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Utah Thrives Podcast | Nonprofits in Utah

Written by: Dan Bammes

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 of Utah’s nonprofit sector. In this edition … Continued

#1 Finding from 2025: Utah’s Soaring Social Capital

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 1st place: “In 2025, Utah had the highest Social Capital Index score in the nation and has consistently been among the top states over the previous 12 years.” The Details How does Utah do so well? This year, Utah ranks first or second nationally across three of … Continued

#2 Finding from 2025: Voting Turnout and Vote-by-Mail

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 2nd place: “Voter turnout in Utah improved markedly with the adoption of universal mail-in voting, rising from 44th in 2014 to 13th in 2018. Utah may revert to among the lowest of states with the removal of universal mail-in voting scheduled for 2029.” The Details Civic engagement … Continued

#3 Finding from 2025: Families Falter

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 3rd place: “Utah’s sub-index score for focus on future generations has declined by 60% over the past 12 years.” The Details The Utah Foundation’s Social Capital Index project is a series of reports that measure whether Utah is thriving in terms of its “social capital.” Put simply, … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Digging into the Data on Social Capital

Written by: Dan Bammes

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.

#4 Finding from 2025: Utah Capitalizes on Community Life

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 4th place: “Utah still leads the nation in terms of community life – and it isn’t even close. Utah is almost twice that of the next nearest state.” The Details The Utah Foundation’s Social Capital Index project is a series of reports that measure whether Utah is … Continued

#5 Finding from 2025: Utah’s Strong Middle Class

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 5th place: “Utah has a remarkably strong middle class. As of 2023, Utah’s middle class remained ahead of every other state.” The Details The Utah Foundation’s Social Capital Index project is a series of reports that measure whether Utah is thriving in terms of its “social capital.” … Continued

#6 Finding from 2025: Comparing Delegates and Voters

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 6th place: “Both Republican and Democratic delegates are more likely than voters to be men, actively religious, older, and white, and have more education and higher incomes.” The Details The Utah political process includes the use of party delegates. Delegates are representatives chosen at a party caucus … Continued

#7 Finding from 2025: Importance of Social Capital

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 7th place: “High levels of social capital are associated with better resource allocation and social cohesion, accelerated economic development and mobility, improved education and health outcomes, stronger community engagement and disaster resilience, and reduced reliance on government services.” The Details Social capital was a big part of … Continued

#8 Finding from 2025: High but Falling Family Health

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Finding Of the 14 research reports released in 2025, there were a lot of key findings. The Utah Foundation’s Board of Directors selected the top 10. In 8th place: “Utah ranks second in family health, but has fallen from 20 to 14, the fourth-largest drop in the nation.” The Details “Famliy health” is one of seven categories from the 2025 Social Capital Index project. This category has seven of the project’s 34 metrics. Overall, … Continued