School of Social Work
At the VCU School of Social Work, we believe in the potential within every student, faculty and staff member, advocate, and community partner — a potential that drives innovation, fosters collective well-being and transforms lives. Unlocking Potential: VCU’s Campaign for the Future is a bold initiative to invest in that potential by expanding access to education, supporting faculty excellence and strengthening communities. Your support during this campaign ensures that our graduates are skilled social workers and leaders in advocacy, policy and driving positive impact within communities.
With your support, we will expand opportunities for students and the communities we serve, shaping the future of social work and the world. Together, we will build pathways that empower social workers to lead, innovate and transform lives.
Join us in unlocking potential at the VCU School of Social Work. When you invest in social work education, you invest in the future for us all.
Our goal
You will unlock potential in the School of Social Work when you help us reach our goal of $6 million.
Our priorities
Increasing access and fostering student success
At the VCU School of Social Work, we are dedicated to preparing compassionate, skilled social workers who will make a lasting impact on individuals, families and communities. Our students don’t just learn — they engage with widely varying communities, drive social change and develop innovative solutions to address the world’s most pressing issues.
Your support helps provide crucial scholarship opportunities for first-generation students and those facing unexpected challenges, ensuring they can succeed and persist toward graduation without the added burden of financial stress. Your generosity also strengthens critical initiatives like the Field Fund, which supports stipend opportunities for field education experiences, and the Pay it Forward Fund, which helps meet acute and unanticipated student needs.
Together, we can unlock success for every student, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities needed to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
Blazing trails and leading change through innovative research
At the VCU School of Social Work, research is more than academic inquiry — it’s a catalyst for change. Our faculty and students are advancing knowledge that promotes well-being, informs policy and improves lives in communities across Virginia and beyond.
Your support strengthens graduate education by funding research assistantships that give students hands-on experience in addressing real-world social challenges. These opportunities equip future social work leaders with the skills and insight needed to create lasting impact. Your investment also fuels early-stage faculty research within the school’s innovative programs, laying the groundwork for projects that shape the future of the field.
Together, we can advance the science and practice of social work to unlock a more just and compassionate world.
Recognizing faculty and nurturing scholarship
VCU School of Social Work faculty are leaders, researchers, mentors and innovators shaping the future of social work practice and education. Their expertise drives progress in community-centered practice, making a lasting impact on individuals and society.
Your support strengthens faculty excellence by funding endowed positions in clinical education, research on severe mental illness and substance abuse, and international social work. It also supports our efforts to welcome visiting scholars from around the world to grow the school’s teaching and research impact. Philanthropic dollars empower our faculty to advance transformative research, educate the next generation of social workers and address society’s most pressing challenges. With your help, we will attract and retain world-class scholars and ensure the VCU School of Social Work remains a leader in social work education and impact.
Together, we will unlock faculty excellence to shape the future of social work.
Sustaining institutional excellence and achieving prominence
At the VCU School of Social Work, we are committed to advancing social welfare, strengthening communities and preparing the next generation of social work leaders.
Your support expands impactful initiatives such as the Evaluation Lab, which provides community partners with essential program evaluations and operational assessments to better serve the public. Additionally, our dual-degree programs, which currently include three partnerships with other VCU schools, are in their infancy and need to be further developed to better meet the needs of today’s students. With your help, we will build on these initiatives, strengthening our programs to better equip students and empower communities.
Together, we will unlock solutions to today’s challenges while preparing social workers who will lead the transformation of our society for years to come.
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Shape what’s next
We’re in the midst of an exciting time here at the VCU School of Social Work. It’s also a time when the importance of the school’s mission is abundantly clear. We remain steadfast in our commitments to excellence in education, research and scholarship, and engaging with our communities as we prepare our students for rich and meaningful careers in social work practice and policy. Whether it’s supporting student aid, impactful research or our community engagements, your partnership makes a profound difference.
I’m proud to support Unlocking Potential: VCU’s Campaign for the Future, a bold commitment to our students and their futures. I invite you to join me in ensuring they have access to an exceptional education and real-world experiences that prepare them to lead, serve and create lasting impact in Virginia and far beyond.
Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D.
Dean, VCU School of Social Work
You are the key.
You’ve seen how this historic effort is unlocking potential across VCU and VCU Health for students, patients, faculty members, researchers, clinicians and members of our community. Now it’s your turn. How will you help shape what’s next?