A case worker who has worked her entire career feeding the hungry in America recently told us:

"When I was a girl and hesitated to eat my spinach, my eagled-eyed mother would notice and say, ' What about all the starving children in China? Think of them and be grateful you have enough to eat. Finish your spinach.' Like so many other middle-class Americans, I believed hungry children lived in China, India, or Africa, not in America. I believed that until I went into social work at the largest food bank in Pennsylvania. That opened my eyes.

Non-profits have ambitious goals, but they are often buried under a workload of paper. According to an estimate, only 11% of non-profit organizations pay attention to including technology in their operations. Doing things manually takes a lot of time and manpower, so understanding the value of technology is critical for non-profits.  

When agencies dig in and start looking into the advances and potential benefits that modernizing technology can bring to the table, here’s some of the things they consider.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused social workers to take a closer look at their ingrained prejudices when dealing with the aged. Robert N. Butler coined the term “ageism" in 1969 to describe attitudes, practices, and policies that discriminate against older people. Ageism occurs when people face stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination because of their age. The assumption that all older people are frail and helpless is a common, incorrect stereotype. Prejudice can consist of feelings such as “older people are unpleasant and difficult to deal with.” Discrimination is evident when older adults’ needs aren’t recognized and respected or when they’re treated less favorably than younger people. Social workers who work with the elderly are realizing that even in their minds age is “a category of difference” like race and gender, but unlike race and gender, age positions older adults as a homogenous group with similar needs.

(Excerpted from an article by Paul Moakley in Time Magazine, "Deaths Amoung America's Homeless Are Soaring in the Pandemic.  A Photographer Captures a Community In Crisis")

Casework can be very demanding at times. It’s also a broad profession in terms of the situations and expectations that social workers come across.

Despite it being a challenging field, it’s also one of the fasting growing ones here in the US. This is mainly due to the high demand for caseworkers globally to counter a growing shortage, especially here in the US.

And while social services case management software can help manage the caseload to a certain extent, caseworkers need certain traits also.

Football fans see this message on the back of the Buffalo Bills' helmets

"On Saturday, January 15^th, a gunman entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX, and held hostages for much of the day.  We are grateful that all four hostages made it out safely, and thankful for law enforcement, first responders, and the security training that our partner Secure Community Network provided to this community. The horrifying attack on the Colleyville synagogue was a continuation of a troubling and unacceptable trend of attacks on Jewish houses of worship and individuals who are visibly Jewish." (The Jewish Federations of North America)

Keeping data secure is a top priority for non-profits and there are several reasons for this.

Non-profits are usually associated with various donors, and the relationship a non-profit has with them is a sensitive one. Protecting their personal information therefore is a priority for any organization.  

Additionally, and most important, many non-profits in the human services field handle adults and juveniles in very vulnerable situations. Therefore, their personal information getting compromised or stolen is simply not acceptable. A breach of data would directly contradict the primary purpose of the non-profit, which is to protect the vulnerable.

Here are a few simple ways non-profits can secure their data.

Nonprofit organizations are often chaotic spaces with a plethora of operations and programs underway. There are huge caseloads to deal with, events to organize, and heaps of paperwork to get through. These are just typical days and yes, sometimes, it gets worse.

In his new book, Effective Fundraising, Harvard Business School professor emeritus, F. Warren Mcfarlan, identifies the board of trustees as nonprofit's core fundraising asset. The book outlines the broad range of roles trustees can play in contributing to the crucial function of fundraising. While some rare souls are enthusiastic about directly soliciting gifts, Professor Mcfarlan says, others may be more effective at expanding networks, making introductions, lending credibility, or providing the coaching and context that contribute to a successful "close".

Casework can be very rewarding. So naturally, as you study hard and get through tough exams and finally get to practice—you’re going to be pretty excited. And you should be because you’ll be making a real difference in people’s lives and helping them turn things around on a daily basis.

But you’ll soon find out that social work is one of the toughest jobs out there. Not only because there are real people and emotions involved, but also because it’s demanding work.

From long working hours to massive caseloads, here are a few ways to manage your early years as a caseworker.