More than two dozen representatives from a variety of nonprofit, government and for-profit businesses gathered Tuesday for a day of networking and learning during the Southern Utah Community Impact Summit at the Dixie Elks Lodge in St. George.
The topic presented by the Utah Nonprofits Association was collaboration and finding ways for nonprofits to work together and accomplish making their communities better places to live.
“I think it’s important to foster collaboration because it really gets to the heart of our neighborhoods,” said Kate Rubalcava, the CEO of the Utah Nonprofits Association. “We get the chance to talk with one another about the things we’re doing, and we get the chance to seek assistance from one another.”
During her keynote speech, Rubalcava warned summit goers that working with other groups and individuals can be rewarding and beneficial, but it can also be difficult.
“True collaboration is hard,” she said. “Sometimes it’s tricky and it keeps you up at night. You are working with a variety of people. You’re asking who else should be at the table to make sure we’re providing our best services.”
Rubalcava also encouraged attendees to avoid letting ego get in the way.
“When you’re leaving your comfort zone and you truly begin to collaborate, not all things are going to go your way. Someone is going to offend you and you are going to offend someone else,” she said. “To move through it you have to be committed to the relationship in a way that will honor your expectations and the expectation of those around you. That makes it easier to recognize that it’s not about you and it’s not about them its about the people you’re serving.”
The summit featured a Community Impact Challenge, where three groups of collaborating entities and three groups of organizations with plans for future collaborations designed to benefit communities, pitched ideas with the hope of earning one of two available grants.
“Our objective is to encourage and inspire new collaborations,” said Dawn McLain, the chairwoman of the Southern Utah Committee for the Utah Nonprofits Association. “We’re trying to reduce redundancy and coordinate services.”
Representatives from the eSmart Camp for Girls, the School of Life Foundation and Children’s Jubilee and STEAM festival each described their groups’ efforts first during pitches in the existing collaboration category.
A $1,000 award was presented to the eSmart Camp for Girls, a collaboration between the local branch of the American Association of University and Women and Dixie State University to put on a girls camp every summer focused on STEM education.
“This is amazing, but really let’s give a hand to everyone who presented. They’re doing such an amazing job with their collaborations and doing so much good in our area,” said Erin O’Brien, chairwoman of the DSU Biological Sciences Department.
In the new collaborations category, representatives form Help Me Grow Utah, The Learning Center for Families and the Washington County Library System pitched an idea to help foster more screenings for children who may have developmental delays; representatives from the Southwest Wildlife Foundation, Southern Utah University, the Iron County School District and Rainbow Sign and Banner pitched an idea to create education kits to help students and guests at the Cedar Canyon Nature Park learn about the outdoors; and representatives from the Assistance League of Southern Utah, Cherish Families and the Washington County School District pitched an idea to collaborate on providing children leaving the communities of Hildale and Colorado City with school clothes.
The latter was awarded $2,500 for its presentation.
“I fully believe, as we work with one another to build a stronger communities, that it isn’t about us,” Rubalcava said. “At the end of the day it’s about the organization, it’s about our membership and the communities we serve. Our mission is to unify, strengthen and elevate Utah’s nonprofits.”
