CAC Is Going For SILVER!
It’s official — our Pathways to Excellence Silver submission has been SUBMITTED!
After months of gathering information, digging through documents, answering a lot of questions, reviewing, rewriting, reviewing again…and then probably reviewing it one more time just to be safe…our Silver submission is officially out the door!
So, what exactly did we submit for?
Pathways to Excellence gives Community Action Agencies the opportunity to take a deep dive into how they operate — from leadership and strategic planning, to our employees, finances, community partnerships, programs, results, and everything in between.
Basically, we had to answer one very BIG question:
How does CAC put excellence into action?
And as it turns out…there was a lot to talk about!
Throughout the process, we looked at how CAC listens to our community, responds to changing needs, develops new programs and services, supports our employees, manages resources, measures our progress, plans for the future, and — most importantly — carries out our mission every single day.
This Is YOUR Submission, Too!
While a team may have been responsible for putting everything together, the work inside that submission belongs to all of you.
Every client you help.
Every family you support.
Every problem you help solve.
Every new idea you bring to the table.
Every partnership you build.
Every time you step in to help another program or coworker. That is what gave us a story to tell.
Pathways isn't about claiming we're perfect — because where's the fun in that? It's about looking at what we do well, being willing to recognize where we can improve, and continuing to find better ways to serve our communities.
Now…We Wait!
Our submission will now go through the Silver review process, where it will be evaluated by The National Community Action Partnership and we'll receive feedback that can help CAC continue learning, improving, and moving forward.
But before we start impatiently checking for results… This is a BIG accomplishment, CAC!
Completing a Silver-level submission took months of research, documentation, conversations, teamwork, and more than a few emails that started with some version of, “Hey, quick question…”
Thank you to everyone who answered those questions, tracked down information, completed surveys, participated in planning, provided documentation, shared ideas, and — most importantly — continues doing the work that makes CAC what it is.
Because at the end of the day, this wasn't just about filling pages or checking boxes.
It was about telling our story — and showing how more than 300 employees across our agency work together toward one mission: “It is our mission to end poverty by empowering and improving people’s lives while building strong communities.”
We did the work. We made the submission. And now…we're GOING FOR SILVER!
“The National Community Action Partnership Pathways to Excellence Silver Tier is an implementation-focused level of the continuous quality improvement program where Community Action Agencies (CAAs) train a staff expert, conduct a mini-organizational assessment, and complete an abbreviated self-study meeting or exceeding 25% of the Standards of Excellence”