Dr. Richard (Rick) Hoefer teaches and conducts research in the areas of nonprofit administration, social policy, advocacy and program evaluation. Dr. Hoefer is the Roy E. Dulak Professor for Community Practice Research. Building on his research interests, scholarship and knowledge of the community, Dr. Hoefer founded and directed the Center for Advocacy, Nonprofit and Donor Organizations (CAN-DO) located at the School of Social Work until September 2016. It is the leading university-based nonprofit capacity-building organization in the Southwestern United States. Running CAN-DO as a social enterprise, Dr. Hoefer blended the principles behind service organizations and research institutes.

Dr. Hoefer has received the NASW Social Worker of the Year (Tarrant County), been named an "Eminent Scholar Mentor" by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, was given the "Best Teacher" award by graduating MSW students, and has been in the Marquis Who's Who reference manual continuously since 2008. He has been been appointed Visiting Professor at two universities in China.

An avid fencer, he has been ranked as high as #24 in the USA in his weapon and age group.

• 1989 - Ph.D. in Social Work & Political Science, University of Michigan
• 1984 - M.A. in Political Science, University of Michigan
• 1981 - M.S.S.W. in Social Work, University of Kansas
• 1979 - B.S.W. in Social Work, University of Kansas