Highly experienced and qualified Community Action professionals provide training to agency board members regarding their roles, responsibilities, and liabilities as a member of a Community Action board of directors. Best practices in governance and stewardship of charitable dollars are reviewed so they can be applied immediately.

This training module discusses how to engage potential partners to formalize relationships effectively. Discussions include partnership benefits, MOUs, roles and responsibilities of each organization, and forming outcomes. Common pitfalls and issues are also discussed to help mitigate problems as the partnership develops.

The customer service training module reviews how to effectively keep personal stresses from interfering with good customer service to treat all customers—both internal and external—with respect. Deescalating conflict is also discussed. The training is appropriate for all employee levels including case managers, front-line staff, senior management, and board members.

Family Development is a case management curriculum and provides essential concepts and tools to assess, provide support, and create an action plan for customers. The certification course teaches case managers to ask different questions of to gain a deeper level of understanding, help guide the customers to a deeper level of participation and assist them in making their own decisions on their path to self-sufficiency.

*OCATO charges a minimal fee for this certification course.

The fund development course teaches the basics of fundraising and development such as how to search for new funding streams, donations, event planning, and general grant writing principles.

This course helps your Head Start Policy Council gain a deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities to strengthen the local Head Start program.

This training helps attendees understand preventative measures to strong fiscal controls by providing a deeper understanding of policy and procedural purpose. Also discussed are potential pitfalls of bad fiscal management to combat fraud and waste.

Logic Models is a planning tool which can be used to visually represent a program from identified needs to expected outcomes. This training reviews the logic model and discusses how to implement it throughout your agency.

This training provides tools to capture and report data that demonstrates an effective program. Throughout this training, participants will learn how to develop realistic outcomes and collect data for deliverables.

A poverty simulation is an interactive experience designed to help participants understand common situations faced by people living in poverty. Throughout the 2-hour event, participants are given real-life scenarios and situations and attempt to navigate through the system to meet the needs of their families.

The simulation is designed for a minimum of 30 participants and maximum of 148 participants. At least 17 volunteers are needed to act as resources providers. Following the 90-minute simulation, attendees participate in a 30-minute debriefing to discuss their experiences.

Scales is a tool that can be used to measure incremental changes in customers or agencies. This training reviews the basic model and how to implement it throughout your agency.

This multi-step process collects input from a variety of internal and external sources, including the Community Action Needs Assessment, to help your agency develop a strategic plan. The framework includes action steps, department assignments, and timelines that will guide your agency over the course of 3-5 years to meet the needs of your community.

The strategic planning process will be designed with your agency in mind and can range from a simple plan update or to accommodate a major organizational change. Staff or ICs will facilitate discussions, collect data and help the agency develop the final plan.

This course teaches the basics of how to effectively work with, manage, and recruit volunteers. Topics include recruitment, policies and procedures, liabilities, scheduling, and management practices.