The world changed in March when the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments and organizations to do everything possible to slow the spread. Here at the Rural Utah Project, our mission relies on meeting and engaging with people and voters where they are. The social distancing restrictions forced us to pause and rethink. 

In late March 2020, the Rural Utah Projet Education Fund was asked to serve as fiscal sponsor for Ethel Branch’s Navajo Hopi COVID-19 Relief Fund. Fiscal sponsorship, a fairly common agreement for non-profits, allowed for Ethel and her leadership team to focus on what matters most: how to get aid to the greatest number of people as quickly as possible. Our Education Fund, as fiscal sponsor, doesn't make decisions over operations or messaging of the relief fund. We’re simply here to ease logistical hurdles, and provide donors to the Relief Fund with the ability to write off your generous donation as a tax deductible charitable contribution. You can contribute to the Navajo and Hopi Families Relief Fund here. 

For our own programs, with our staff and volunteers in Bluff Utah, we have helped create a mutual aid network for the Bluff Area, the 7 Utah chapters of the Navajo Nation, and the White Mesa Areas called Bluff Area Mutual Aid. This effort has focused on the delivery of food and supplies to families in need of aid. We’re proud to work with our partners in Bluff, Utah Navajo Health System, and the Navajo Nation on ensuring this program provides sustainable and direct aid.