The North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA) was originally formed for Executive Directors only with each member agency casting one vote. On June 14, 1967, membership was opened up to include “second line administrative staff,” as well as Executive Directors, still limiting each member agency to one vote. On January 17, 1968, the membership was opened further to include all agency and delegate agency staff with the Board of Directors limited to Executive Directors and all voting limited to the Board. In January 1971, the Association was completely opened to all members.

NCCAA was organized November 17, 1966. It received its Charter January 4, 1967.

North Carolina has a number of organizations concerned with improvement of physical resources and with industrial and commercial development. However, at that time, there was nota statewide group concerned solely with the development of human resources.

Recognizing the need for such an organization, representatives of several local Community Action Agencies met in Chapel Hill on November 14, 1966, and formed the NCCAA. Officials of NCCAA quickly pledged cooperation with all other statewide groups interested in bettering the economy of the state.

There are now 36 Community Action Agencies and 6 Limited Purpose Agencies in North Carolina serving some 94 counties. The majority of these agencies are members of NCCAA. In the case of metropolitan areas, an agency may serve a single county, but in less populated sections, sometimes two or more counties join forces to work for the betterment of their area. The Community Action Agencies are private non-profit organizations chartered under the laws of North Carolina.

What is community action? It is the combined endeavor of all interested citizens to raise the standard of living for the people of their community. Its aim is to broaden economic and social horizons both for the individual and for the community—to point to the opportunities and help people take advantage of them. The emphasis is on that segment of the population commonly referred to as “disadvantaged,” the unemployed, or the underemployed, those who lack the necessary education or job skills, those who suffer mental or physical handicaps, plus those who may have been rejected and forgotten because of age.

The job of Community Action is to assist the low-income to overcome obstacles on the road to self-sufficiency. Community action is the sole human service organization whose mission incorporates community change as a part of its scope of work. This process benefits the whole of society and in the end makes better living conditions for all citizens of the community.

The process benefits the whole of society and in the end means a better life for all citizens of the community. That is the reason the Community Action program deserves the attention and support of a broad spectrum of the community and especially the decision makers. It was never intended to become the special province of any one segment or interest group. Only with the cooperation of all groups within the community can it hope to succeed.

One purpose of the NCCAA is to promote interest and encourage participation by acquainting the public with the true goals of the Community Action program. NCCAA will, among other things, attempt to correlate the many projects in North Carolina and explain their overall objectives,as well as, what lies behind shifts in priorities.

The Association will also cooperate fully with any State Planning or Task Force and the Office of Economic Opportunity to bring about a wider utilization of available resources. It will help facilitate the exchange of information among the various Community Action Agencies within the state, so as to attain standardized procedures for proposals and programs.

Prior to 1989, the NCCAA was dependent solely on volunteers. The NCCAA President served as the primary spokesperson representing the interests of the Association at the state, regional and national level. In 1989, the NCCAA obtained a part-time Executive Director and in 1990 opened the "Raleigh office" consisting of a one-room office utilizing the landlord's office equipment but installing an independent phone line. Clerical assistance was available for statewide Training and Technical Assistance activities for its membership, which occurred three times per year.

NCCAA increased its networking with state agencies and the NC General Assembly, especially during opportunities presented at public hearings. For the first time, NCCAA was able to consistently have a seat at the table of many public meetings and forums. These activities have been especially beneficial on Energy related issues for the low-income in North Carolina. In addition to maintaining $1 million in state CAPP funding, NCCAA successfully requested NC Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations in 1994 to award Weatherization with 15% of the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Block Grant. In 1995 an additional part-time administrative staff person was added. In 1996, NCCAA successfully campaigned the General Assembly to fund Weatherization at 25% of the LIHEAP Block Grant. Additionally, NCCAA, with the assistance of a lobbyist paid by its member's individual contributions, has been instrumental in maintaining funding from N.C. Petroleum Violation Escrow Account. To date, these combined activities have leveraged approximately $30 million in additional funding for low-income North Carolinians.

In 1999, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Services in Washington, D.C. awarded a five-year grant to each state association office in the United States and Puerto Rico to assist with collaboration, training, technical assistance and capacity building activities at the state and national level. Currently, NCCAA is working with the Office of Economic Opportunity, Community Action Agencies and Limited Purpose Agencies on a nationwide initiative to adopt Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA), a management tool that measures program outcomes.