Community Action Agencies (CAAs)
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are nonprofit and public (local government departments) organizations that address the root causes of poverty and improve the quality of life for individuals and families in their communities. They are a part of the larger network of Community Action Programs, which were established as a result of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in the United States. The goal of these agencies is to provide a range of services and resources to help low-income individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency and overcome the challenges of poverty. CAAs, as effective, multi-service, local organizations, are embracing family/client-centered and driven approaches to service delivery, sometimes called “Whole Family Approaches.” empowOR can help with this transition.
How empowOR can help:
empowOR’s holistic approach to data supports integrated service models with the following:
- Facilitate easy intake via the Client Inquiry module by allowing clients to enter their own demographic information on the agency website or a kiosk in registration.
- Easily view all services and program enrollments for a client or the entire family.
- Control the flow of data entry screens by creating ‘work templates’ specific to staff member roles and programmatic requirements while sharing data appropriately across the agency.
- Create assessments for homeless services, head start, early head start, and crisis to thrive scales, and automatically ‘flag’ clients who need new consents or assessments completed.
- 360 Referral Tracking. ‘Flag’ clients or households as presumptively eligible for a program and subsequently track referrals sent.
- Access various reporting types that allow admin to monitor data quality and report to funders. Additionally, empowOR's plugins are designed to electronically submit directly to major funders (CSBG, HUD 9902, PIR & LIHEAP).
Food Pantries, Emergency Assistance & Faith Based Organizations
Food pantries are community-based organizations or programs that provide food assistance to individuals and families in need. They play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity and typically operate on a nonprofit basis and rely on donations of food and resources from individuals, businesses, and government agencies to fulfill their mission. Food pantries often provide emergency food aid to individuals and families facing immediate hunger or food shortages.
Faith-based organizations and charities are entities that operate with a strong religious or spiritual foundation and aim to provide various forms of assistance, support, and services to individuals, families, and communities in need. Many of our faith-based customers offer a range of emergency services and sometimes mentoring and coaching.
How empowOR can help:
- Store and organize client information, including contact details, family size, dietary restrictions, income level, and more.
- Facilitate efficient registration via the Client Inquiry module.
- Allow clients to schedule appointments for food pick up.
- Generate reports and analyze data to identify trends, assess the impact of services, and make informed decisions about resource allocation and program improvements.
- Track volunteer time, activity and contributions; handle donation tracking and generate contribution reports for donors.
- Allow volunteers to do some data entry, such as quick entry and bar codes.
- Manage services by recording client case information, the assistance provided, and monitor progress over time.
- Easy entry of services like food, hygiene packs, and more with barcode facilitated entry.
- Gain insights into member engagement, program effectiveness, and community needs, helping to make informed decisions.
Housing-Focused Programs
empowOR assists organizations that are focused on affordable housing needs and solutions in their communities. Housing-focused programs aim to address various housing-related challenges, such as homelessness, affordable housing, and housing stability. These programs are often initiated by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community groups to provide housing assistance, support, and resources to individuals and families in need. They are essential for improving access to safe and stable housing for vulnerable populations and promoting overall community well-being.
How empowOR can help:
- Facilitate seamless registration and intake of clients seeking housing counseling services via the Client Inquiry module. This includes capturing contact information, demographic details, and the nature of housing-related concerns.
- Assess clients' housing needs and financial situations via assessments, budgets, and asset/liability data, and subsequently develop tailored plans that address clients' specific challenges and objectives.
- Track the progress of clients' housing-related goals and the steps taken toward achieving them. Assist in tracking the effectiveness of counseling interventions and identifying areas for program improvement.
- Schedule counseling sessions via the Calendaring module, reducing scheduling conflicts and ensuring timely assistance.
- Electronically submit the 9902 report from within empowOR via the HUD Housing Counseling plugin.
State and Local Governments
State divisions and programs have particular needs when it comes to working with their grantees, including:
- Flexible reports at multiple levels, as well as the ability to meet federal reporting requirements
- Efficient compliance monitoring (i.e., CSBG organizational standards, CAP Plan, and Module 4)
- Information to support State information requests, as well as their grantee network
empowOR is the partner of choice to meet your critical State needs. We understand the complex nature of supporting initiatives in diverse communities. At the same time, empowOR supports grantees in meeting State and Federal requirements, while still allowing some individual flexibility.
empowOR is currently in use in 15 States and over 125 organizations, including several large counties with subgrantees of their own. Of particular interest, the system has been used as a statewide CSBG system in the states of Michigan, Maine, New Jersey and New Hampshire, and the Virginia State Whole Family Pilot.
How empowOR can help:
- Manage organizational standards for grantees, including notifications when standards are coming up for renewal
- Approve CAP Plans, including tying annual reporting back to the CAP Plan to reference targets
- Generate quarterly and annual CSBG reports
- Manage budgets and reimbursements for grantees
- Desk monitoring of grantees
- Grantee Board of Directors tracking
- Specialized support from empowOR staff experienced in CSBG requirements