People, videos and public money · 2025–2026

Hope of Utah

Brooke Stephens, RatedBooks founder, calls RatedBooks a partner. Rod Hall, state school board member, appears on Hope’s channel. A $150,000 state grant supports Hope’s work with nonprofits.

Stephens and Hall appear on Hope’s channel.

Brooke Stephens, RatedBooks founder

Stephens describes RatedBooks as a Hope of Utah partner at the end of her RatedBooks video. Hope of Utah published it in February 2026. Hope also links to RatedBooks from its affiliates page.

Watch Stephens’s partner statement “Rated Books” · HopeofUtah YouTube channel · 1:56–2:01See RatedBooks on Hope’s affiliates page The entry is labeled “Rate My Books” and links to RatedBooks.org.

Rod Hall, state school board member

Hope of Utah published a video featuring Hall on March 17, 2026. It is titled “Rod Hall, The Story of Nehemiah | Rebuilding our Communities Brick by Brick.”

Watch Hall’s video on Hope’s channel HopeofUtah YouTube channel · March 17, 2026 · 22 minutes

Hall also moved Green’s library-review plan and its $60,000 request to the full board in July. Read Hall’s motion in the school-board funding story.

A $150,000 state grant.

The Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement awarded Hope of Utah up to $150,000 for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Jamie Renda, Hope’s co-founder, signed the contract on July 30, 2025.

July 30, 2025Grant contract: $150,000 (opens in a new tab)Contract 260268 · page 1 · PDF
The contract sets the grant amount and dates.
August 1, 2025First payment request: $135,000 (opens in a new tab)State payment form · 1 page · PDF
The state requests the first installment. Hope later reports receiving $135,000.
June 16, 2026Final payment request: $15,000 (opens in a new tab)State payment form · 1 page · PDF
The form requests the remaining installment under the same contract.

Hope reports helping 20-plus nonprofits.

Its final report describes help with nonprofit paperwork, videos, social media, websites, brochures, events, equipment and supplies.

The budget reports $85,659.37 passed to nonprofits to help them grow, carry out their work and host events. It also lists $47,210 for services including video and photography, bookkeeping, web design and event support.

The released budget groups the nonprofit payments into one total and leaves the recipients unnamed.

Final report: what Hope says it provided (opens in a new tab)Pages 2–3 · PDF
Hope describes the work and reports helping 20-plus nonprofits.
Signed June 13, 2026Budget report: spending amounts and explanations (opens in a new tab)Amounts on page 2 · explanations on page 3 · PDF
Signed by Jamie Renda and Ron Williams. The report lists total expenses of $150,140.65.