cullen, Grants Management and Compliance Director and DEI Coordinator for MASSCAP, MA; and, Jan Demers, Coordinator for VT Community Action Partnership and former Executive Director of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO).

Come and join other board members from across the region for an informal discussion to share experiences and talk about challenges.

Facilitated by Kathleen McDermott, KJ Consulting

Social determinants of health (SDOH) have an enormous impact on people’s health and well-being, including health outcomes and even mortality. You will hear from CAA leaders about how the Community Action network is innovating and collaborating to address these needs. Sustainable funding ideas will also be addressed.

In this session, attendees will hear from their colleagues from four different New England states & agencies about the innovative programs they run. These programs cover several different areas from full agency training initiatives to housing programs, to unique fundraising approaches, to grant-funded research projects. You will walk away from this session with not only new ideas and approaches to work at your agency, but a renewed sense of the incredible, innovative work being done by your colleagues across the region!

CT Food 4 Thought is a social enterprise developed by New Opportunities Inc. Come and learn about this state of the art hydroponic center in Torrington, CT. We will discuss lessons learned and challenges in implementing this project along with its community impact and upcoming expansion efforts.

We will:
Discuss an approach to social enterprise for CAA’s
Reveal lessons learned in developing a social enterprise
Highlight the impact a social enterprise can have on the community

In partnership with colleagues from Grow Smart-RI and RI Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), Housing Works will share recent research and work about housing opportunities around transit in RI. We will also share information about legislative efforts in MA and CT and discuss federal funding opportunities (ie – Thriving Communities RFP from HUD and others).

Come and join other communications and development staff from across the region for an informal discussion to share experiences and talk about challenges.

Facilitated by Lisa Clay, Director of Communications & Member Services, MASSCAP