Spring 2026 SOWK 531 Class 13 Weekly Email
Email sent on to SOWK 531

Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn
Week 13 is asynchronous. Students read Chapter 14 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018), which addresses how agencies develop and manage resources, including grant writing, fundraising strategies, working with the media, and the role of technology in agency practice. There is also a lecture video this week focused on practical technology tips for social workers. The five forums give students opportunities to engage with key textbook concepts, apply media guidelines to a case study, reflect on their own experience with grants and fundraising, and connect resource development to their Community Impact Project.
The learning objectives for the week include:
- Demonstrate skills at sharing information.
- Apply media relations skills to community advocacy.
- Reflect on personal or professional experience with fundraising or grant writing in agency settings.
- Identify some potential actions that can be done to help with digital work.
Unit Assignments
Content
- Read Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018) Chapter 14 Developing and Managing Agency Resources
- Watch my lecture video (will be shared by Thursday EOD)
W-13 A-01: Asynchronous Participation and Engagement
Sorry that I am getting these out to you late this week. I’m thinking five instead of the regular six replies. I plan to do a lecture video regarding some tips for working with computers, but I probably won’t have a chance to record it until Thursday.
The expectation is that each of your replies will be substantive and provide meaningful perspectives, contributing to the forum’s conversation and scholarship. There are five forums this week, and you are expected to make at least five replies across any of the forums. These forums include the following:
- The Questions Drawn From Textbook Chapter 14 forum provides a space to engage with key concepts from the reading.
- Students apply guidelines for working with the media to a neighborhood advocacy scenario in the Communicating with the Media Case Study forum.
- In Experience with Fundraisers or Grants, students reflect on their own involvement with grant writing or fundraising in a professional or volunteer context.
- Students connect this week’s content on media relations and resource development to their Community Impact Project in the Community Impact Project Press Sharing forum.
- Dreaming About Grants for Heritage or Your Practicum Setting invites students to imagine what funding could make a meaningful difference at their practicum site or in the Heritage social work program.
Unit Resources
You can listen to a podcast episode for this week’s reading Chapter 14 Developing and Managing Agency Resources, or see the entire series Podcast Series.
I have some additional resources I will share here, but probably not until I’ve created my video.
The Lecture Videos tab in the MyHeritage course is where you will be able to find class recordings. The video this week is at [Spring 2026 SOWK 531 Week 13]().
Reference
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H. (2018). Generalist practice with organizations and communities (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
To-Do Lists
- Read chapter 14 in your textbook
- Complete five replies across any of the forums
- Watch the lecture video