John A. Hartford Foundation:
Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI) Branding and Strategy Development

Challenge
In 1998, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the nation’s leading funder devoted solely to aging and health, launched the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI). This multi-program effort is designed to increase the number of social workers trained to meet the needs of the growing older adult population. In 2000, representatives of GSWI’s constituent programs, with the support of the Foundation, approached Strategic Communications & Planning to develop a branding and communications strategy to increase interest in and awareness of its efforts.

Approach
After a series of face-to-face meetings and monthly phone calls with the GSWI Hartford grantees, SCP developed and implemented a comprehensive, unified communications strategy for the GSWI. These communications activities included:

• Common messaging and naming for the Initiative and its constituent programs;
• Unified branding, including graphic identity and a logo;
• The development of a robust, information-rich Web site (www.gswi.org);
• The creation of a modular exhibit used at national and local meetings;
• Writing and design of a recruitment brochure called Experience, designed to attract social work students into the field of aging; and
• Creation of a variety of branded collateral materials for the constituent programs, including brochures, applications, and most recently, an information package and associated advertising for its faculty leadership development programs.

Results/Impact
Through their targeted, strategic communications plan, SCP helped the Hartford Foundation and the GSWI make a significant impact on the social work education community and helped build strong support for and participation in all of the GSWI programs. The GSWI Web site, the centerpiece of the Initiative’s communications strategy, not only serves as a source of information for prospective social work students, but also as a key resource for gerontological social workers and social work academics across the country.

Since the Foundation kicked off its $575,000 authorization in 1998, the GSWI has helped to increase the number of Masters in Social Work (MSW) programs offering an aging specialization by 50%. Today, 25% of Bachelor’s in Social Work students and 20% of MSW students take courses in aging. Since the project’s inception, the percentage of practicing social workers that report aging as their primary practice focus has also jumped three-fold (from 3% to 9%).