The mission of United Way of Salt Lake is to improve lives by bringing people and resources together to solve our community's most serious social problems. To achieve this mission, United Way of Salt Lake periodically measures the severity and trends of the most serious social issues facing our communities through comprehensive community assessments.

Our 2007 Community Assessment found that none of the 17 priority problems identified seems to have improved since 2004. To combat this, the research identified four "core" issues that cause the other problems. These core issues are financial instability, a lack of life skills, barriers to education, and insufficient opportunities for child and youth development.

United Way of Salt Lake acts to change the economic and social conditions that negatively affect us all. By working together, we can implement individual changes in knowledge, skills, health, and behavior. We also work to create changes in community conditions through policy work, system practices, issue awareness, and partnerships. 

Our work is focused on the following Pathways to Prosperity:

1. Improving financial stability
2. Opening doors to educational achievement
3. Strengthening children and families
4. Protecting and meeting basic needs