The deadline to submit nominations for the 2026 Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award was April 1, 2026. Check back this fall for the 2027 nomination procedures. See below for information on award eligibility and a list of past winners.

HISTORY

Since 1991, the SSSP has presented an award to an organization in the city hosting the annual meeting for its social justice work. In 2009, the award was renamed in honor of Thomas C. Hood, who retired as Executive Officer after serving the Society in that role for 19 years. The award carries a $2,500 stipend. Find past winners of this award.

CRITERIA

The Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award is awarded to a local grassroots social justice organization in the metropolitan area of the city in which the annual meeting is held that year. When the annual meeting is held in the United States, the area includes the Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Census.

NOMINATIONS

While the recipient can be an organization in the New York City area that engages in direct service work, preferred recipients for the Social Action Award will be organizations that also work at the level of systems change. The organization may not be a local or regional chapter of a national or international organization, and must be one that will benefit significantly from the award. The nomination of organizations that include directly impacted people and communities in leadership positions and decisions are also encouraged. Please note that 501(c)(3) status is not required in order to encourage a diverse pool of nonprofit applicants.

The award is a fitting expression of the overall purpose of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, which is concerned with applying scientific methods and theories to the study of social problems. SSSP aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, and advocates to examine and understand social problems in order to further solutions and develop social policy based on knowledge.

The nomination deadline for the 2026 award was April 1, 2026. The 2026 award will be presented at the 76th Annual Meeting, August 6-9, 2026.

Please address all questions to:

Dr. Karolina M. Dos Santos, Chair
Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award Committee
kdossant@kean.edu