by The PSU School Of Social Work
August 26th 2022
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Congratulations to Friends of the Children for receiving a $44 million gift from MacKenzie Scott this week! Friends of the Children has been a valued community partner of the School of Social Work for many years and we’re excited at the momentum this gift will allow them.
Friends of the Children is the only national mentoring program in the United States with paid, professional mentors who work alongside youth for 12+ years, no matter what. Scott’s gift will allow them to serve thousands more children, many of whom are in — or at risk of entering — foster care.
Friends of the Children was founded nearly 30 years ago in Portland by Duncan Campbell, who received an honorary degree from PSU in 2014. A generous donor to the School of Social Work, Campbell has endowed Professor Thomas Keller’s position and supports many of our funds, scholarships, and fellowships. Keller currently serves on the national board of trustees for Friends of the Children.
Professor Emerita Eileen Brennan has also served on their board of trustees and several of SSW’s faculty have been advisors and consultants to the organization. Most recently we highlighted the work that Assistant Professor Lakindra Mitchell Dove has done with the group on quality improvement. SSW also places doctoral students as graduate research assistants with Friends of the Children. Friends of the Children is also a partner to the School of Business and Campbell is a generous supporter of their Social Innovation program.
Friends of the Children’s mentoring model was founded on research showing the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent, caring adult. Today, they reach thousands of children in over 540 schools across the nation in 26 locations.