Apply knowledge from the latest research to urgent social problems and programs Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is a careful selection of the finest papers from the 2004 Social Policy Conference held in Charleston, South Carolina. These presentations from respected experts spotlight the latest and best research on a wide variety of crucial social policy issues. Explanations are provided on how to use qualitative and quantitative methods to research social policy questions, with a clear view on how to apply research results to today's social problems and programs. Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research discusses various social policy topics, approaches, and the latest high-quality research and findings. Students learn how others have researched the topics using different approaches, while practitioners gain important new information relevant to their jobs and practice areas. Chapters explore vital perspectives, such as how to link program evaluation to policy practice, how clients' in their own voices views bring more convincing rationale to policymakers, and how the trauma perspective can spotlight the true effects of poverty, inequality, and oppression in our society. The text includes extensive up-to-date bibliographies and literature reviews. Topics in Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research include: measuring program implementationto differentiate between theories that don't work and programs that aren't effective inclusion of qualitative methods into research in social policy the latest quality-of-life research for the elderly in nursing homes effective intervention practices for deaf and hard of hearing children susceptible to abuse in-depth analysis of the eight variables of the Section 8 Housing Program policy process trauma theory and its application to poverty policy the impact of work incentive policies examination of state and local governments granting large tax breaks to corporationsand the implications for social welfare practitioners Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is stimulating, insightful reading for practitioners, educators, and students in social policy, social work, sociology, and political science.

Learn what you can do to promote social policy initiatives that really work International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy presents the latest available research on the various interpretations of welfare-to-work in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong, and on the role social work plays in creating and implementing social welfare policies. Preeminent social work scholars from around the world address the changing nature of social work policy and practice, as welfare recipients are required to work in order to receive benefits. This invaluable book examines issues of importance to practitioners and policymakers, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child welfare, learning disabilities, work and direct payments, Intensive Employment Assistance Projects (IEAPs), and social inclusion. At a time when many governments in the industrial world are reducing social expenditures and privatizing social programs, International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy encourages the social work profession to be more actively involved in lobbying for social and economic policies that promote social investments, maximize opportunities, foster productive employment, ensure a decent standard of living, and make it easier for everyone to be involved in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of their communities. The book addresses crucial issues that were raised by its contributors in 2005 at an international symposium organized by the University of California, Berkeley's School of Social Welfare, including key policy and practice concerns for social work professionals. International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy examines: the abolition of the Aid to Families with Dependant Children program (AFDC) in the United States the implementation of coordinated service delivery models in California the development of a diversion program that provides a lump sum of cash to alleviate short-term emergencies the effects of welfare-to-work programs on single parents in the United Kingdom the new deal offered by social inclusion in mental health policy the role of income support in dealing with learning disabilities the role of Australian social workers in two agenciesthe Job Network and CentreLink the development of a program in Hong Kong that helps beneficiaries of means-tested unemployment benefits find work International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy is an important resource for social policy educators and students working in social work, sociology, and political science.

FUNDED! leads readers from knowing nothing about writing grants to having a complete grant proposal. Based on personal experience, years of teaching, and the expertise of dozens of professional nonprofit grant writers, students learn about writing grants by completing exercises at the end of each chapter, moving from finding funding opportunities to submitting the completed proposal. The book provides material necessary to understand the larger context of nonprofits in American society and covers every essential grant writing topic: finding funding, writing needs statements, finding or developing evidence-based programs, developing logic models, writing evaluation plans, describing implantation plans, budgeting, sustainability planning, and submission to the funder. FUNDED! is an invaluable resource that provides flexibility for instructors, students, and professionals to learn about grant writing in a variety of settings and formats. Author Richard Hoefer incorporates essential updates in every chapter; specific changes include incorporating social justice principles, significantly more emphasis on advocacy to ensure adequate funding opportunities, and integrating stakeholders into program planning.

Since the publication of its first edition in 2005, Advocacy Practice for Social Justice has served as a clear, comprehensive, and practical resource for social work courses in advocacy, community practice, and macro practice. Now in its fourth edition, this text provides extensive information on the value base for advocacy; an examination of why people get involved in advocacy; and step-by-step instructions for social workers and others who want to impact laws, regulations, and policies at any level. Bearing in mind the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics' requirements to advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations, readers learn that advocacy is a problem-solving technique similar to that used in social work practice of all types. The book moves through the stages of advocacy: getting involved; understanding the issue; planning; advocating through education, persuasion, and negotiation; presenting information effectively; monitoring and evaluating results; and integrating advocacy into a social worker's everyday practice. The fourth edition's inclusion of new topics and solid foundation in social work values make it a must-read as social work students and practitioners work diligently to maintain the profession's focus on successful advocacy for social justice.

This book provides fresh perspectives on the state of policy practice. Leading scholars explore such vital conceptual topics such as how to impact social justice, what the strengths-based perspective means to policy practitioners and how to bridge the all-too common gap between community organizing and direct practice in social work. Other esteemed academics address topics including how to use technology to impact social justice, what the impacts of the recent changes in the United States' Supreme Court will be, how to conceptualize the impact of ex-prisoners' re-entry into society and how to better include marginalized populations in the policy practice. The volume closes with two pieces relating to students: using service learning to increase knowledge of macro interventions and integrating social capital analysis into policy practice. Each topic is thoroughly covered by experts, using the latest scholarly material available. The reader will come away with a new perspective on the many areas where social work is involved, needed and effective in making positive change in the world. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice.

A perennial issue in social work is the lack of clear evidence showing how to be a successful advocate and how to create enthusiasm among students for policy practice. Researchers are now applying theory to understand better the topics of effective social work advocacy and policy practice. The results of testing conceptual models with carefully gathered evidence are beneficial, helping us to advance our knowledge more quickly than merely collecting descriptions of case studies that remain unintegrated into a larger context. Improvements in understanding how to conduct effective advocacy emerge, helping practitioners to be more successful in their advocacy efforts. Similarly, bringing evidence and data to teaching methods improves confidence in their applicability to more than one course or institution. Readers of this book will discover how to be more effective policy practitioners as well as more engaging instructors by focusing on theories and evidence which demonstrate successful advocacy and teaching. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice.

A perennial issue in social work is the lack of clear evidence showing how to be a successful advocate and how to create enthusiasm among students for policy practice. Researchers are now applying theory to understand better the topics of effective social work advocacy and policy practice. The results of testing conceptual models with carefully gathered evidence are beneficial, helping us to advance our knowledge more quickly than merely collecting descriptions of case studies that remain unintegrated into a larger context. Improvements in understanding how to conduct effective advocacy emerge, helping practitioners to be more successful in their advocacy efforts. Similarly, bringing evidence and data to teaching methods improves confidence in their applicability to more than one course or institution. Readers of this book will discover how to be more effective policy practitioners as well as more engaging instructors by focusing on theories and evidence which demonstrate successful advocacy and teaching. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice.

This book provides insights into the way social protection policy is being redefined as a result of the new commitment by governments around the world to use these programs to reduce poverty. The case studies presented show how innovations in social protection have emerged in different countries. They also discuss various aspects of social protection that will be of interest to readers. While some of the case studies are primarily descriptive and seek to document recent trends in different countries, they also address important social policy issues. Others are particularly topical because they provide useful updates on recent social protection innovations. Countries discussed include Brazil, Britain, Chile, China, Indonesia, South Africa, and the United States. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice.

This book provides fresh perspectives on the state of policy practice. Leading scholars explore such vital conceptual topics such as how to impact social justice, what the strengths-based perspective means to policy practitioners and how to bridge the all-too common gap between community organizing and direct practice in social work. Other esteemed academics address topics including how to use technology to impact social justice, what the impacts of the recent changes in the United States Supreme Court will be, how to conceptualize the impact of ex-prisoners re-entry into society and how to better include marginalized populations in the policy practice. The volume closes with two pieces relating to students: using service learning to increase knowledge of macro interventions and integrating social capital analysis into policy practice. Each topic is thoroughly covered by experts, using the latest scholarly material available. The reader will come away with a new perspective on the many areas where social work is involved, needed and effective in making positive change in the world.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice.

Learn what you can do to promote social policy initiatives that really work International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy presents the latest available research on the various interpretations of welfare-to-work in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong, and on the role social work plays in creating and implementing social welfare policies. Preeminent social work scholars from around the world address the changing nature of social work policy and practice, as welfare recipients are required to work in order to receive benefits. This invaluable book examines issues of importance to practitioners and policymakers, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child welfare, learning disabilities, work and direct payments, Intensive Employment Assistance Projects (IEAPs), and social inclusion. At a time when many governments in the industrial world are reducing social expenditures and privatizing social programs, International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy encourages the social work profession to be more actively involved in lobbying for social and economic policies that promote social investments, maximize opportunities, foster productive employment, ensure a decent standard of living, and make it easier for everyone to be involved in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of their communities. The book addresses crucial issues that were raised by its contributors in 2005 at an international symposium organized by the University of California, Berkeley's School of Social Welfare, including key policy and practice concerns for social work professionals. International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy examines: the abolition of the Aid to Families with Dependant Children program (AFDC) in the United States the implementation of coordinated service delivery models in California the development of a diversion program that provides a lump sum of cash to alleviate short-term emergencies the effects of welfare-to-work programs on single parents in the United Kingdom the new deal offered by social inclusion in mental health policy the role of income support in dealing with learning disabilities the role of Australian social workers in two agenciesthe Job Network and CentreLink the development of a program in Hong Kong that helps beneficiaries of means-tested unemployment benefits find work International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy is an important resource for social policy educators and students working in social work, sociology, and political science.

Apply knowledge from the latest research to urgent social problems and programs Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is a careful selection of the finest papers from the 2004 Social Policy Conference held in Charleston, South Carolina. These presentations from respected experts spotlight the latest and best research on a wide variety of crucial social policy issues. Explanations are provided on how to use qualitative and quantitative methods to research social policy questions, with a clear view on how to apply research results to today's social problems and programs. Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research discusses various social policy topics, approaches, and the latest high-quality research and findings. Students learn how others have researched the topics using different approaches, while practitioners gain important new information relevant to their jobs and practice areas. Chapters explore vital perspectives, such as how to link program evaluation to policy practice, how clients' in their own voices views bring more convincing rationale to policymakers, and how the trauma perspective can spotlight the true effects of poverty, inequality, and oppression in our society. The text includes extensive up-to-date bibliographies and literature reviews. Topics in Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research include: measuring program implementationto differentiate between theories that don't work and programs that aren't effective inclusion of qualitative methods into research in social policy the latest quality-of-life research for the elderly in nursing homes effective intervention practices for deaf and hard of hearing children susceptible to abuse in-depth analysis of the eight variables of the Section 8 Housing Program policy process trauma theory and its application to poverty policy the impact of work incentive policies examination of state and local governments granting large tax breaks to corporationsand the implications for social welfare practitioners Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is stimulating, insightful reading for practitioners, educators, and students in social policy, social work, sociology, and political science.

Funded! leads readers from knowing nothing about writing grants to having a complete grant proposal. Based on personal experience and the experiences of dozens of professional nonprofit grantwriters, students learn about writing grants by completing exercises at the end of each chapter, moving from finding funding opportunities to submitting the completed proposal. The book covers every essential grantwriting topic: finding funding, writing needs statements, finding or developing evidence-based programs, developing logic models, writing evaluation plans, describing implantation plans, budgeting, sustainability planning, and submission to the funder. Overall, it is an invaluable resource that provides flexibility for instructors, students, and professionals to learn about grantwriting in a variety of settings and formats.

Essentials of Nonprofit Management and Leadership: A Skills-Based Approach equips readers with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to serve as effective nonprofit leaders and advance human rights and social and economic justice. The book provides students with a strong foundation in professional values, knowledge development in leadership and management, and opportunities to develop their personal and professional abilities through skill-building activities. The text balances substantive content with hands-on experiential exercises and assignments to help students develop practical skillsets. It introduces theories and conceptual frameworks related to human behavior in organizational and social contexts. Equipped with this knowledge, future leaders are empowered to engage others, assess agency- and community-level concerns, intervene when problems occur, and evaluate the impacts of programs, interventions, and policies. Topics addressed within the text include personal communication, planning, program evaluation, budgeting, fund development, marketing, advocacy, and more. Essentials of Nonprofit Management and Leadership arms readers with a conceptual view of the roles of nonprofit leaders and critical skills for effective practice. It is an excellent resource for courses in nonprofit leadership and management.

In today's increasingly technological world, information about virtually any topic is quite literally at our fingertips. Amid this barrage of information, your organization (nonprofit or forprofit) faces the essential task of attracting special attention from donors, volunteers, media outlets and other potential investors. This short report will help you stand out from the crowd by drastically increasing the web visibility of your organization, and in essence, making you famous The authors appeal to even technology-challenged nonprofit leaders or small business owners in simple terms. You will learn how web content draws visitors to your organization and receive practical tips about the types of content which will garner the most attention. By following the steps within, your organization can develop a successful plan to shed your invisibility cloak and step into the spotlight.

Congratulations on your purchase of this guidebook to your organization's future. Welcome to a future where your colleagues, your board, and your organization itself approach each day as an opportunity to get better, to improve, and to learn This book, while short and easy to understand, will be your step-by-step companion on an exciting journey to becoming a learning organization. In these pages, you will find information on five locks that prevent progress in many organizations. These locks keep you, your staff and your organization from maximizing your potential. Perhaps you recognize some of these in your agency and hate the way they are holding you back: Nothing EVER changes Everything is always about the short-term The new people we hire are smart, but don't "get" us very well It's IMPOSSIBLE to get support for new ways of doing things Everyone is busy doing their OWN thing-and we never know what that is If you experience any of these nagging and demoralizing issues on the job, this book, Old Organizations, New Tricks will help you unlock potential you didn't know was there. The Five Keys you'll read about will lead you to Examine the present, imagine the future, and move forward See both the forest and the trees so you can thrive Make choices now to reap large benefits later Hire people who will fit in, contribute and stay around because they love working in your organization Ensure growth opportunities to build a better team Uncover and update operating practices that have outlived their usefulness Use generative dialogue to uncover faulty decisions, before you lose time, money, staff, and community support Guide, mold and cultivate a shared vision of excellence Implement the lessons you and your staff members have learned from experiences in your organization And much more Perhaps you know of a learning organization - one which is innovative and adaptable. It takes risks, and sometimes makes mistakes. But it sees each challenge as an opportunity to learn something important. As a result, it keeps getting better and better. This is a special type of organization, "where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together." These are the words of Peter Senge (1990, p. 3) who first coined the term learning organization and inspired tens of thousands of questions and answers about what it means for organizations to learn and exactly how we can help them to do so. This short report is also inspired by Senge's ideas, and it draws on the work of many others who have written about and studied this curious phenomenon before and after him. This report simplifies some basic characteristics of learning organizations and suggests practical exercises that you can implement right away in order to start leading your organization down a new path - a path that is not without potholes or forks in the road but which nonetheless moves onward and upward to higher ground. In this way, you can soon be the leader of an organization that never stops learning, but is continually committed to growth. You can unlock the potential of your organization to improve and grow by using the five keys presented here. As a review, here are those five keys to leading a powerful learning organization: Key 1: Expand your Horizons Key 2: Invest in People Key 3: Retire Outdated Paradigms Key 4: Cultivate a Shared Vision Key 5: Tap In to the Collective Be sure to look carefully for CAN-DO's other information products. You owe it to yourself to sign up on the email list to receive notifications on the latest products that will help you lead a better organization. Go to www.uta.edu/can-do to sign up now. When you do this, you'll gain access to an exclusive report, available for free ONLY to

Too many nonprofit, human services, and social work organizations have reports that are boring. The goal of this report is to help you write an original, expressive, and downright riveting story about your organization. A riveting report will be read, remembered and responded to, with greater involvement and donations. But why? The truth is that stories sell Advertisers spend billions of dollars on their "brand" - essentially, a story about how their product makes you feel. Lexus inspires luxury and elegance. Apple recalls youth and tech savvy living. Dove Chocolates make us feel like we deserve some decadence. Consumers and donors have something in common. We all want to invest in things that make us feel good If you aren't telling a story that elicits powerful feelings about what your organization can do in your community, donors will open their purse strings to someone else who is. There are millions of stories out there, but we'll teach you how to make yours stand out above the rest This report is part of a series written by Dr. Rick Hoefer, Shannon Graves and other staff members of CAN-DO, the Center for Advocacy, Nonprofit and Donor Organizations at the School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019. You can access additional materials produced by this dynamic team at www.uta.edu/can-do.

This short report is essential for leading your team to overcome the three most common challenges of working in groups: social loafing, coordination loss, and symbolic participation. These problems affect most organizations (and most likely your team, too) so that your results are much less than they should be. The authors summarize the most important principles of using teams in the workplace. The use of groups and teams in the American workplace is growing, and effective teamwork has been associated with major performance gains and increased innovation. Alongside the stories of successful teams, however, is another less popular story. Teamwork is hard. Teamwork is complex because it requires team members to manage multiple relationships while efficiently dividing and coordinating tasks. When relationships or team processes break down, group-work can easily harm organizations more than they help. The good news is that the popularity of team work has inspired a plethora of research into forming more effective groups and teams. As a result, we now know more than ever about avoiding the pitfalls of poorly planned teamwork. We also have access to an array of innovative solutions which have been proven to increase the power of our teams in the workplace. The goal of this easy-to-use report is to simplify and summarize the most important principals of using teams in the workplace. It provides a brief overview of the factors that affect team performance and the most common challenges that groups face when they come together. You, too, can cultivate high-functioning workplace groups whose efforts consistently achieve more. Use the included research-based assessment tools to identify what is holding your team back and direct your attention to the most important areas. The largest section of this report focuses on practical solutions--news you can use--for turning your work group into a coordinated, communicative, successful team.