The Center for Transforming Lives and The University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social Work partnered to host Reimagining Together: Strengthening Fort Worth’s Nonprofit Future, a day-long conversation among nonprofit leaders, educators and community partners on how to create a more connected and compassionate system of care.
The event brought together UTA faculty and leadership, alongside more than two dozen nonprofit executives and practitioners. The focus was clear: listen deeply, learn collaboratively and transform how the region supports its most vulnerable residents.
A key feature of the convening was a panel of service participants, who shared first-hand experiences navigating local systems of support. Their reflections illustrated the real impact of empathy, consistency, and collaboration between organizations, reminding attendees why centering lived experience remains vital to social work practice.
“We view collaborative events as opportunities to meet people where they are, be they service providers or service recipients; to find gaps and ensure we’re interacting with our communities in beneficial and accessible ways,” said Kirk Foster, Dean of the UTA School of Social Work. “Working directly with our community partners allows us to pinpoint areas where we could impact the most amount of people in the most beneficial ways possible.”
Carol Klocek, CEO of the Center for Transforming Lives, and Kirk Foster, Dean of the UTA School of Social Work, speak during the “Reimagining Together: Strengthening Fort Worth’s Nonprofit Future” event. (Photo by Jaelon Jackson)
With such a diverse group of service participants and service providers, the event illustrated the close connection between nonprofits and the community they serve.
“It’s to build relationships and trust in the community,” said Dr. Genevieve Graaf, Associate Professor of Social Work. “We want to find opportunities for collaboration that bring meaningful learning experiences for our students, as well as opportunities for research and evaluation.”
That spirit of partnership resonated throughout the day as speakers discussed shared challenges and bold possibilities.
Carol Klocek, CEO of the Center for Transforming Lives, said the convening was designed to turn disruption into opportunity.
“Today’s event was a convening of nonprofit leaders to reimagine how our social-service delivery system can work in a time of disruption,” Klocek said. “We have uncertainty in funding, and we have AI and technology changes. How can we flip the script from ‘this is a terrible time’ to ‘this is a time of opportunity’?”
She added that the inclusion of service participants, the people directly affected by these systems, was intentional and essential.
“They are the experts in their own lives,” Klocek said. “If we don’t listen to them, we’re not going to create services that work. We are better when we recognize their expertise and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
Wayne Carson, CEO of ACH Child and Family Services, shared similar sentiments for the panel of service participants.
“We can’t come up with solutions to be responsive to what people need if we don’t know what they need,” he said. “The voice of those we support is critical.”
Carson also noted the practical side of partnership and collaboration among nonprofits and community partners.
“None of us are funded adequately to solve all of the problems our communities are facing,” he said. “And the problems are too complicated for any one of us to solve on our own. So we come together to see how we can lean on one another.”
A small group discusses possible solutions to issues facing their communities at the “Reimagining Together: Strengthening Fort Worth’s Nonprofit Future” event. (Photo by Jaelon Jackson)
That sentiment was echoed by Julie Butner, President and CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, who said cooperation across organizations helps ensure everyone in their community receives support.
“Working in collaboration with other nonprofits provides better, holistic support to the neighbors that we serve,” Butner said. “It also reduces redundancies and inefficiencies so we can make better use of the resources we have.”
She added that what stood out to her most was the ambition for collective accountability.
“A big, bold ambition for the community is to allow a closed-loop referral system and take an inventory of all nonprofit services and support,” Butner said. “That way we know how to access resources from one another and avoid duplicating efforts.”
Throughout the day, participants expressed enthusiasm about the School of Social Work’s renewed community presence. Carson summed it up simply.
“Seeing the UTA faculty meet with the community like this is incredibly optimistic, and it’s very exciting.”
Dean Kirk Foster said the school’s involvement reflects its deep commitment to both education and community impact.
“At the School of Social Work, we see ourselves not only as an educational institution, but also as a resource and partner within the community. Through this convening, we are leading essential transformation of the local social service delivery landscape. Together with our partners we are working to ensure healthy individuals, healthy families, and healthy communities.”
Dr. Holli Slater, UTA School of Social Work Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, leads a discussion at the “Reimagining Together: Strengthening Fort Worth’s Nonprofit Future” event. (Photo by Jaelon Jackson)
For UTA’s School of Social Work, Reimagining Together aligns with its mission of cultivating individuals and communities to foster well-being for a just society, and its vision of building a transformative future through justice, fairness and social responsibility.
“These conversations are how we grow our sense of community,” said Dr. Graaf. “They create greater understanding of resources and partners that maybe we didn’t know about before and that’s how synergy happens.”
For more information about Reimagining Together, read it on the Fort Worth Magazine website here.