Elevating Voices, Inspiring Change
In the Media
Circles on the Mic

Our story, told through the voices of those living it – featured guests on podcasts dedicated to social impact and community transformation.

Capital Church Podcast
Circles Salt Lake, a local chapter of a national initiative, supports the 15% of Salt Lake City residents living in poverty.

Sutherland Institute Ep.1
What it’s like to face safety-net ‘benefits cliffs’ that can discourage work and opportunity.

Sutherland Institute Ep.2
A firsthand account of overcoming ‘benefits cliffs’ to escape poverty.



K-Love - LOCAL Closer Look: Circles Salt Lake Helps Families in Poverty
Dan Beck talks with Circles Salt Lake leaders about helping Utah families escape poverty.
Featured Stories

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV): Comedian makes birthday donation to group that helps low income families in Salt Lake.
Published: April 26th 2023
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Comedian Elliott Threatt has a special birthday tradition. “Every year on my birthday–since I got AARP age–I try to give back on my birthday,” he said.

Deseret News: She escaped once, but finds government hurdles hard to overcome.
Published: Feb 11, 2025
Policymakers aim to help families transition from welfare to ‘work-based self-reliance.’ Emily Diaz was on the cusp of leaving her old life behind when she felt the safety net that caught her being pulled out from under her feet.

The Salt Lake Tribune: Everyone wins when we lift families out of poverty
Published: Oct. 29, 2021
If hard work were all that was necessary, we’d have almost no poverty. A popular axiom is that if you’re down on your economic luck, all you need to do is pull yourself up by your bootstraps. The implication is that one’s economic fortunes are completely within his or her control. If this were true, we’d have almost no poverty.
Circles in Action

Subaru Loves to Help | Operation Warm in Partnership with Circles
Published: Mar 22, 2024
In partnership with Circles Salt Lake, Nate Wade Subaru donates jackets, shoes, and socks to Operation Warm.

2024 Informed Decision Maker of the Year Award
Published: Apr 22, 2024
Each year, the Gardner Institute recognizes individuals and entities that work, often behind the scenes and with little fanfare, to help our community prosper.

Special Episode | Effective Systems Change
Published: Feb 26, 2025
What does Systems Change really mean, and how do we create it in ways that are transformative, long-lasting, and impactful at every level of society?