Nominate
7th Annual SWAG Awards Call for Nominations
2027 Award Categories
Heart Work Award
Recognizes social workers who exemplifies the heart of the profession through exceptional compassion, integrity, dedication, and meaningful service to individuals, families, and communities.
Minimum Eligibility: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work and a minimum of three (3) years of professional social work experience.
Social Work Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Recognizes a social worker who has demonstrated entrepreneurial vision and leadership by founding or co-founding a business, nonprofit organization, private practice, or social enterprise that advances the social work profession or creates meaningful community impact.
Minimum Eligibility: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work and a minimum of three (3) years of professional social work experience.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Honors a social worker with 20 or more years of professional social work experience whose distinguished career reflects outstanding leadership, service, advocacy, mentorship, and lasting contributions to the social work profession.
Minimum Eligibility: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work and a minimum of twenty (20) years of professional social work experience.
Kim Thornton Hemby End-of-Life Care Award
Recognizes a social worker who demonstrates exceptional compassion, advocacy, and excellence in hospice, palliative, or end-of-life care while supporting individuals and families with dignity, comfort, and empathy.
Minimum Eligibility: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work and a minimum of three (3) years of professional social work experience.
Organization of the Year Award
Recognizes an organization that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the social work profession by employing social workers and fostering excellence in practice, professional development, workforce well-being, innovation, and community impact.
Minimum Eligibility: Organizations must:
- Employ Bachelor’s- and/or Master’s-prepared social workers.
- Demonstrate a meaningful commitment to supporting the social work profession through leadership, professional development, workplace culture, innovation, advocacy, or community impact.
- Have been in operation for at least three (3) years.
Not sure which award best fits your nominee? Select the category that most closely reflects their contributions. Our Selection Committee may recommend a different award category if appropriate.
Individual Award Nominees
- Hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from an accredited institution.
- Have a minimum of three (3) years of professional social work experience at the time of nomination.
- Be making meaningful contributions to the social work profession, their organization, or the communities they serve.
- Meet any additional criteria associated with the specific award category.
- Lifetime Achievement Award nominees must have a minimum of 20 years of professional social work experience.
- Previous SWAG Award recipients may be eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Award following a three (3) year waiting period from the date of their original award.
Organization of the Year Award
Nominated organizations should demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting the social work profession through leadership, innovation, advocacy, workforce development, or community impact.
An organization remains eligible if one of its employees has previously received an individual SWAG Award. However, an organization and one of its current employees may not both receive a SWAG Award in the same award year.
Eligibility
Before You Begin
- Basic information about the nominee
- A brief description of why they deserve recognition
- One or two examples of their impact
- Optional supporting documents or links
Tips for a Strong Nomination
- Specific accomplishments or initiatives
- Leadership, innovation, advocacy, mentorship, or service
- How the nominee has made a difference for individuals, families, colleagues, their organization, or the community
- Supporting documents, letters of support, or articles (if available)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can submit a nomination?
Anyone may nominate a deserving social worker or organization. - Can I submit more than one nomination?
Yes. Please complete a separate nomination form for each individual or organization you wish to nominate. - Can I nominate myself or my organization?
Yes. Self-nominations are welcome. - What if I don’t know all of the nominee’s information?
We encourage you to gather as much information as possible before submitting a nomination. However, if you’re missing some details, we still encourage you to submit your nomination with the information you have. - How are award recipients selected?
All nominations are reviewed by the SWAG Awards Selection Committee through a thoughtful and impartial review process. Committee members evaluate each nomination based on the nominee’s demonstrated impact, leadership, service, and alignment with the purpose of the award. Selection is based on the quality of the nomination and any supporting information submitted. - Can someone who was nominated last year be nominated again this year?
Yes. Previous nominees who were not selected as award recipients may be nominated again in a future SWAG Awards cycle. We encourage nominators to include updated information and recent examples of the nominee’s impact whenever possible. - Can a former SWAG Award recipient receive the Lifetime Achievement Award?
Yes. A previous SWAG Award recipient who received an award in another category may be eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Award after a three (3) year waiting period from the date of their original award, provided they meet all eligibility requirements for the Lifetime Achievement Award. - Can an individual and their organization both receive a SWAG Award?
An individual’s previous SWAG Award does not prevent their organization from being eligible for Organization of the Year. Likewise, individuals employed by an organization that previously received Organization of the Year remain eligible for individual SWAG Awards. However, an individual and their current organization may not both receive a SWAG Award during the same award year.
Questions?
Important Dates
- September 8, 2026 – Nominations Open
- October 20, 2026 – Nominations Close
- March 27, 2027 – 7th Annual SWAG Awards Gala
Know Someone Who Deserves to Be Recognized?
