Social Current is seeking competitive submissions for its 2025 Innovative Impact Award. Too often great ideas are kept in-house without recognizing their potential to create change beyond the communities where they were born. Social Current’s Innovative Impact Award identifies, documents, and celebrates examples of successful approaches to management and service delivery practices adopted by our network organizations.

The Innovative Impact Award will spotlight the efforts of Social Current network organizations—their staff, board, volunteers, and partners—who innovate for good to create lasting change with families and communities.

We invite you to share your successful strategies and serve as a resource for community-based organizations, leaders, researchers, and advocates across the full spectrum of human and social services.

Applications should be submitted online by March 24. Submissions must include a synopsis of your innovative practice and a case study narrative that addresses the evaluation criteria.

Learn more about our 2024 Innovative Impact Award winner Children & Families First Delaware, which was recognized for its Brain Science Training Institute. Read their guest article, The Business of Healing: How Trauma-Informed Care Revolutionizes Organizational Strategy, online.

Winner Benefits

The 2025 Innovative Impact Award winner will receive national visibility and promotion from both Social Current and participating national associations. The winner will also receive the following benefits:

Submission Guidelines

Use our online submission form to submit a synopsis (2,500 character maximum) and case study narrative (five page maximum) about your innovative practice by March 24, 2025. Your case study narrative should introduce the innovative practice and how it has contributed toward positive service delivery outcomes and organizational success. In writing your case study narrative, note the award evaluation criteria and consider addressing the following:

When filling out the form, you’ll need to indicate:

Evaluation Criteria

Planning and Presentation (20%)

Performance and Quality Improvement (30%)

Innovation (50%)

Eligibility Terms and Conditions

Note: Social Current will not accept submissions that are designed to endorse, market, or sell commercial products and/or services.

Apply online by March 24. Contact Social Current with questions.

In 2024, the Social Current network’s priorities and top areas of interest can be seen through its usage of the Knowledge and Insights Center (KIC). Information and materials on topics related to Social Current’s impact areas were accessed through KIC’s:

The most prominent themes across library and learning usage and research requests were:

Nonprofit leaders and staff further utilized the KIC information and resources to learn more about emerging public health challenges, innovative funding strategies, the opportunities and risks of implementing AI-based solutions, and more.

Here is a snapshot of the most popular KIC resources in 2024.

Resource Library

Curated by professional librarians, this extensive clearinghouse library contains thousands of catalog records in more than 20 topical resource collections.

Top 10 Articles from Our Resource Library:
  1. 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People
  2. 2024 Nonprofit Salaries and Staffing Trends
  3. 5 Strategies for Improving Mental Health at Work
  4. 9 Questions to Help You Figure Out Why You’re Burned Out
  5. 10 Leadership Techniques for Building High-Performing Teams
  6. A Trauma-Informed Approach to Workforce: An Introductory Guide for Employers and Workforce Development Organizations
  7. Create (Better) Culture: The Keys to Wellbeing and Leadership
  8. 10 Pitfalls That Destroy Organizational Trust
  9. Best Employee Benefits In 2024
  10. Learning to Love Your Logic Model

Ask-A-Librarian Research Support

In 2024, KIC knowledge specialists provided more than 140 research hours searching, evaluating, and curating responses to information requests. The most popular research topics were:

Practices and Programs
  • EDI in the workplace
  • EDI certification programs
  • Foster parent recruitment trends
  • Mandated reporter training
  • Compassion resilience
  • Peer recovery coaching
Trends and Sociodemographic Topics
  • Mental health youth crisis
  • Minority health demographic trends
  • Gender identity and BIPOC characterizations
  • Infant-toddler childcare crisis policies and procedures
Policies and Procedures
  • Nonprofit board orientation best practices
  • Nonprofit CEO compensation
  • Digital inclusion
  • Incident report procedures
  • Fleet management policies
  • Salary surveys
Organizational Development
  • Logic models and PQI
  • Change management
  • Knowledge management
  • Foundation research

Research, Business, and Media Databases

KIC users have access to a wealth of knowledge through multiple databases from EBSCO with full-text content from leading academic journals, industry publications, and business and news articles on a wide range of topics relevant to the nonprofit sector, such as fundraising, grant writing, program evaluation, community development, and social justice. In addition, Social Current’s official journal, Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (FIS), offers research on the art, science, and practice of social work that guides programs and policies in the field.

Top publications in the field that users also have access to include Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Fast Company, Nonprofit Quarterly, and Board Leadership.

Most Popular Journals
  • Child Welfare
  • Zero to Three
  • Child & Youth Care Forum
  • Children and Youth Services Review
  • Behavioral Health Svcs. & Research
  • American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
  • Nonprofit Business Advisor
  • Knight-Ridder Business Newsfeed
  • Board & Administrator for Administrators Only
Top 10 Business Book Summaries
  1. The Key to Inclusion
  2. Bringing Up the Boss
  3. Diversity Training that Generates Real Change
  4. How to Be an Inclusive Leader
  5. The Power of Latino Leadership
  6. HBR’s 10 Must Reads for New Managers
  7. Leading Inclusion
  8. The Fearless Organization
  9. The Microstress Effect
  10. The New Art of Ideas
Top 5 FIS Article Reads
  1. The Importance of Policy Advocacy in Social Work
  2. Critical Race Theory: Opportunities for Application in Social Work Practice and Policy
  3. Self-Care Framework for Social Workers: Building a Strong Foundation for Practice
  4. Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Evidence-Based? An Update 10 Years Later
  5. Revisiting the Relationship between Micro and Macro Social Work Practice

On-Demand Learning

Social Current’s understanding of best practices combined with our network’s deep field experience allow us to create learning that is engaging, relational, and applicable to real-world situations. Dozens of courses and microlearning opportunities are available in the Learning Community, which is being fully redesigned for 2025 and will launch in February.

Top 10 Learning Community Webinars and Microlearning
  1. Project Hope: Centering Hope Building Trust, and Fostering Wellness
  2. Reducing Health Care Disparities within a SDOH Framework
  3. Building a “How Might We?” Culture
  4. Lessons from the Field in Reducing Child Abuse through Community-Based Collaboration
  5. Taking Back Your Narrative: Advocacy 101 for the Social Sector
  6. Strategies for Insuring the Sector
  7. Core Strategies for Workforce Well-Being and Resilience
  8. The Elephant in the Room: Addressing Trauma in Your Organization
  9. Media Engagement and Crisis Communications Training: Shifting to More Proactive Strategies
  10. 21st-Century Child Welfare Research Agenda Series

Unlock Your Organization’s Potential with Access to KIC

Through our user-friendly Hub, you can explore a vast library, delve into specialized databases, and connect with knowledgeable librarians for personalized assistance. Whether you’re seeking data-driven insights to inform your programs, exploring best practices in leadership, or developing innovative solutions to community challenges, the KIC is your trusted resource for advancing organizational excellence and driving meaningful social change.

Learn more about KIC resources and services.

An organization can access the KIC by becoming a Social Current Impact Partner and then logging into the Social Current Hub. Additionally, KIC research services are available on an hourly basis; contact us via email for details.

Social Current is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its board of directors. The new directors bring diverse perspectives and varied expertise, including public policy, nonprofit law, strategy and development, and equitable economic development. Along with returning board members they will work to further Social Current’s mission and vision of a healthy and equitable society where all people can thrive.

The newly added board members are:

This year, human services consultant Tracy Wareing Evans begins her term as chair of the board. Thank you to our immediate past chair Annette Rodriguez, who will continue to serve as an officer.

Social Current thanks departing board members Melissa Devlin, assistant director of Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network at Generations United, and Michelle Sanborn, president of Children’s Alliance of Kentucky, for their service on the board of directors.

The four new directors are joining the Social Current board, which is comprised of the following officers and directors:

Officers:

Directors:

The social sector is facing a complex and volatile landscape in 2025. While there are some positive trends, such as increased institutional trust in nonprofits, emerging community-based partnerships, and strategic technology integrations, there are also significant challenges, including funding threats, policy changes, and workforce shortages. Here we explore some of the key trends, opportunities, and risks that social sector organizations need to be aware of in Q1 to thrive in the coming year. But first, let’s understand how to make the most of trend inquiry and scenario planning.

Trend Inquiry

Trendspotting and trend analysis can be powerful for strategic planning by creating credible illustrations of what the future might look like. Based on that, community-based organizations and their cross-sector partners can align community priorities and resources to help all people reach their full potential.

The essential process of trend investigation is about asking the right questions about the right things. These can roughly be divided into three areas, with examples of questions below:

Scenario Planning

Developing robust scenarios can help bridge present circumstances with future requirements. The range and value of organizational opportunities based on trend analysis depend on scenarios that should include most of these criteria:

By evaluating relevant trends compiled through primary and secondary research and using the analysis to explore governance and operational scenarios, the ability to optimize programs and services and create achievable pathways to positive community outcomes is strengthened.

Harnessing Trends

The Social Current Knowledge and Insights Center, available through our Impact Partnerships, helps professionals in human/social services to learn, improve, and innovate by providing timely, useful, and relevant information and resources.

Professional librarians routinely gather trends data on a variety of organizational topics, such as workforce resilience and service innovation, as well as meta trends that encompass demographics, systemic and environmental factors, technology, and more.

This is done by:

Systematizing the information in a way that users can quickly and easily understand.

Key Trends We’re Following in 2025

Below are some of the key topics that we will be monitoring in 2025.

Funding and Policy Trends

Technology Trends

Workforce and Performance Trends

Social Determinants of Health Trends

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Trends

While the social sector faces a complex landscape of opportunities and threats in 2025, Social Current is here to partner with you along the way. By staying agile, adaptable, and mission-driven, social sector organizations can continue to thrive in the coming year. Social Current offers a variety of resources and solutions services to help you navigate funding and policy changes, build workforce resilience, and address social determinants of health. We are committed to helping you achieve your mission and make a positive impact in your community.

Download the full trend report for details and ways to partner with Social Current.

How to Access Our Specialized Researchers & Tools

As you plan for 2025 and beyond, make sure you’re utilizing all the tools in your toolbox. For more information on the resources portal, including the Ask-a-Librarian reference request service, visit the Social Current Hub or contact the Knowledge and Insights Center.

About the Knowledge and Insights Center

The Knowledge and Insights Center offers a robust resources portal through the Social Current Hub, which includes a digital clearinghouse library with over 20,000 records; aggregated research and business databases; diverse topic collections and library guides; original content summarizing complex information; and coaching that helps users maximize these resources.

Social Current is now accepting presentation proposals for its SPARK 2025 conference, to be held Oct. 20-21 in Chicago. This event will activate our collective power by sparking bold thinking and new conversations around some of our sector’s most vexing challenges. SPARK 2025 will offer a forum to connect, learn, refuel, and be inspired.

The deadline to submit presentations was Jan 28, 2025.

Social Current’s mission is to advocate for and implement equitable solutions through collaboration, innovation, federal public policy, and practice excellence. This conference will convene and unite a diverse community from across our network and sector to share their expertise and drive toward an equitable society where all people can thrive.

Proposal Guidelines and Deadlines

Core Areas of Focus

Social Current welcomes presentations that will engage, challenge, educate, and inspire participants to act. While emphasis will be placed on the core areas below, we welcome submissions that address other current issues affecting and important to our sector.

Brain-Friendly and Trauma-Informed Approaches
Sessions should address the integration of brain-friendly, healing-centered, and trauma-informed knowledge, skills, and strategies into change efforts for programs, organizational culture, and/or systems. Consider topics that highlight how we apply brain-friendly and trauma-informed interventions to prevent toxic stress and increase positive experiences for children, families, social sector workforce, and communities. Suggested topics also include ways to merge brain-friendly and equity, diversity, and inclusion practices to strengthen our organizations.

Child, Family, and Community Well-Being
Sessions should describe innovative strategies for nurturing child and family well-being within communities, including efforts to transform child welfare systems into 21st-century child and family well-being systems, which involves but is not limited to child protective services. Consider proactive, public health approaches that address the social determinants of health, separate neglect from abuse, prioritize equitable solutions to better support families, and shift power toward families and communities and those with lived experience.

COA Accreditation
Sessions should discuss keys to achieving COA Accreditation and explore the immediate and ongoing benefits of accreditation on organizations, the workforce, and persons served. Consider topics such as the return on investment in COA Accreditation, the importance of using data and quality improvement processes to impact service delivery, how to engage your board and/or staff in the COA Accreditation process, ways to leverage your accreditation, and “best in class” examples of standard implementation.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Sessions should address how to create just, fair, and inclusive organizational cultures and communities through policies, practices, and leadership, despite legal, political, and additional external factors that are challenging EDI efforts. Consider topics related to addressing inequity in health, education, wealth, systems involvement, and the workplace based on race, sexual orientation, age, gender, socio-economic status, and ability.

Government Affairs and Advocacy
Sessions should explore strategies to effect positive change locally, regionally, or nationally. We invite presentations that share insight on how to successfully influence policy, engage lawmakers, and mobilize grassroots efforts. These sessions will examine the intersection of public policy, community engagement, and social impact with the goal of creating a more just and equitable society.

Leadership and Organizational Development
Sessions should discuss leadership approaches, strategies, and frameworks for developing the next generation of social sector leaders so that they can address challenges and sustain success to achieve greater impact. Consider approaches that promote the skills needed to create and sustain equitable, inclusive, organizational cultures.

Submit your proposal through the online submission form by Jan. 28, 2025.

Social Current has recently received funding to support its work to further child, family, and community well-being. The organization will work in concert with partners and community-based organizations to provide training and technical assistance for the initiatives.

“Social Current has proven itself as a facilitator and training and technical assistance provider by creating access to experts, facilitating peer-to-peer learning, emphasizing lived experience, and supporting progress through research and evaluation,” said Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO. “We are proud to have been selected for these initiatives and look forward to advancing child, family, and community well-being so that all people can thrive.”

About the Initiatives

Quality Improvement Center on Helplines and Hotlines
Social Current and the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance are partnering with Evident Change, which has been awarded a five-year cooperative agreement with the Children’s Bureau, a division of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF).

The Quality Improvement Center on Helplines and Hotlines will be the resource for collecting and sharing national models and best practices in implementing community-based helplines as an alternative to child protective services (CPS) hotlines. The Center will also develop evidence-informed training for mandated reporters and hotline staff to learn skills to overcome bias in decision making and distinguish between poverty and willful neglect in child abuse reporting.

This project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2,492,412 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

The Justice Initiative: Learning Network for Juvenile Justice Funding
Social Current is working with the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS) on this three-year initiative to enhance organizational capacity and resilience by increasing access to Office of Justice Programs (OJP) funding for community-based organizations serving youth in marginalized communities. This initiative focuses on organizations that provide juvenile justice services and victim services to individuals who face significant challenges, including racial bias and inadequate health care, which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will establish a learning network for 75 community-based organizations and impacted community members, with a focus on organizations that serve communities of color, indigenous and rural communities, persons with different abilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The initiative will provide training and technical assistance, focusing on the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcome model. Participants will learn from experts and each other to enhance the quality of services they provide and build skills to better access OJP funding.

This project is supported by cooperative agreement number 15PBJA-24-GK-04088-MUMU, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

OJJDP Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success
This initiative, awarded to JBS International in 2023, has received extended funding to enhance local continuums of care and opportunity. Social Current will collaborate with JBS and other project partners to respond to the training and technical assistance needs of communities. This initiative’s goals are to:

Social Current will provide support to carry out training and technical assistance activities, including planning and coaching meetings; developing literature reviews, trainings, and tools; and more.

This project is supported by cooperative agreement number 15PJDP-23-GK-06136-JRIX, awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Learn more about Social Current’s Child, Family, and Community Well-Being Impact Area.

Cover image of the 2023 Year in Review report

2023 set the stage for Social Current’s growing work to increase understanding, awareness, and respect for our sector and its myriad contributions. We were proud to announce our social impact campaign in partnership with UnCharitable and hold our first-ever Hill Day, recognizing the urgent need to dismantle barriers that obstruct our sector to effectively address pressing social issues. We are grateful to have your support as we continue to strengthen and amplify the work of the social sector to facilitate impact and systemic change through our core solutions and impact areas.

Our 2023 Year in Review features:

Download the full report.

Lardie to Lead Multi-Faceted Development Strategies Across Social and Human Services Funders and Foundations

Headshot of Sarah Beth Lardie
Sarah Beth Lardie

Social Current today announced that Sarah Beth Lardie has joined the organization as chief development officer to oversee and coordinate funding and development strategies across a broad range of social sector and human services funders and foundations.

With nearly two decades of experience in advancing the mission, vision, and goals of nonprofit organizations, Ms. Lardie has helped to lead the growth and sustainability of a wide range of successful organizations, raising more than $20 million dollars annually for civil society actors ranging from United Nations to local food banks. She began her career as a social worker working with children and families before transitioning to a career in development. As a member of the founding leadership team of Joshua Venture, a fellowship program for social entrepreneurs, she was responsible for providing fellowships for 16 entrepreneurs across the U.S. She has also been a mentor with MIT’s LaunchX program and an advisor to the African Venture Philanthropy Network.

“Sarah Beth’s extensive experience in development and her understanding and familiarity with the social sector as a social worker will help us grow our strategic partners across the sector,” noted Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current. “She will be a critical asset in our efforts to activate the power of the social sector to help build an equitable society where all people can thrive.”

“Building civil society, bringing more people and resources to the critical work being done is fulfilling,” commented Sarah Beth Lardie. “Nonprofit organizations are where innovations to solve society’s most difficult problems are happening, and I love being part of that. That’s what drew me to Social Current.”

Lardie received her bachelor’s in sociology and labor studies from Rutgers University, her master’s in social work from the Columbia University School of Social Work and her master’s in public administration from Carnegie Mellon University/University of Pittsburgh in a dual degree program. She is based in New York City.

Brain Science Training Institute Logo

Social Current has selected Children & Families First Delaware (CFF) as the 2024 Innovative Impact Award winner for its Brain Science Training Institute (BSTI). The organization, based in Wilmington, Delaware, provides a continuum of child-centered and family-focused services throughout the state.

BSTI is a professional and organizational development program to embed brain science, trauma-informed principles, and related concepts into service delivery and staff, organizational, and community development. The institute is aimed at training internal staff to provide trauma-responsive care, and to help other organizations in the state and country begin their trauma-informed care journey.

CFF began by training all staff in trauma-informed care, brain science, resilience, and self-care. Its internal trainers provide quarterly training to all new staff in the foundational principles of brain science and trauma-informed care, as well as provide regular retraining and advanced training to all CFF staff. In preparing to offer training and consultation externally, the organization began building capacity of internal trainers to provide foundational training and advanced training modules.

“I am thrilled to recognize CFF for their work to accelerate the adoption of brain science within the human services sector and beyond,” says Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current. “We know that applying trauma-informed approaches is critical for healthy child development and workforce resilience, and CFF is at the forefront of this innovative work.”

Since inception in 2020, BSTI has trained more than 1,500 individuals, including K-12 educators, early childhood providers, child-welfare professionals, law enforcement, social services providers, and victim service advocates.

BSTI conducts post evaluations of the training provided to agencies. Most attendees include educators and school staff (39%) and human services and mental health professionals (32%). Across 10 questions on the understanding of trauma and toxic stress and methods to promote resilience and reduce compassion fatigue, 92% of participants in 2022 and 2023 felt they strongly agreed or agreed. In addition, 99% of participants felt they could apply the skills and information learned to their professional work and personal goals.

Video Interview with CFF

In this video interview with Karen Johnson of Social Current, Shannon Fisch and Kiera McGillivray, who co-lead the BSTI at CFF, discuss its impact on their organization and how they’ve been able to support other community organizations in embracing brain science.

Learn More at SPARK 2024

CFF will be recognized at the SPARK 2024 conference, Oct. 21-22 in Denver, and staff will share their expertise in their workshop on trauma-informed performance management.

Brain Science and Trauma-Informed Approaches is an area of focus for SPARK 2024 workshops. Other sessions in this focus area address creating a healing-oriented culture, somatic and embodied approaches, nature-connected wellness, and employee engagement.

Register for SPARK 2024 by Sept. 20 to receive the early bird rate.

People with intellectual disabilities and their families disproportionately experience poverty and economic instability. However, community-based organizations can play an important role in promoting independence and well-being through financial literacy education.

To help organizations teach spending and saving basics to individuals with intellectual disabilities, Bank of America has developed two sets of Better Money Habits® tools. These free tools can be incorporated into existing programming and include presentations, resources, videos, and more. Choose from the various tools to customize the learning to your specific audience, amount of time, and type of program or event.

Getting Started: Learn How to Use the Better Money Habits® Tools

Social Current and Bank of America have prepared an on-demand train-the-trainer series to introduce the tools to program staff at community-based organizations. The videos offer best practices and tips for using the resources and delivering the lessons.

The series is free and available to everyone. Just log in or create an account to enroll.

Learn more and access the train-the-trainer series.

After watching the train-the-trainer videos, download the Better Money Habits® tools from Bank of America. These tools were developed in cooperation with the National Disability Institute as well as the Special Olympics.