Utah has long been a warm welcoming center for newcomers. But the continued strength and vitality of our state depends on our ability to create a supportive community that enables all to succeed and prosper.

Newcomers face a web of issues that prevent them from fully participating in the civic, cultural, and economic fabric of our community. Educational and employment opportunities are often out of reach for newcomers, who may also face a lack of access to adequate health care or social services.

United Way of Salt Lake launched our Immigrant Integration initiative to find ways to help newcomers integrate, succeed and support their families, and lend their skills, education, and culture to our community. A strong framework for integration will help Utah create cohesive and vibrant communities and economies.

United Way of Salt Lake adopts the definition of immigrant integration from Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees: "immigrant integration is a dynamic, two-way process in which newcomers and the receiving society work together to build secure, vibrant, and cohesive communities. As an intentional effort, immigrant integration engages and transforms all community stakeholders, reaping shared benefits and creating a new whole that is greater than the sum of its parts."

In June 2007, United Way of Salt Lake released Building on Common Ground: A Framework for Immigrant Integration, a report that brings together literature, secondary data, and survey results to describe the many challenges to integration that newcomers face. The report was released during United Way of Salt Lake's Synergy Summit, an event that drew more than 400 business, community, and government leaders.

In the upcoming months, United Way of Salt Lake will convene a steering committee comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders. This steering committee will help guide our work through the Immigrant Integration initiative.

For those interested in joining or endorsing the Immigration Policy Coalition please download and submit the following form:

 IPC Endorsement Form

For information or to get involved, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Community Impact Manager 801.736.7713.