Community Action Agencies: Your Local Resource Hub
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are nonprofit organizations that fight poverty at the local level. They offer a wide range of services and can connect you with resources you might not know exist.
Services Commonly Offered
- Emergency assistance (rent, utilities, food)
- LIHEAP energy assistance
- Head Start early childhood education
- Weatherization programs
- Housing counseling
- Job training and employment services
- Tax preparation assistance
Finding Your Local CAA
Search at CommunityActionPartnership.com to find the agency serving your area. You can also call 211 for a referral. CAAs exist in every state and serve virtually every county in America.
Community Action Agencies are often the first place to go when you need help but do not know where to start. They can assess your situation and connect you with all available resources.
What Community Action Agencies Do
Community Action Agencies, often called CAAs, are nonprofit organizations that operate in nearly every county in the United States. They were originally established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as part of the federal government’s effort to combat poverty. Today, there are approximately 1,000 CAAs serving communities across the country. Their mission is to help low-income individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency by addressing the root causes of poverty rather than just its symptoms.
CAAs offer a wide range of services tailored to the specific needs of their communities. Common programs include emergency assistance with rent and utilities, weatherization and home repair, Head Start and early childhood education, job training and employment services, transportation assistance, food pantries, and tax preparation help. Because each agency is locally controlled and governed by a board that includes low-income community members, services are designed to address the unique challenges faced by residents in that area.
How to Find and Access Services
To find your local Community Action Agency, visit the Community Action Partnership website at communityactionpartnership.com and use their locator tool. You can also call 211, which can connect you with CAAs and other social service organizations in your area. When you contact a CAA for the first time, an intake specialist will ask about your household situation, income, and the type of assistance you need. Based on this assessment, they will connect you with appropriate programs and services.
Many CAA programs have income eligibility requirements, typically set at 125 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, though this varies by program and funding source. Bring proof of income, identification, proof of residency, and documentation of your household size when you visit. Even if you do not qualify for a specific program, CAA staff are trained to refer you to other community resources that may be able to help.
The Community Services Block Grant
The primary federal funding source for Community Action Agencies is the Community Services Block Grant, known as CSBG. This grant provides flexible funding that allows CAAs to design programs responsive to local needs. CSBG funds support the core infrastructure of CAAs, enabling them to coordinate services, conduct community needs assessments, and leverage additional public and private resources. For every federal dollar invested through CSBG, Community Action Agencies typically leverage an additional eight to ten dollars from other funding sources.
Beyond CSBG, CAAs administer funding from dozens of federal, state, and private sources. This allows them to serve as a one-stop resource for families facing multiple challenges simultaneously. Rather than navigating a confusing maze of separate agencies and programs, families can work with a single CAA case manager who helps them access everything from energy assistance to job training to childcare, creating a coordinated path toward stability and independence.
If you are unsure where to start when seeking help, your local Community Action Agency is one of the best first calls you can make. Their staff understand the full landscape of available assistance in your area and can save you time by directing you to the right programs immediately rather than having you navigate the system alone.
What Community Action Agencies Do
Community Action Agencies, often called CAAs, are nonprofit organizations that operate in nearly every county in the United States. They were originally established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as part of the federal government’s effort to combat poverty. Today, there are approximately 1,000 CAAs serving communities across the country. Their mission is to help low-income individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency by addressing the root causes of poverty rather than just its symptoms.
CAAs offer a wide range of services tailored to the specific needs of their communities. Common programs include emergency assistance with rent and utilities, weatherization and home repair, Head Start and early childhood education, job training and employment services, transportation assistance, food pantries, and tax preparation help. Because each agency is locally controlled and governed by a board that includes low-income community members, services are designed to address the unique challenges faced by residents in that area.
How to Find and Access Services
To find your local Community Action Agency, visit the Community Action Partnership website at communityactionpartnership.com and use their locator tool. You can also call 211, which can connect you with CAAs and other social service organizations in your area. When you contact a CAA for the first time, an intake specialist will ask about your household situation, income, and the type of assistance you need. Based on this assessment, they will connect you with appropriate programs and services.
Many CAA programs have income eligibility requirements, typically set at 125 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, though this varies by program and funding source. Bring proof of income, identification, proof of residency, and documentation of your household size when you visit. Even if you do not qualify for a specific program, CAA staff are trained to refer you to other community resources that may be able to help.
The Community Services Block Grant
The primary federal funding source for Community Action Agencies is the Community Services Block Grant, known as CSBG. This grant provides flexible funding that allows CAAs to design programs responsive to local needs. CSBG funds support the core infrastructure of CAAs, enabling them to coordinate services, conduct community needs assessments, and leverage additional public and private resources. For every federal dollar invested through CSBG, Community Action Agencies typically leverage an additional eight to ten dollars from other funding sources.
Beyond CSBG, CAAs administer funding from dozens of federal, state, and private sources. This allows them to serve as a one-stop resource for families facing multiple challenges simultaneously. Rather than navigating a confusing maze of separate agencies and programs, families can work with a single CAA case manager who helps them access everything from energy assistance to job training to childcare, creating a coordinated path toward stability and independence.
