Bill Crim, President and CEO of Utah’s Promise and United Way of Salt Lake, received the Bill Henningsgaard Cradle to Career Champion Award at the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network Convening. Held September 25-27 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, the annual convening enables partnerships and changemakers from across the country to gather and share learning about collective impact and systems change to increase economic mobility, improve outcomes, and close disparity gaps.
When presenting the award, StriveTogether Chief Program Officer Paris Woods said, “Bill is a true champion of cross-sector collaboration, place-based work and data-driven approaches. Bill, thank you for all that you’ve done for your region, the network, and the field.”
A History of Collective Impact
Bill joined United Way of Salt Lake in 2004 and has shaped the organization into a model of collective impact and results-driven social change over the last 20 years.
From the beginning, it was clear to Bill that the complex challenges our systems present are impossible for anyone to take on alone. Rather than continuing to address these challenges with fractured initiatives led by siloed bodies, he recognized the need for a coordinated effort across sectors to achieve better outcomes for kids and families. With this understanding, Bill spearheaded the creation of Promise Partnership Utah in 2013 to serve as a backbone organization facilitating the sharing of data, resources, and accountability for improving educational outcomes and closing disparity gaps.
Bill continued to champion the collective impact theory of change when he stepped into his current role in 2015. Under his leadership, Promise Partnership committed to ensuring 100% of kids in South Salt Lake and West Millcreek graduate from high school and have their basic needs met by 2028. These two Promise Communities serve as a proof point for expanding this collaborative approach throughout the state.
In his acceptance speech, Bill said, “I believe deeply that the work being done by the partnerships represented in this room and led by the people in this room is the most powerful path to an equitable world where every kid in our country can achieve their potential.”
Danya Pastuszek, Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Tamarack Institute, worked with Bill on these initiatives for 12 years. In her letter of support nominating Bill for this award, Danya wrote, “He [Bill] is the reason that Utah has a cross-scale set of partnerships, originally founded in hyper-local places that now are supported by partnerships positioned to pull on regional, state, and national levers. He has contributed to redefining the role of philanthropy not just in his organization but among funders across the Mountain West.”
Congratulations to Bill for receiving this award in recognition of his cradle-to-career, collective impact work. His dedication to continuous improvement means he is always seeking ways to better meet the needs of individuals and communities. For Bill, this work is not just a job. He embodies the mission in every aspect of his life and demonstrates a genuine passion for righting unjust systems by bringing people together.
Written by Jenna Fischer, Content Strategist.
