In the News

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 6, 2026 – The Utah We Believe In, a coalition of community, faith, business and civic leaders across the state, today launched a new mini-grant program and online resources to help Utahns work together for common causes. The campaign encourages all to put five shared values into action: community, hard work, family, nature and faith. The coalition provides Utahns ready-to-use project guides, ways to connect with organizations already doing this work and an application for $500-$1,000 grants that support local projects bringing people together across their differences.

The launch follows new research from around the state on what Utahns from different backgrounds value and what they hope for in their communities. The coalition highlights, supports and accelerates the organizations and programs already doing this important work including myHometownUT, One Kind Act A Day and the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, which oversees UServeUtah.

“Utahns have always known how to show up for one another,” said Ze Min Xiao, co-founder of The Utah We Believe In and president and CEO of the Center of Economic Opportunity & Belonging. “This effort isn’t about starting from scratch. It’s about connecting the good work already happening in our communities and making it easier for every Utahn to be part of it, regardless of differences.”

Through the coalition’s new website, Utahns can find simple projects that take only a few hours and use resources people already have. Project guides include:

• Create a Better Welcome at Work: Coworkers from different teams, generations and roles write a one-page welcome guide together and try it with a new hire.
• Care for a Place We Share: Neighbors who seldom work together, like youth and older adults or longtime and newer residents, choose a park or public space and care for it in mixed teams.
• Pack Care Kits Together: A faith community teams up with another congregation or a secular group and a local service organization to pack care kits for neighbors, with time to talk across beliefs while they work.

The Utah We Believe In’s website will also provide practical tools and resources to help Utahns connect, build trust, and work across differences. Drawing on resources from Turn Toward and partners such as Braver Angels, Dignity Index, Living Room Conversations and Disagree Better, the campaign will highlight opportunities for constructive dialogue and meaningful community engagement. Through the Listen First Project, the website will connect Utahns with additional national resources that foster understanding and collaboration.

The website will also introduce a new event-planning tool that makes it easier for individuals, neighborhoods and organizations to bring people together, strengthen relationships and turn shared values into local action.

Community groups can also apply for mini-grants to support local projects that put the five shared values into action. The coalition seeks projects that bring together at least two groups whose backgrounds, experiences or perspectives differ to work on a shared challenge. Funding decisions will consider the quality of that collaboration, the potential community benefit and how achievable the proposed activity is. The Utah We Believe In will offer recipients technical assistance, access to an event planning platform and support to share their stories through the campaign. There is no fixed deadline, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

“We don’t have to agree on everything to work on something together,” said Byron Russell, co-founder of The Utah We Believe In. “Every one of our shared values gets stronger when people who might never otherwise meet roll up their sleeves side by side. Our job is to give Utahns more chances to do exactly that.”

The Utah We Believe In is also inviting Utahns and leaders from across the state to help shape the work through four advisory groups. A Board of Advisors of respected Utah leaders will provide high-level counsel, serve as ambassadors and help build partnerships statewide. A Project Strategic Advisory Committee will guide the strategy, development and implementation of the initiative. A Community Advisory Council will bring together a diverse group of Utahns to make sure the work reflects the experiences and needs of communities across the state. A National Advisory Committee of national thought leaders and practitioners will share research and lessons from bridge-building and belonging efforts across the country.

At its heart, The Utah We Believe In is about celebrating the strength of communities and reminding Utahns that we are more united than divided. By elevating stories of everyday Utahns coming together to solve challenges both big and small, the campaign will shine a light on the people, partnerships and acts of service already making a difference across the state. Rather than duplicating existing efforts, the campaign seeks to amplify and accelerate the good work already happening in Utah communities, inspiring more people to recognize what unites us and work together toward a future defined by what we are for, not what we are against.

Utahns can explore each shared value, find a project, connect with partner organizations and apply for a mini-grant at UtahWeBelieveIn.org. Organizations and leaders interested in joining advisory groups can also sign up through the website.