Philanthropists Paul Blavin and Dwight Tate have joined the USC School of Social Work’s Board of Councilors.

Blavin, who has a background in investment banking, is a passionate proponent of social change. His interest in helping foster youth and those who have aged out of the system drew him to the School of Social Work.

“I felt like I needed to reach out and learn more about the school that was training people to help serve underserved youth,” he said.

“We need to help people who need it most.”

Blavin and his wife, Amy, established the Blavin Scholars program at the University of Michigan and Northern Arizona University to provide scholarship and mentorship assistance to foster youth aging out of the foster care system. The program boasts a 98 percent graduation rate for participants, of which there have been 20 so far. The goal is to have 100 graduates on a yearly basis, and Blavin hopes to bring this program to USC.

He also serves on the boards of South Central Scholars, which helps students from disadvantaged Los Angeles County communities achieve academic and personal success, and Teen Project, which provides transitional housing and other resources to aged-out foster youth.

Blavin is also chief executive of Graceful Light Entertainment, which has produced documentary films to “shine a bright light on dark places in our society and compel social action,” he said.

As an alumnus of the University of Michigan, USC wasn’t always top-of-mind for Blavin. But his teenage daughter, Lily, insisted on taking a campus tour, which Blavin described as “eye-opening.”

“My whole family has fallen in love with USC,” he said.

As an alumnus of the School of Social Work, Tate, MSW ’77, is no stranger to USC and has been a generous supporter of the school’s mission and programs for years. He has made multiple gifts to the school, including his most recent to establish the Dwight Tate Endowment Fund to provide scholarships for veterans and military spouses pursuing a Master of Social Work.

“I find that the values expressed and exhibited by the School of Social Work are aligned with my own core values,” he said. “[Joining the board] gives me the opportunity to see those values put into practice in a much larger context. I will hope that the board can magnify and multiply the presence of the school in discussions of applicable resources when communities confront seemingly intractable challenges.”

Tate started out his professional career as a school teacher and then moved on to join Pacific State Hospital in Pomona, California, where he worked with people with developmental disabilities and their families. His work there inspired him to get his MSW from the School of Social Work.

He worked as a licensed clinical social worker for 20 years before he transitioned into financial advising, which he saw as an extension of his desire to help people. Now retired, he continues to serve his community by volunteering at nonprofit organizations, including as chair of the board of directors for The Carolyn E. Wylie Center for Children, Youth & Families.

“In this time of local and global discord, social workers will lead the way to conciliation and collaboration. There are so many challenges that we are uniquely positioned to address,” he said. “I am proud to be part of a group that encourages and promotes solutions rather than decrying problems and hopelessness. Social workers may not have originated the phrase ‘Yes, we can,’ or ‘Sí, se puede,’ but they live it every day.”

Blavin and Tate join the board as Ann Hill transitions to emeritus status. Hill, BA ‘71, MA ‘73, joined the board in 2010 and served as its chair for two years. Previously she was president of the USC Alumni Association and served on the Board of Trustees of the university.