by Matthew Smith
Partnership Director, Promise Park City
As the new Partnership Director for Promise Park City, I have had the rewarding and insightful experience of joining Ollie Wilder, Programs Manager of Park City Community Foundation, over the last three weeks on grantee site visits. The invitation to accompany the foundation on their visits came directly from Ollie and PCCF Executive Director Katie Wright, as a way to introduce me to the nonprofit landscape of Park City and re-engage United Way of Salt Lake into the great work being done in the Promise Park City group of partners.
Park City Community Foundation has a granting cycle that includes visiting grantee organizations as a way of reviewing successes, examining challenges, and seeing what the future looks like. The process creates a tangible sense of partnership and has provided me with an extremely valuable mind map of the partnerships among nonprofit organizations in Park City.
During March, I have had the opportunity to visit with the following organizations: Jewish Family Service, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, Youth Sports Alliance, KPCW Radio, Park City Museum, Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, Holy Cross Ministries, Peace House, EATS Park City, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah. The site visits focus on specific programming, what the future looks like, what are the most pressing community issues, and how can the foundation help with future priorities.
“We get a great sense from these visits of what’s happening with our partners and in the community,” said Ollie recently, “and everyone we’ve met with has been excited that Matthew is rolling up his sleeves and joining us in this inspiring work.”
The focus of the discussions is on working together to further critical outcomes for the greater community. Currently, Promise Park City is focused on the following outcomes: family health, early childhood education, and college and career readiness. With the vision and collaboration of Park City Community Foundation, United Way of Salt Lake, and the vast array of dedicated community partners, we can make huge gains in these areas.
