Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel. Jn 1:49b

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Highlights from CCUSA

Important news about Catholic Charities USA's 2020 Annual Gathering

Out of concern for everyone’s safety and health, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has decided to CANCEL the 2020 Annual Gathering in Cleveland scheduled to take place October 27-30. This was a very difficult but necessary decision we had to make. While the in-person event is cancelled, CCUSA is working on a virtual, online professional development experience that will be rolled out over the next several months. This includes information regarding CCUSA's Social Innovation Award! In addition, we hope you will SAVE THE DATE as we are planning a virtual celebration on Friday, September 25, 2020, commemorating the 110th anniversary of CCUSA's founding. Please stay tuned for email updates as details are confirmed. You can also reach out to us at [email protected] with any event-related questions.

Video pitches from nine finalists in CCUSA Innovation Challenge 

We are excited to share the 90-second “Big Idea” video pitches from our nine finalists in the CCUSA Innovation Challenge that highlight fresh solutions toward alleviating, reducing or eliminating poverty. Each of the proposals addresses a specific area of poverty and was evaluated based on its innovation along with overall achievability, measurability, replicability and scalability. Check them out here.

CCUSA COVID-19 Response Center

Check out the CCUSA COVID-19 Response Center on the CCUSA website. The resource provides the latest news, advocacy efforts and stories from the Catholic Charities ministry in the United States. Also included is general guidance from the federal government.

Events and Webinars

Intersection of Housing & Parish Social Ministry - Lessons in Parish Partnerships Part 2 Webinar

Date: Aug 12, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. The CCUSA Affordable Housing Community of Practice and Parish Social Ministry Section invite you to see how unused parish properties can be converted into affordable housing, creating powerful and long-lasting impact. Join us to learn how the housing operations at various sized Catholic Charities agencies attained parish and local support to build beautiful residences for low income households that added value to parish communities. It’s the ultimate ‘Win-Win-Win’ for agency, parish, and community stakeholders. This is part 2 of a two-part webinar series on development partnerships between parishes and Catholic Charities agencies. Register here.

CCUSA Webinar - Communicate Smarter, Not Harder-Using Your Own Data for Success

Date: Aug 13, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. Join us for this webinar to explore how to mine your patron data for predispositions and propensities in order to target your potential buyers with communications target and relevant to each individual recipient. You will learn how to segment your digital and traditional communications (yes, including direct mail!) to strategically attract and retain audiences. Register here.

Lessons Learned in Responding to a Humanitarian Crisis Webinar

Date: Aug 18, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. Would your agency be prepared to respond rapidly to serve migrants in the event of an immigrant emergency? 2019 saw a number of immigration challenges across the country. Catholic Charities of San Antonio, Jackson and New York were all called upon to protect and serve their migrant communities. Throughout this webinar, representatives from each agency will deep dive into the successes and lessons learned in handling each immigration crisis. Come and hear from fellow Catholic Charities agencies representatives on best practices in creating a rapid response plan in the event of an ICE raid a sudden increases of asylum seekers in your area and assisting clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Register here.

Turn Your Website into a Fundraising Machine webinar

Date: Aug 20, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. Join our experts for this webinar to equip you with strategies and methodology on how you can make small changes to your website that deliver big results. You'll learn how to achieve the highest return on your efforts and how to track the results. We'll take a look at these practices in action on the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland website. Register here.

Track Your Website Performance with Google Analytics (GA) webinar

Date: Aug 25, 2020 at 2:00 PM EDT. Google Analytics is a powerful tool to track your website's performance and the efficacy of your fundraising campaign. In this webinar for beginners, we'll cover all of the GA information you need to know using real-time data from the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland website. Register here.

Workforce Development and Food Systems - Solutions for Multiple Vulnerable Populations Webinar

Date: Aug 27, 2020 at 3:00 PM EDT. Join us for a webinar where Catholic Charities Louisville and Catalyst Kitchens will present on how social enterprise, food, workforce development and mission can align to change lives. The presentation will cover how foodservice and agriculture can open pathways for refugees, immigrants and other populations dealing with poverty and barriers to employment. The discussion will identify and apply top-level best practices in workforce development and social enterprise. Participants will be able to evaluate their own resources to better determine if they can build sustainable pathways to uplift their clients through workforce development. Attendees will understand the story of how Catholic Charities Louisville came to work with Catalyst Kitchens through CCUSA and how to access similar supports for their programs. Register here.

Building Bridges through Dialogue and Open Communication

Date: Sep 08, 2020 at 3:00 PM EDT. How can we assist our communities to talk together about difficult topics, honor difference, recognize common ground and be able to embody the Gospel? This workshop will use tools of non-violent communication and restorative practice to engage participants in three strategic initiatives – affordable housing, immigration and healthcare, that are being widely discussed in our time. How do we engage communities in the work of Catholic Charities, especially when there is resistance/hostility to this work? Building bridges is especially critical in view of the imminent election, political climate, and the needs of our sisters and brothers. Empowering people in this common ground to move from direct service to justice (advocacy) and thus help to shape the public discourse in our country. Register here.

Grant Opportunities and Resources

Sterling Volunteers offering FREE basic background checks to Catholic Charities agencies

Sterling Volunteers, a valued Catholic Charities USA partner, is extending a helping hand to our network to help safely mobilize trusted volunteers around essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sterling Volunteers is offering FREE Basic Background Checks, along with reduced pricing for MVR’s and other screening packages (click here for full details). This COVID-19 special offering has been extended through August 31, 2020. If interested, CLICK HERE to connect with Sterling on this offering and any other specific needs. Please note, the special pricing is not retroactive nor automatic for existing customers; please contact SV if you are interested in utilizing the discounts.

Catalyst Kitchens' Train the Trainer program is going virtual

Train the Trainer: Virtual Edition. Adapt your culinary program for virtual and hybrid learning for COVID-19: August 13th, 14th, 20th, & 21st in a virtual format. The current “new normal” during COVID-19 demands some flexibility, creativity, and finding new ways to connect. We are offering a new online workshop focused on virtual culinary training and how to become a great teacher, whether in an in-person capacity or virtually. This workshop will cover remote teaching, adapting your program to virtual learning, student evaluation and assessment, and honing your coaching techniques based on different learning styles. Find out more here or reach out to Steve Bogus.

Grant Opportunity – CCUSA Nutrition Education AmeriCorps Program

CCUSA is currently looking for additional grantees for the Nutrition Education AmeriCorps program. This direct service program is a collaboration between The American Heart Association (AHA) and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) to help Americans learn to lead healthier lives by eating healthier foods. The AmeriCorps members will provide food education (learning experiences, recipe demos, grocery store tours etc.) to food insecure clients to increase knowledge about the about the relationship between food and health. If your agency is interested in hosting an AmeriCorps member to serve in your community, please reach out to Teiara Turner at [email protected].

Grant Opportunity – CCUSA Financial Education AmeriCorps Program

CCUSA is currently looking for additional grantees for the Financial Education AmeriCorps program. The AmeriCorps members in this program will use the FDIC Money Smart curriculum to educate clients of all ages on how to enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. This program will help clients improve financial literacy and navigate financial decisions more efficiently.  If your agency is interested in hosting an AmeriCorps member to serve in your community, please reach out to Teiara Turner at [email protected].

Announcing the 2021 RSVP Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is releasing the Fiscal Year 2021 Senior Corps RSVP Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). CNCS intends to fund successful applicants that increase the impact of volunteers age 55 and older who provide volunteer service in response to local community needs. The Notice of Funding Opportunity and specific geographic service areas can be found here. Please see Appendix A for a full list of the available opportunities. The following entities, including those that are current CNCS grantees, are eligible to apply: public or private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g. cities, counties); government-recognized veteran service organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes. We strongly encourage all eligible applicants to visit nationalservice.gov/rsvpcompetition to learn more about how Senior Corps RSVP can help them increase their impact by engaging adults age 55 years and older in volunteer service. Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM Eastern (2:00 PM Pacific), Tuesday, September 1, 2020. Successful applicants will be notified in mid-January, 2021. CNCS will host a series of technical assistance calls to answer questions about this funding opportunity, performance measures, and eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all interested applicants to participate in these sessions. Call dates and times can be found here. If you have questions at any time during the application period, please send an email here.

Employment Opportunities

Catholic Charities job opportunities now listed on CCUSA website 

Anyone can view the job opportunities by clicking on the "Careers" tag on the footer of the CCUSA webpage. To post a job opportunity, one must be a member and have access to the members' portal in order to fill out the submission form (click on "Careers" tag on members only portal homepage). If you have any questions about the new job opportunities submission form, please contact David Werning. Please click here to access job opportunities.

CCUSA Photo Gallery

Did you know that one of the benefits CCUSA provides to member agencies is access to a professional photo gallery? Visit our Flickr photo pages to explore our albums and photos. If you would like a high-resolution version for your agency's use, please email CCUSA with photo number.