The National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) is the trusted, independent voice for America’s Community Action Agencies in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1981 by advocates determined to protect and strengthen the Community Action network, NCAF has spent more than four decades ensuring that locally‑led, accountable, and efficient solutions to economic hardship have a seat at the federal table.

We receive no federal funding. Our work is powered by individuals and organizations who believe in results over rhetoric — in leveraging a small federal investment into measurable outcomes that help millions of hard‑working Americans move toward self‑sufficiency.

From securing the creation of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to defending it through every budget cycle since, NCAF has been the bridge between local innovation and national policy. We work across the aisle, across sectors, and across the country to protect the tools communities need to solve problems — whether that’s job training in rural counties, small business support in urban neighborhoods, or housing stability in towns hit by economic change.

Our impact is quiet but powerful: CSBG reaches over 10 million people each year, with low administrative costs and a high return‑on‑investment. Without NCAF’s advocacy, this lifeline — and the local decision‑making it protects — would have been lost many times over.