Utah Community Action Partnership Association

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO LEAD, STRENGTHEN, AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK IN ORDER TO BUILD THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND END POVERTY.

ASSET DEVELOPMENT THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS GENERATIONAL WEALTH ACCRUAL AND FUTURE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY HELPING FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES SAVE FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION (INCLUDING TRADE SCHOOL) AS THEY WORK WITH CASE MANAGERS FROM THE NINE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES IN UTAH IN MEETING YEARLY CASE MANAGEMENT GOALS. CAP UTAH SUPPORTED COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY PROGRAMING BY PROVIDING A MY529 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS THAT MEET WITH CASE MANAGERS AND MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, AND SELFRELIANCE GOALS. 4 NEW ACCOUNTS WERE CREATED; 137 ACTIVE ACCOUNTS - WITH THE AVERAGE ACCOUNT WITH SAVINGS OF 666.12.

TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THE ORGANIZATION WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UTAH'S STATE COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE, THE REGION 8 PERFORMANCE AND INNOVATION CONSORTIUM, AND OTHER NATIONAL PARTNERS TO PROVIDE TRAINING, SUPPORT, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT TO THE NINE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES IN UTAH. IN FY 2023, CAP UTAH PROVIDED OVER 3,631 HOURS OF TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ITS NETWORK AND PARTNERS IN THE STATE. CAP UTAH REACHED 401 DISTINCT INDIVIDUALS FROM 65 ORGANIZATIONS (TWICE AS MUCH AS THE PREVIOUS YEARS). SOME IMPORTANT TRAININGS OCCURRED VIA THE 2023 HYBRID, RESULTS ORIENTED MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY (ROMA) TRAININGS (PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SEMINARS), SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND OTHER NATIONAL AND STATE TRAININGS, SPECIAL TRAINING SEMINARS, AND IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL CONSULTATIONS. THERE WERE 1,781 TOTAL TRAININGS AND CONSULTATION INTERACTIONS. CAP UTAH ASSISTED EACH OF THE 9 COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES WITH NEEDS ASSESSMENTS FOR THEIR REGIONS - IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS OF POVERTY AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL AREAS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO INCREASED FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR FAMILIES BY IMPLEMENTING THE DIAPER DISTRIBUTION DEMONSTRATION AND RESEARCH PROJECT BEGINNING IN MAY 2023. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UTAH DIAPER BANK AND 5 COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES, CAP UTAH WAS ABLE TO SERVE 773 UNIQUE FAMILIES AND DISTRIBUTE 189,231.00 DIAPERS TO FAMILIES BELOW 200% POVERTY LEVEL ACROSS UTAH. 51% OF YOUR FAMILIES REPORT BEING OFTEN STRESSED ABOUT AFFORDING THEIR ESSENTIAL NEEDS.

ADVOCACY & POLICY RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION WORKS TO KEEP THE STRUGGLES OF THOSE IN POVERTY THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN THE MIND OF LEGISLATORS WHEN THEY ARE CONSIDERING LAWS AND BUDGET CHANGES THAT COULD AFFECT THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION. THIS IS DONE BY EDUCATING LAWMAKERS, KEEPING THEM CURRENT WITH POVERTY TRENDS, AND WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE POVERTY IN UTAH. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO APPRISES LAW MAKERS, PARTNERS, AND THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPACTS OF COMMUNITY ACTION IN UTAH AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THIS AREA DURING FY23. FIRST, CAP UTAH HOSTED/CO-HOSTED THREE POVERTY SIMULATIONS ACROSS THE STATE, HELPING OVER 150 UTAHNS BECOME MORE SENSITIZED AND UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE POVERTY. SECOND, CAP UTAH EDUCATED OVER 24 ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT NEEDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE ASSESSMENTS OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES. THIRD, IT PRODUCED STATEWIDE IMPACT REPORTS ABOUT HOW THE COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK IN UTAH RESPONDED TO THE PANDEMIC; FINALLY, IT SUPPORTED THE FORMERLY HOMELESS BOARD OF UTAH - ALLOWING THOSE WITH A SHARED LIFE EXPERIENCE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH DECISION MAKERS.