National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA)

What National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA) does

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA) is the California state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the largest professional social work membership association in the United States. Founded on April 23, 1975 and headquartered at 2110 K Street in Sacramento, NASW-CA serves nearly 9,000 members across the state through 9 regional divisions, 23+ special-interest councils, and local units. Its core mission is to advance professional excellence, ethical practice, and social justice for Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), MSW and BSW holders, macro/administrative practitioners, and the practice-based organizations that employ them. The chapter is governed by an elected Board of Directors and operates with a small staff of approximately 9 people.

Name

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA)

Legal name

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter

Website

https://naswca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NASW-CA is the California chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, serving nearly 9,000 social worker members statewide. It delivers continuing education, legislative advocacy, career resources, and networking through 9 regions and 23+ councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Continuing education courses
• Legislative advocacy services
• Membership dues subscription
• Career development resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide the primary recurring revenue stream. Members receive access to CEU courses, advocacy resources, career center, networking events, and professional development. Membership types include regular professional members, associate/student members, and organizational partners.
2. Annual Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the annual conference generate significant revenue. The 2026 conference is scheduled for October 16-17 at San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. CEU credits are offered for additional fees.
3. Continuing Education (CEU) Courses: Online and in-person CEU training courses generate revenue through registration fees. Example: Trauma Treatment training at $65-$275 per participant depending on membership status.
4. Corporate Partnership Sponsorships: Annual partnership sponsorships allow organizations to connect with over 8,000 NASW-CA members and 1,000+ practice-based organizations. Partnership tiers (Micro, Mezzo, Macro) provide access to professional networks and marketing exposure.
5. CE Trainer RFP Program: Approved CE trainers pay fees to become authorized providers of continuing education credits for the social work profession in California.
6. CalPACE Political Contributions: The California Political Action Committee for Candidates and Elections (CalPACE) receives donations to support social work-aligned candidates in California state elections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NASW-CA provides annual professional membership to nearly 9,000 California social workers, granting access to continuing education (CEU) courses, the EmpowerED online learning platform, the annual statewide conference, legislative advocacy through Lobby Days and the CalPACE political action committee, the Career Center and resume review services, and peer networking through 9 regional divisions and 23 specialty councils. The chapter also facilitates approved CE trainer programs and corporate partnership sponsorships for social work practice-based organizations operating in California.

Product overview

NASW-CA operates primarily as a membership-based professional association rather than a traditional software product company. The organization's core offering is the NASW-CA Website/Member Portal, which serves as the central hub for member services including event registration, advocacy resources, career center access, and community networking through MyNASW. Supporting this platform are value-added services including the EmpowerED Online CE Program for continuing education, Resume Review Service for career development, Career Center resources, Speaker Request Service, and Student Liaison Program. The organization also delivers recurring programming through its Annual Conference, Legislative Lobby Days, and Social Workers L.E.A.D. events, along with special interest Councils and an annual awards program. The membership management is powered by YourMembership software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NASW-CA Professional Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 9,000 social work professionals represented in California
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant, regulatory and pipeline.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW and NASW Foundation partnering with CDC through the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative, a CDC-funded program supporting social workers in informed vaccine decision-making. The initiative provides training, resources, and CEUs to help social workers address vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable communities. Total funding: $3.3 million from CDC/HHS.
• NASW FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW Foundation co-partners with NASW National on the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative and other professional development programs including awards, scholarships, and the NASW Press publication program.
• Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social WorkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHBRT serves as the implementation partner for the CDC-funded Connect to End COVID-19 initiative, providing research-based training support and technical assistance for social workers engaging in vaccine confidence work.
• California Practice-Based Organizations (1,000+)significantGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial work practice-based organizations throughout California represent a key partnership target. The Micro/Mezzo/Macro partnership program allows organizations to connect with 8,000+ NASW-CA members, access group membership rates, and receive technical assistance for social work workforce development.
• California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)regulatoryOthersThe BBS is California's licensing and regulatory body for LCSWs. NASW-CA works closely with BBS on licensure requirements, CEU standards, and the Social Work Licensure Compact initiative (AB 427) to enable interstate practice mobility.
• California Social Work Education ProgramspipelineGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with MSW and BSW programs at California universities through the Student Liaison Program, which identifies student ambassadors at each school to connect NASW-CA with future social work professionals.
• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSWE is the accrediting body for social work education programs. NASW-CA maintains relationships with CSWE for accreditation standards, scholarships, and professional development alignment for California social work students.
• California State Legislature and Governor's OfficecoreOthersAnnual Lobby Days event brings 1,200+ social workers to Sacramento to meet with state legislators. Key legislation includes AB 427 (Social Work Licensure Compact), AB 766 (Racial Equity Review), and AB 338 (LA Fire Recovery Workforce Development).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Counseling Association (ACA): Largest national professional association representing counselors. Comparable membership, CE, and advocacy model; serves the adjacent licensed professional counselor (LPC/LPCC) segment regulated by the same California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW): National parent organization that NASW-CA is a chapter of. Operates the same professional social work membership model, credentialing, national CE platform, Code of Ethics, and advocacy infrastructure at federal level. Most comparable as the parent federated structure.
• American Psychological Association (APA): Largest professional association for psychologists operating a similar membership-plus-CE-plus-advocacy model. Comparable structure though it serves a doctoral-level adjacent behavioral health profession rather than social workers specifically.

Direct peers

• Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA): National professional association specifically for clinical social workers and LCSWs. Overlaps with NASW-CA on CE, clinical practice resources, and advocacy, and competes for the same LCSW member segment on a national basis.
• NASW Texas Chapter: Another large-state NASW chapter (NASW-TX). Same organizational DNA as NASW-CA: state-chartered professional membership association with CE, advocacy, and regional structure. Comparable for member acquisition and revenue diversification analysis.
• California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT): California-based professional membership association for LMFTs. Directly analogous in business model, CE delivery, legislative advocacy in Sacramento, and licensure board engagement (BBS overlap). Closest comparable to NASW-CA within the California behavioral health ecosystem.
• NASW New York Chapter: Sibling chapter of NASW in another large state. Operates under identical federated model, dues structure, CE platform, and state-level advocacy approach; useful benchmark for NASW-CA's scale and growth patterns.

Others

• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE): Accrediting body for social work education programs in the U.S. Not a direct competitor (membership is academic institutions), but a closely aligned ecosystem participant whose accreditation standards shape the BSW/MSW pipeline NASW-CA recruits from.

Emerging players

• National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC): Professional association for addiction counselors. Smaller than NASW-CA's footprint but serves an adjacent behavioral health population with a parallel CE and certification model; emerging player in the licensing/CE ecosystem that intersects with NASW-CA.
• SocialWork.com (CE provider): Online CE provider referenced in NASW-CA's own website (socialworkweb.com / EmpowerED). Comparable in CE course delivery and BBS-approved content category; representative of emerging online CE competitors that commoditize the CE arm of NASW-CA's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/naswca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3HNme2VU-V4_xCBQgHAaUQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/naswca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-social-workers-california-chapter-nasw-ca-
• Instagraminstagram.com/naswca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA)