press releases
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June 16, 2020
We Must and Will Do Better
"The Sorenson Impact Center was endowed in 2012 to provide a practical and academic focus on direct impact investing. Since that time, our disciplines and capabilities have broadened to include data science, policy innovation, and field building—all while keeping student experiential education and impact investing at our core."
May 27, 2020
Vital Data to Support Children during Covid-19
"Children are among those most affected by food shortages, diminished public services, mental health strain, and worsening poverty wrought by the pandemic."
May 8, 2020
Ramping Up Our Response
"Understanding the social context of the Covid-19 spread will be essential to informed policy discussions. This analysis is not meant to replace peer-reviewed research, but to open a discussion on the type of social impact analysis that should be conducted on the spread and impacts of Covid-19."
June 6, 2019
The Ivory Prize: The Importance of Innovation to Improve Housing Affordability
By Abby Ivory, Manager, Sorenson Impact and Director, Ivory Innovations, & Kent W. Colton, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University and President, The Colton Housing Group
April 10, 2019
Four Innovators Awarded Funding to Tackle Housing Affordability
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Factory OS and Landed in San Francisco, Home Partners of America in Chicago and The Alley Flat Initiative in Austin have been selected by Ivory Innovations as winners of the inaugural Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability. The national innovation challenge sheds light on emerging and impactful solutions seeking to address America’s housing affordability challenges. Here is a link to the digital brochure. Read the full press release.
February 06, 2019
The Sorenson Impact Center Launches the Opportunity Zones Task Force and Upcoming Opportunity Zones Catalyst Challenge
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center, along with its founding partners, the Economic Innovation Group, U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), Beeck Center, and Develop Advisors, today launched The Opportunity Zones Task Force, and forthcoming Opportunity Zones Catalyst Challenge.
January 23, 2019
University of Utah Announces Innovative Financing Program to Help Students Finish Degrees
SALT LAKE CITY—The University of Utah launches Invest in U pilot program, in partnership with the Sorenson Impact Center and Vemo Education, to help students in 18 majors finish their degrees. The program has a $6 million budget and is funded by the university, donors and investors.
December 21, 2018
Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) -
A Playbook for Designing Social Impact Measurement
Thinking about social impact measurement on a spectrum can help organizations develop a clear, evidence-based idea of how or why their programs work.
October 19, 2018
The National Council on Family Relations -
Social Services Professionals' Views of Barriers to Supporting Homeless Noncustodial Fathers
Tiana N. Rogers, a manager on the data, policy, and performance innovation team at the Sorenson Impact Center authored the article “Social Services Professionals' Views of Barriers to Supporting Homeless Noncustodial Fathers,” which investigates the barriers to service for homeless noncustodial fathers from the perspective of social service professionals who work directly to assist men with securing housing while meeting the demands of fatherhood.
October 10, 2018
Brookings -
The Evaluation Roadmap for Optimizing Pre-K Programs
Janis Dubno, a managing director of data, policy, and performance innovation at the Sorenson Impact Center contributed to the Brookings report analyzing the optimization of pre-K programs.
October 3, 2018
University Venture Fund II Is First Money in Navigen Pharmaceuticals Seed Round
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center’s University Venture Fund - Impact Investing (UVF II) closed its first investment in a seed round into Salt Lake City-based Navigen, Inc.
September 5, 2018
The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance Announce Awardee of Pay for Success Structuring Grant
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance today announced Philadelphia Works, Inc. in Philadelphia, Pa. as the awardee of a nationwide Pay for Success (PFS) transaction structuring competition.
August 28, 2018
JPMorgan Chase & Co -
The Status of Utah’s Female and Minority Small Business Owners
This report aims to define the market for women and minority run businesses in the state of Utah as well as provide recommendations for how this market could be strengthened. It contains an analysis of the underrepresentation of females and minorities among Utah business ownership, and concludes with a series of recommendations to stakeholders and investors, which aim to move Utah business ownership toward a more equitable state, with stronger representation for women and minorities.
July 20, 2018
Sorenson Impact Center Announces Hewson Baltzell as New CEO
SALT LAKE CITY –The Sorenson Impact Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Hewson Baltzell as the new CEO of the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. Mr. Baltzell’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Center. Mr. Baltzell was appointed by the Eccles School Dean, Taylor Randall, after an extensive national search and is relocating from New York City.
July 12, 2018
The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance Re-Open Pay for Success Competition
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance today re-opened their nationwide competition to develop Pay for Success (PFS) projects that expand high-impact social interventions and measurably improve the lives of those in need.
July 11, 2017
MIT Press Journals -
Pay for Success as a Policy Tool
We hope that successful collaborative partnerships like that between Salt Lake County and the Sorenson Impact Center will help advance other efforts around the nation to reduce recidivism and homelessness...
July 12, 2018
The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance Re-Open Pay for Success Competition
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance today re-opened their nationwide competition to develop Pay for Success (PFS) projects that expand high-impact social interventions and measurably improve the lives of those in need.
May 23, 2018
University Venture Fund — Impact Investing: Student venture fund completes first-round close at $8.2M
SALT LAKE CITY — The Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business today announced the successful first-round close of University Venture Fund — Impact Investing (UVF II), an $8.2 million fund that follows on the heels of the original University Venture Fund (UVF).
April 24, 2018
Local Communities to Prioritize a Strong Start for Babies and Toddlers
SALT LAKE CITY—Leading national organizations announced today that they will work with 29 communities across the country to focus on child development from birth to age 3. Research shows investments in the first three years of life, when a child’s brain develops faster than at any other time period, are most critical in helping more children become more confident, empathetic, contributing members of their communities.
February 12, 2018
Congress Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Create a Federal Fund Supporting Social Financing; The Sorenson Impact Center Plays Leading Role
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business played a leading role in supporting the bipartisan Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA), which passed Congress early Friday morning and is expected to be signed into law.
November 17, 2017
National Organizations Form Joint Effort to Improve Kindergarten Readiness for Children from Birth to Age 3
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Working together, organizations will launch coordinated effort to advance programs and policies focused on early years in life when rapid periods of brain development are critical for later success.
October 2, 2017
Lee Pesky Learning Center Finds Viable Pay for Success Approach to Improving Literacy
BOISE, Idaho—Lee Pesky Learning Center (LPLC), a dedicated teaching and research organization with the vision to create a path to learning for every child, has issued a report assessing the feasibility of using Pay for Success to scale its evidence-based Idaho Early Literacy Project.
July 25, 2017
The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance Announce Awardees of Pay for Success Structuring Grant
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance today announced Charter Oak State College in Connecticut, Lee Pesky Learning Center in Idaho, and the Workforce Investment Network in Tennessee as the awardees of a nationwide Pay for Success (PFS) competition.
May 22, 2017
Sorenson Impact Center Selects Eight Subrecipients to Participate in National Pay for Success Initiative
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business has awarded subgrants to five nonprofit service providers and three government entities to participate in a Pay for Success (PFS) feasibility program. Read our full press release.
May 8, 2017
Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance Re-Open Pay for Success Competition
SALT LAKE CITY—The Sorenson Impact Center and Social Finance today reopened their nationwide Pay for Success (PFS) competition to develop PFS projects that expand high-impact social interventions to measurably improve the lives of those in need. Read our full press release.
February 21, 2017
Sorenson Impact Announces Awardees for Pay for Success Data Grant
SALT LAKE CITY — The Sorenson Impact Center, a grantee of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Social Innovation Fund (SIF), today announced three awardees that will receive tailored data services in support of Pay for Success projects. Read our full press release.
January 24, 2017
Top Minds in Social Impact and Innovation Convene in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY—A world-renowned group of more than 120 experts will converge on Salt Lake City, along with 500 guests, for the third annual Winter Innovation Summit from January 25 to January 27. The conference is hosted by the Sorenson Impact Center in partnership with Salt Lake County and the Sundance Institute. Read our full press release.
January 9, 2017
Gov. Hickenlooper Announces ‘Call for Innovation’ for Underserved Colorado Youth
Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the “Colorado Call for Innovation,” soliciting innovative approaches from nonprofits, local governments and service providers to improve outcomes for Colorado underserved youth and their families. Sorenson Impact's work supports the State of Colorado through a Social Innovation Fund grant. Read the Governor's press release.
December 19, 2016
Salt Lake County Launches Two Pay for Success Projects
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams today announced the launch of two new initiatives to offer better programs to address two long-running county problems – persistent homelessness and adult men who are at high risk for repeat stays in the county jail. Sorenson Impact played the role of project manager, Jim Sorenson is a funder. Read Salt Lake County's press release.
November 30, 2016
The What Works Media Project Launches
The Sorenson Impact Center and Results for America have partnered with Starfish Media Group, Solutions Media, and Impact Partners to produce documentary shorts that impact policy and change lives. Read Results for America's press release.
October 18, 2016
White House Announces Grant Awardees for Pay for Success Administrative Data Pilot
Sorenson Impact receives $1.5 million grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Social Innovation Fund (SIF) to enable data access for social service projects nationwide. Read full press release.
October 7, 2016
Pima County and Sorenson Impact to Begin Implementing $1.3M Grant
Pima County and Sorenson Impact prepare to implement a $1.3 million federal "Pay for Success" (PFS) Supportive Housing Demonstration Grant, the first of its kind in Arizona. Read the full press release.
October 4, 2016
Sorenson Impact and Social Finance Announce Pay for Success Competition
Five awardees to receive up to $520,000 each to scale high-impact programs in their communities; youth development, economic opportunity and healthy futures are the focus of awards. Read the full press release.