Utah Thrives Archives - Utah Foundation

In the second of two podcasts surveying the general plans of counties and municipal governments in Utah on their provisions for aging Utahns, Utah Foundation Research Analyst Ashley Marshall-Cantor looks at some of the specific ideas reflected in those plans. A roundtable discussion follows, including Utah Foundation staff and leaders of agencies serving Utah’s aging population. The post Uta...

A new Utah Foundation report examines plans to serve Utah’s aging population in communities across the state. Researcher Ashley Marshall-Cantor outlines her findings, followed by a roundtable conversation with representatives of agencies serving older Utahns and their families.   The podcast includes a conversation with:   Ashley Marshall-Cantor, Utah Foundation Researcher Jimmy Golding, Mou...

This podcast explores the topics of the Utah Foundation’s report, Healthcare Costs for Utahns: A 2026 Update. Dan Bammes narrated the podcast with excerpts from the following guests: Bryn Ramjoue, my529 Shawn Teigen, Utah Foundation Troy Pritchett, University of Utah Health Matthew Slonaker, Utah Health Policy Project Kathryn Macdonald-Poelman, Utah Foundation Brian Monson, Molina Healthcare...

This podcast explores four approaches for boosting homeownership for prospective homebuyers. Dan Bammes narrated the podcast with excerpts from the following guests:  Karson Eliers from the Utah League of Cities and Towns sets the stage from the 2026 Utah General Legislative Session. Shawn Teigen from the Utah Foundation spoke about education, finance, downpayment assistance, and shared equity. Je...

There are more than 12,500 non-profit organizations in Utah, according to data from the Internal Revenue Service. Most of them are very small, with less than $50,000 in annual revenue, though some are much larger. The number is growing and it appears the sector as a whole is flourishing. At the request of the Utah Nonprofits Association, the Utah Foundation has just published a report on the state...

The Utah Foundation’s project on social capital has included a series of reports on the idea and its potential application to communities in Utah. The project was guided by members of the Utah Foundation’s Board of Trustees, including Sandy City Council member Aaron DeKeyzer. He joins Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen and Research Director Christopher Collard for a roundtable discussion. The...

What has all this study and conversation about social capital meant as the Utah Foundation has looked at it from multiple angles? Social capital – defined as the value of relationships in families and the larger community – is an extremely valuable asset, every bit as important as money in the bank for the places and people that have it. Utah Foundation staff looked back on the series of reports a...

Over the past year, the Utah Foundation has published a series of reports looking at social capital in Utah – the idea, as expressed by Harvard Professor Robert Putnam, that our connections between individuals and the broader community improve not only our own well-being but that of the places we live and the nation as a whole. One key aspect of that is social mobility – improving each family’s st...

As we age, all of us will need a safe place to live and a means of transportation to meet our basic needs and avoid the social isolation that can make life difficult for older Americans. Utah Foundation supporter HNTB recently sponsored a community conversation on the idea of “aging in place.”   In this edition of Utah Thrives, we explore ways to address issues both big and small that...

There’s good news and bad news in the newest report in the Utah Foundation’s social capital series. The good news is that Utah far outdistances every other state in several key metrics of community life. The bad news is that Utah’s community life index score has fallen by over 40% since 2013. In this podcast, Dan Bammes talks with Utah Foundation staff and board members Ben Brown and Mary Catherin...