COSW funding has come mainly from voluntary donations and occasional grants since its formation in 1994.  A new category of Associate Member (organisational or individual) is being implemented from 2024. Associate Members are invited to make a donation. Most activity is done on a voluntary basis.  Several Commonwealth social work associations offer informal support but there is no membership fee. 

COSW has been involved with formal Commonwealth meetings since the launch in 1994. It has ensured social work visibility at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGMs) through the involvement of local associations (eg Malta, Nigeria, Australia, Sri Lanka, UK, Rwanda/East Africa and Fiji/Aotearoa New Zealand) and in policy consultations convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat, mainly in London and increasingly virtual.  COSW relies on IFSW policy documents as the basis for its advocacy work. 

COSW representatives have also been active in helping to shape a more coherent, joint voice by Commonwealth Accredited Organisations in the Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations, including taking leading roles in the Steering Committee and in production of CHOGM policy submissions.

COSW successfully supported a four-month Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in 2002, funded by the Commonwealth, shadowing David N Jones in his role as a member of the Audit Commission Joint Review Team.  This was awarded to Max Anyuru (former Hon Secretary of the Uganda association) following a call for nominations.  One outcome of this Fellowship was identification of the significance of work with young carers as a focus for social work in developed and developing countries.

COSW has been involved in a long-term project engaging with young carers in East Africa, working with the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the Children’s Society (UK) and social work associations in the region, with additional financial support from the Noel and Thea Jones Fund.  There have been four young carer ‘festivals’ in Nairobi, modelled on the annual events organised in England by the Children’s Society.  The first conference in 2006 was funded by the UK Department for Children, Schools and Families with assistance from the Commonwealth Youth Programme.

The intention has been to build support and resources for a sustainable event in East Africa highlighting the needs and contributions of young carers.  The Kenyan association has played a key role, with the involvement of associations in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.  The event has attracted local media interest and a BBC Africa Service interview.  Reports have been published in The Guardian online.  These events have also enabled parallel meetings of regional social work association leaders, who had travelled with the young people, which would not have been possible without the festival funding.

The 2019 event attracted modest Commonwealth Secretariat funding to mark the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth.  The funding enabled a digital connection between young carers in Kenya, Canada and the UK with follow-up links with young carers in India, Nigeria and Australia.  These consultations were followed by more extensive consultations in several Commonwealth countries, resulting in the Commonwealth Charter for Young Carers. Progress was disrupted by the 2020 Covid pandemic but the Charter was launched at the 2022 CHOGM in Rwanda and endorsed in meetings at the 2024 CHOGM in Samoa (see https://cosw.info/young-cares/ for the Charter and more information about the project including videos.

Modest funding supported a COSW Board member from India to attend the world social work conference in Korea in 2016.

COSW has been an active member of Para 55, a loose network of Commonwealth associations advocating the need for improved services for people affected by HIV-AIDS.

COSW Board members and social work associations have been involved in supporting bilateral exchanges (eg Australia/Malaysia) and in contributing to Commonwealth consultations and meetings.

COSW organised our first global webinar in July 2020 focusing on social work practice during the pandemic and in particular on mental health services.  There were six one-hour webinars over three days together with opening and closing presentations, with contributions from each of the Commonwealth regions – Pacific, Asia, Europe, Africa, Caribbean.  This was hosted by Madras Christian College and was put together at speed, thanks to the energy of several students, illustrating the strength of Commonwealth networks.  The event attracted around 10,000 attendees.

The COSW contribution to the Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations has continued resulting in a major submission to CHOGM 2024 on ‘Respecting and Revitalising the Commonwealth’s Commitment to Civil Society’ (See https://cosw.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/final-ifco-submission-to-2024-chogm-cow-25.07.24.pdf).