Powerbuilding & Leadership Lab
Elevating social work leadership to transform social justice and equity.
We boldly examine social work power and leadership as critical levers for influencing systems change.
We study the economic and societal impacts of social work practitioners, publish tools and resources to strengthen civic engagement, provide a growing policy portfolio to support social change, and cultivate a growing community of social work leaders to strengthen the field of social work research, training, and practice.
Social workers from nonprofits, healthcare institutions, philanthropic organizations, consulting firms, and government agencies inform emerging areas of inquiry that are helping to shape the future of social work.
Signature Projects
- The Economic Value of Social Work
- Beyond 2025 Action Hub
- Social Work Leadership Identification Project
- Civic Hubs Initiative
Key Principles
- Health Equity and Social Justice: Leading with dignity and fairness is at the heart of how and why social workers advance equity and justice.
- Belief in Collective Power and Action: Shared leadership is essential to building and mobilizing power for lasting social change.
- Transformation for Public Good: Reshaping systems and structures to advance equity, justice, and lasting social change.
- Radical Collaboration: Forging bold, cross-sector collaborations that challenge power dynamics and honor all voices.
- Social Workers Belong Everywhere: Social workers have the expertise and vision to lead across all sectors of society.
