Donor Impact

Dear Donors and Alumni, 

Dean PostmusFor more than 60 years, our supporters have had a transformative impact on the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Donors provide critical resources that support students, research, and community outreach programs – all of which enhance high quality social work education and training.  

You can read some of the ways you have made an impact on the students, staff, and faculty below during the 2022-2023 fiscal year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023). This is just a small snippet of the impact that our donors and supporters have on the School and on the students, staff, and faculty who are committed to their work.   

Every gift you make – no matter the amount – makes an impact for the School, now more than ever. Thank you so much for your investment in the next generation of social workers.

 

Sincerely, 
Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW 
Dean and Professor 

SSW At a Glance 2022-2023 Infographic

Caption: 638 total donors, 102 new donors, 29 new alumni donors, 111 donors increased their giving in FY23, 145 donors in the Dean’s Circle of Donors - Society of supporters who give $1,000 or more to the School of Social Work, $100 is the most common gift size, $82 average gift size of new alumni donors

Your gift in action: Supporting social work students

Scholarship support helped offset my tuition expenses, reducing the financial burden of the MSW program on my family at a time when my husband and I have two kids in preschool and I gave birth to a third baby who needs childcare too. It also made me feel like the university, its alumni, and my community were all rooting for me on my journey to become a social worker serving children and families in Maryland.

Jamie Rosen, MSW '23 (she/her)
  • $230k

    Scholarship funds

    $230k was directly distributed to privately funded scholarship recipients in 2022-2023

  • 66

    Scholarships awards

    66 privately funded scholarships awarded in 2022-2023

  • $6k+

    Student emergency funds

    $6,589 of student emergency aid disbursed

Your gift in action: Supporting the Center for Restorative Change (formerly known as SWCOS)

SWCOS provides opportunities, resources, and a supportive network of professional macro social workers that enrich my training in a way that I would not otherwise receive. I'm also given the opportunity to engage with my peers in a way that creates a supportive community, encouraging and holding each other accountable. My experiences with SWCOS have affirmed my journey toward macro social work and its potential for my life and career.

LaTia Glasgow, MSW ’23 (she/her/they/them)
  • 120+

    Families

    Over 120 families received services from Family Connections Baltimore

  • 50+

    Students

    Over 50 social work students received training, mentorship, and direct services from the Center

  • 3k+

    Students

    3,745 Baltimore City Public School City Public Schools students received support from Promise Heights and the Positive Schools Center

Your gift in action: Supporting social work research

The Lower Shore Clinic journeyed on a fundraising campaign last year to make sure active research can occur in the organization to improve services to our community. We want to know not only what works but also what does not work. Proud to say we raised funds to support a full-time research assistant professor for the next three years. We are confident we will be able to continue to fund that RAP well past those three years. We have created a series of passive collection data streams which will merge data channels using the Maryland Health Information Exchange Data Platform CRISP, our Electronic Health Record, and our Financial Data System which will make this research unique. We are very excited!

Dimitrios Cavathas, LCSW-C, MSW'96, CEO, Lower Shore Clinic
Established the Lower Shore Clinic Fund
  • $10k

    Fellowships

    $10,000 in research fellowships were disbursed to support PhD students working on their dissertations

  • 2

    New endowments

    The Woodside Professorship in Financial Social Work and Economic Justice and the Focused Solutions Endowment Fund support social work research

  • 1

    RA Professorship

    The Lower Shore Clinic funded one Research Assistant Professor position for the Behavioral Health and Well-Being Lab (BHWell Lab)

Your gift in action: Supporting the DEI Fund

The ODEI Book Lending Program has worked towards more equitable outcomes for SSW by reducing the burden of textbook costs for our MSW students and ensuring that all students regardless of their circumstances, have access to textbooks. Since its inception in Fall 2022 to present time, student participation in the book lending program has increased by 27%. By giving to the DEI Fund, you support impactful projects like the Book Lending Program, which helps us achieve our goal of making SSW more equitable institution where every student can thrive.

(Right of Photo) Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW ‘09, J.D. (she/her), Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Director, ODEI
(Left of Photo) Julia Scott, DEI Coordinator
  • 100

    Textbooks

    100 textbooks were borrowed through the 2022-2023 Book Lending Initiative

  • 350

    Individuals

    350 people signed the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) pledge

  • 85%

    Completion

    Currently at 85% completion of recommendations from the 2019 DEI Task Force

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