Transcript for Episode 5: NASW Foundation

NASW Social Work Talks Podcast

Kim Simpson:
Welcome to NASW Social Work Talks. The National Association of Social Workers is one of the largest membership organizations of professional social workers in the world. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members to create and maintain professional standards and to advance sound social work policies. With our mission in mind, the purpose of NASW Social Work Talks is to inform, educate, and inspire. We encourage you to learn more about NASW by visiting www.social workers.org, and we thank you for joining us for this episode. I'm Kim Simpson with NASW. In this episode, we take a close look at the National Association of Social Workers Foundation. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that was created in 2001 to support NASW's educational, research, training, and charitable initiatives through a wide range of projects that serve the profession, the practitioner and the public. I'm very pleased to welcome NASW Foundation Director Bob Arnold. Bob, thanks so much for joining us.

Bob Arnold:
Oh, it's a pleasure to be here, Kim.

Kim Simpson:
Well, let's dive right in. I've worked with you for many, many years and have enormous respect, and I know about your background, which is very unique and well-suited to NASW. So let's start out by talking about your background and what drew you to NASW and NASW Foundation.

Bob Arnold:
I've always wanted to work for nonprofits. As an undergrad and then even in graduate school I saw nonprofits as a way to change the world, use my passions, and so I've worked at a number of different nonprofits with the goal of making the world a better place. I started out at universities, MIT, Brown University, and worked with some other organizations, a three year period with criminal justice and prisoners and families of prisoners. A lot of holistic helping people that have specific needs and raising money to help change their lives. And then I have been at NASW since 2001. One of the things that really attracted me to NASW is how amazing the social work profession is. It touches people's lives throughout their lives and every element of society. NASW has a long history of working in so many areas and so we really have the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

Kim Simpson:
Anybody who is aware of what the Foundation does knows it has a wide array of programs and a rich history. Can you describe one or two examples of some especially meaningful projects or work that you've done with the Foundation? Because this kind of work really is all about relationships and people and working with people.

Bob Arnold:
We have so many programs, Kim, so just to pick a couple, one is our scholarships and fellowships program. Many people may not be aware that the NASW Foundation is the largest funder of social work scholarships where students can pick their school anywhere in the country. The last couple years we've been able to fund 300 to $400 000 worth of scholarships that help dozens of social work students complete their education. The individual stories are compelling and collectively we're really making an impact on investing in the next generation of social workers who will go out and be future social work leaders.

Kim Simpson:
That's critically important, investing in our young people. Folks may or may not know NASW also has the flip side of that. There's a bridge from the young people to social workers who've worked in the profession for many, many years. The NASW Foundation is the home for the NASW Social Work Pioneers.

Bob Arnold:
The NASW Social Work Pioneer program is one of NASW and the Foundation's signature programs. To date about 800 individuals have been elected by their peers as NASW Social Work Pioneers. To be a Pioneer, a social worker needs to have worked 25 or more years in social work and have done pioneering activity. So if we look at who the Pioneers are, they range from historical Pioneers such as Jane Addams, up to current day social workers who have worked in fields such as genetics and social work and working with children, some have worked internationally, criminal justice, aging, but every one of them is highly accomplished and they serve as role models and mentors for younger social workers. All of their stories are on our website and so a number of classes in social work use the stories of our Pioneers to learn about how to make a difference and they may interview current Pioneers, but we love the interaction between the up-and-coming social workers and the people who have been there that have really dedicated their lives for change and making a difference.

Kim Simpson:
Absolutely. I've read through the Pioneer bios and they are absolutely amazing, just the wealth of experience and the things that the Pioneers have done throughout their careers. Let's segue to the Social Work Public Education Campaign. The amazing thing about the Foundation is that all of your programs are sort of interrelated. You have a wide array of programs, but they are bookends to each other in a sense. So can we talk a little bit about this Social Work Public Education Campaign?

Bob Arnold:
Yes. Thank you. The Social Work Public Education Campaign has been something that is historically ... when NASW did surveys of members back in the 1960s up to the present, social workers and members say, "Help us tell the story of social work. People don't understand what social workers do, the value that we do." And so NASW has had a long-time commitment to helping the public understand the value of social work. We've done a concentrated series of activities with more emphasis at different points in time, but over the past 10 years we've raised probably more than $5 million to help fund advertisements, videos, different activities. We just did some videos that are available on YouTube. We did a series that has been broadcast on national television explaining how social workers can help anyone and make a difference.

Bob Arnold:
All of the funds that have supported those activities have come mostly from individuals and we would love it if we had a big funder or a big corporation that gave us $50 million. But honestly, it's the collective impact of small donations that has been able to fund what we have done so far. Gifts of $10, $25, when they're all put together, add up. And so we're really proud of what we have accomplished so far, but we have big goals and want to do a lot more, and that's where every donation makes a difference.

Kim Simpson:
Absolutely. I know you're very grateful to all of your donors and as you say, every donation counts, which reminds me of the Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund, which kicked in this year.

Bob Arnold:
So NASW, in the Foundation, have done a number of Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund projects over the years, beginning with September 11th and on through Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, the Haiti, Japan earthquake and tsunami, Indonesia. Currently we are still receiving donations for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. NASW members and actually members of the public really have stepped forward and want to help our colleagues in Puerto Rico, in the Virgin Islands. So we're working with the chapters. NASW has a chapter in Puerto Rico and a chapter in the Virgin Islands and we're working with those chapters to get the funds that have been donated. At this point, we've received more than $20 000 and continue to receive donations. Getting them to social workers and organizations that employ social workers and/or do direct service. We're not going to compete with the Red Cross, we realize that, but there is a role for social work and we want to help social workers get back on their feet so that they can help people around them.

Kim Simpson:
That's amazing. You have a very close working relationship with the chapters on their charitable initiatives. What is that relationship? How does that work? We have 55 chapters and they, like you, need to raise money for scholarship programs and other endeavors that they're working on related to their conferences. How does that work? Because there's enormous interest in fundraising to fund these programs.

Bob Arnold:
We love working with the NASW chapters. There are 55 chapters, as you know, and because NASW Foundation is the only part of NASW that is a 501(c)(3), certain projects legally have to come through the Foundation and we have funds set up with our chapters where a donor who wants a tax deduction can donate and receive the tax deduction for local chapter educational and charitable programs. We can't do lobbying, we can't support political candidates, which NASW and chapters can do, but in terms of educational and charitable programs, we work with chapters. Some chapters have scholarship programs at the chapter level that fund social work students. We help support educational sessions, some of the chapter conferences, or specialized trainings that help social workers in that chapter do their job better and learn cutting-edge skills. So we have a wide variety of programs ranging from mental health, to veterans, children, that we work with the chapters on.

Kim Simpson:
Let's talk about some of the other things that you're doing in terms of events and special projects.

Bob Arnold:
One of the special projects is we work closely with NASW on our awards program and the Foundation has several awards that it gives out in conjunction with NASW so that awards ceremony will be coming up at the national conference in June. We've given awards to social workers that work in health and mental health and social workers or non-social workers that help advance the public's understanding of professional social work. One of our award recipients was Brené Brown who many of you know has been a nationally known author, speaker, and is a social worker herself and a champion for social work. So we're very proud of our awards program. Our legacy project. One of the things that the Foundation does is supports NASW history and social work history. The Pioneers are very invested in that programs so that we learn from the lessons of the past and preserve and tell the stories. NASW has been involved historically in so many parts of the history of the country, from the civil rights movement ... NASW was at the White House, was meeting there, was in the Rose Garden, and social workers and members have been part of things in the 1960s up through the present. And so we want to capture those stories and make them accessible to show the impact of social work and NASW and social workers.

Kim Simpson:
You're doing some amazing work, Bob. Is there anything else that comes to mind that you think is important to mention?

Bob Arnold:
The NASW Foundation is the largest national social work Foundation that supports the social work profession, the social work practitioner, social workers who are out working, and the public. We've talked about activities in all of those areas, and so we want people to know that we're a crucial part of NASW and aligned with NASW goals, and we help leverage NASW's impact. We help tell the stories, we help inspire and engage, and we welcome and need the support of all of our NASW members, as well as the public, as we work together to increase social work's impact on society and individuals, families and communities all around the country and around the world.

Kim Simpson:
Well, we certainly look forward to hearing more about all of these programs and any new programs that you'll be launching and I do hope folks will support you generously because these are just some amazing, amazing programs. So, Bob, thanks so much for joining us for NASW Social Work Talks.

Bob Arnold:
It's been a pleasure to be here.

Kim Simpson:
You have been listening to NASW Social Work Talks, a production of the National Association of Social Workers. We encourage you to visit NASW's website for more information about our efforts to enhance the professional growth and development of our members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social work policies. You can learn more at www.socialworkers.org, and don't forget to subscribe to NAWS Social Work Talks wherever you get your podcasts. We also invite you to join us for the 2018 NASW National Conference, which runs June 20th through the 23rd in Washington, D.C. You'll have an opportunity to earn 20 plus CEUs, hear nationally renowned speakers, participate in unique professional development workshops, and enjoy fulfilling networking opportunities. To learn more and to register today, we invite you to visit www.socialworkers.org. Thanks again for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next episode.