About The Policy Project
Objectives
While the specific issues we address may vary, all of our work aligns with the following overarching objectives:
Support children and families
Build the middle class
Strengthen public education
Ensure individuals can meet basic needs
Fix inefficient and inequitable systems
Promote mental and physical health
Prevent violence and exploitation
Criteria
With so many pressing needs in our communities, we use a rigorous and principled approach to determine which policies we pursue. Each potential policy is assessed using four key criteria:
Alignment with our values: nonpartisan, support underserved populations
Impact: reach as many of Utah's 3.3 million residents as possible
Feasibility: strong support from lawmakers, communities, & donors
Data-driven outcomes: based on research or success in other states
Policy Pathway
Our work is guided by a strategic framework called the Policy Pathway—a comprehensive, step-by-step model that ensures policies aren’t just passed, but embraced, implemented, and sustained in the real world.
Identify the Need: We begin by listening directly to communities to ensure the issues we tackle are rooted in real experiences.
Craft the Solution: We collaborate with experts, researchers, and those most affected to create practical, research-backed policies.
Pass the Policy: We mobilize coalitions and stakeholders to turn good ideas into law and drive systems-level change.
Translate Policy into Action: We work hand-in-hand with schools, agencies, and partners to implement policies effectively.
Ensure the Impact: We lead cultural change by shifting public attitudes and reducing stigma—especially among students, educators, and families.