Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County

The mission of the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC) is to create opportunities for Santa Barbara County families to achieve stability. In order to achieve the greatest possible impact upon the low-income children, youth, families and elders that we serve, CAC in 2014 developed a strategic plan with five goals that will strengthen the organization and position it to deliver the best and most responsive services to the community over the next five years. Strategies, responsibilities, actions, and time frames have been developed for all objectives within each of the five goals.

Goal 1 is to enhance financial stability. Objective A is to build agency assets and operating reserve. Objective B is to monitor program viability. Goal 2 is to enhance CAC brand awareness. Objective A is to increase visibility in the community and local governments. Goal 3 is to increase operational efficiency. Objective A is to share program resources where appropriate. Objective B is to streamline processes. Objective C is to identify and implement cost savings ideas. Goal 4 is to improve CAC internal communications. Objective A is to increase and enhance communication flow to staff. Goal 5 is to foster staff development. Objective A is to identify and implement opportunities for staff to assume more responsibility and leadership roles. Objective B is to create opportunities for cross-training and sharing of best practices.

The following strategies will support Goal #1 - Enhance Financial Stability: (1) Enhance the agency's development function, (2) Identify funding opportunities for currently underfunded work, (3) Create an "Advisory Council" composed of people adept at fundraising and willing to donate, (4) Increase opportunities and roles for volunteers, (5) Increase scrutiny of contracts and agreements, and (6) Set and enforce program budgets.
The following strategies will support Goal #2 - Enhance Brand Awareness: (1) Increase awareness among clients that CAC is providing their services, (2) Increase community awareness of CAC programs, and (3) Foster "Brand Democracy".
The following strategies will support Goal #3 - Increase Operational Efficiency: (1) Leverage client and volunteer participation to achieve program objectives, (2) Integrate CAC functions and services across programs, (3) create, review and communicate dashboard metrics, (4) Enhance agency processes, (5) Develop and implement comprehensive tools that provide client feedback, (6) Enhance employee access to CAC documents, and (7) Explore and implement sub-contracting functions where appropriate.
The following strategies will support Goal #4 - Improve CAC Internal Communications: (1) Create and conduct periodic staff feedback surveys, and (2) Enhance overall staff communication processes.
The following strategies will support Goal #5 - Foster Staff Development: Create a structure to allow individual staff to gain professional development, (2) Conduct periodic joint director/program manager meetings, (3) Create "cross-talk" opportunities for staff members to share best practices, and (4) Enhance staff knowledge about CAC's impact.

The Community Action Commission (CAC) was incorporated as a private, nonprofit organization in 1967. It is now the largest social service agency serving Santa Barbara County, with an over 70% minority staff of approximately 400 people providing services at 40 sites countywide and serving over 12,000 individuals each year. In order to promote effective countywide service delivery, the CAC Central Administration in Goleta (South County) is supported by administrative program offices in Santa Maria (North County) and Lompoc (Mid County). The agency's annual operating budget of over $24 million is derived from a range of funding sources that include city, county, state, federal and private foundation grants, donations and fundraising.

CAC is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors with equal representation from the public, private and low-income sectors. Elected officials hold the 5 public sector seats. The inclusion of representatives of the low-income community is an important and unique part of our organization.

CAC's administrative staff is very experienced at monitoring funding agreements. We hold over 50 contracts, all of which are audited by federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAC has two independent audits each year: the agency's annual audit and the Child Development audit, which is required by the Department of Education of the State of California. We have a well-staffed fiscal department that is skilled at using the Grants Management System to account for each individual project. Because of the size of the CAC Head Start Program (24 Head Start centers countywide), which was launched in 1967, we have had long years of practice collecting and reporting extensive quantities of data. The 2014 federal review of Head Start produced “no findings."

CAC has also served as the umbrella and testing ground for numerous emerging agencies, providing the initial effort, administrative expertise and infrastructure to launch Easy Lift in South County, Smooth Transportation Services in North County, the Community Housing Corporation, Storyteller Children's Center, Shelter Services for Women (now Domestic Violence Solutions), the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and the Area Agency on Aging. All these agencies are now independent and have been sustained over time. Currently, CAC is providing an administrative umbrella to the South Coast Task Force on Youth Gangs and Cal-SOAP, which aims to help send to college those who would be the first generation in their families to attend college.

With a 47-year history, CAC is deeply rooted in Santa Barbara County and is a trusted entity. We have earned that trust through responsible management, professional services and quality programming.

Nutrition Services:

• 673 seniors received 48,327 meals at 12 CAC “Healthy Table" centers.
• 645 seniors received 98,927 home-delivered meals through “Healthy at Home."
• Over 120,000 meals were delivered to other community programs serving those in need.
• 36,716 meals were provided to low-income children and youth in the Summer Food Program.
• 121,788 snacks were provided to low-income children as part of the After School Snack Program.

Energy Services:

• 1,700 low-income households benefited from Energy Services.
• 1,311 households received utility payment assistance.
• 389 homes received $711,245.96 in weatherization services.
• 94 unsafe gas heaters were repaired or replaced.

Family and Youth Services:

• The Front Porch program served 493 clients, reducing the occurrence or recurrence of child abuse and neglect or domestic violence by linking the families to high-quality treatment services and community resources.
• Home Connection Finders linked 509 foster children with relatives or friends willing to care for them after they were removed from their homes.
• 132 young men and women learned to make better life choices while participating in Los Compadres/Las Comadres, which focuses on prevention of teen pregnancy, substance abuse, gang involvement and violence.

Children's Services:

• 1,355 children attended CAC Head Start, Early Head Start and State Preschool.
• Over 200 children were provided a child-friendly place to wait while their parents were in family court at CAC Children's Waiting Rooms at the Superior Courts in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.
• 23 out of CAC's 24 Head Start Centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the hallmark of excellence in early childhood education.
• Over 87% of CAC Head Start children going to kindergarten were assessed to be in the top two developmental levels for cognitive development and social skills.
• Every Head Start classroom has a teacher with a college degree.

All of CAC's strategic long term goals are aimed at strengthening the organization for one purpose: to best fulfill the mission of creating opportunities for Santa Barbara County families to achieve stability. Only a stable organization can help others to become stable. Thus, the agency's long term goals of enhanced organizational financial stability; awareness of CAC and its services; increased operational efficiency; improved internal communications; and a staff that implements best practices, contribute to the ongoing accessibility, quality and professionalism of services offered by CAC. The current (2014 - 2019) CAC Strategic Plan was adopted in June 2014. Progress toward goals is reviewed in monthly Senior Staff meetings, monthly board-staff Planning Committee meetings, and monthly CAC Board meetings, and reasonable adjustments may be made at any time with Board approval.