By RDG Director of Innovation and Global Research Doug Radcliff As a result of the ongoing pandemic, we know governments at all levels are suffering financially. What is the federal government doing to help improve the climate? President Joe Biden has proposed one of the largest, “once-in-a-generation investments in America.” The American Jobs Plan includes over $2 trillion of federal money that would go to rebuilding schools, fighting climate change, restoring landmarks, tra

This week we are expanding our normal commentary on the intersection of life and economic development funding to look a bit more broadly at how our behavior impacts the world in which we live. Our interests span much more than raising money and with many of us trying to figure out the new normal, we are all searching for the positives that may come from this mess in which we currently find ourselves. The COVID-19 Wake-Up Call – Is it all Bad? By Doug Radcliff, RDG Director of

By RDG Principal Beth Pulliam A few weeks ago, an organization known as Stop Predatory Gambling requested lottery betting to be immediately shut down in the US until at least 30 days after stimulus payments are received. Reported in the Wall Street Journal, the ARTICLE reminds us that humans like to take risks. Think about it: speeding, dating, stock trading, sitting underneath a tree hosting birds (current situation as I write this). If you are not convinced of our proclivit

If your corporate structure happens to be as a 501(c)6, that headline probably got your attention. In a recent POLL RDG conducted, 70% of the organizations surveyed were structured solely as a 501(c)6. More surprisingly, only 10% had both a 501(c)6 AND 501(c)3. Admittedly, this was not a scientific survey, however, the results are still instructive given one of the current issues facing Chamber’s and EDO’s today; namely, the exclusion of 501(c)6 organizations from the Paychec

Do you read The Hustle?  It’s an online subscription news service that offers an edgier dive into the topics of the day.  Mike and I have been subscribers for a number of years and recently were interviewed as part of an article on small businesses that made it through the great recession (LINK HERE).  Admittedly, that’s a time we try to forget most days, but the exercise offered an opportunity to think about some very important lessons learned that still apply today. We thou

First off, I hope everyone is healthy and safe right now.  This is an uncertain time for us all and the most important thing we can do is take care of ourselves.  I for one am “sheltering in place” in our home near Hendersonville, NC; up in the beautiful Western NC mountains, somewhat isolated from the major urban areas.  Not immune by any means but in a place where let’s just say it’s easier to shelter in place. Too busy to read it all? I get it. Here’s the nutshell: In this

I recently heard a comment that really stuck with me: We see what we dare to see. When I first heard this, I wasn’t exactly sure what the speaker was trying to convey, but then it hit me; our own optics limit or expand our respective views of the world. How positive or negative we tend to be – confidence versus pessimism, encouraging versus discouraging – all flow from our individual lenses. We see what we dare to see! The statement is profound in its simplicity. If we can’t

Earlier this year, JP Morgan Chase announced the winners (see here) in their most recent round of Advancing Cities funding, which included five recipient communities receiving a total of $15 million. It’s an impressive display of a corporation putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to encouraging innovative and collaborative approaches to problem solving in major urban centers around the country. What does this latest round of funding (stay positive, there wil

As EDOs look to their budgets over the next few months, determining the proper course of action will be challenging to say the least.  We believe real answers are going to come from experience and creativity, not necessarily process and fundamentals.  We also believe that once we maneuver our way through triage, this will become an incredible time for industry innovation so the companies and organizations thinking that way now, will be better positioned to prosper in the futu

Tiger’s back! That was the headline a little over a month ago when Tiger Woods won the Masters, his first major championship since 2008. His struggles, both professional and personal, have been well documented over the past decade as has his quest to reinvent his golf game via physical and mental resets. While I am not a huge golf or Tiger Woods fan, I do have a deep appreciation for the work ethic and intestinal fortitude required to be a world-class athlete so I was intrigu

In my role as behind-the-scenes design “expert” for RDG, I am the chief Principal responsible for making our proposal responses to RFPs look the part. I am also involved in many of RDG’s projects simultaneously. As a result, I see just how different each engagement develops over time and ends up serving our respective clients, each sharing similar tenets, but in the end, taking shape as its own unique case. I’ve thought a lot about this over the last few months as we have tru

I live in Statesboro, GA, a small college town close to Savannah. Despite our relatively small size, Statesboro’s most pressing challenges mirror the issues that I see the communities of RDG’s largest major metro clients grappling with. This was hammered home over the weekend when my amazing wife and I attended the Mayor’s Ball where our mayor, a host of community volunteers, and Chamber leadership offered a call to action for addressing inclusive economic development, transp

That was my answer 20 years ago today when asked by the CEO of the Southern Company “what do you need from me?”. Those were my only spoken words in a meeting that included our client, and also the first time I had asked for $1 million from a prospect. I knew the CEO from previous work and there was a comfort level, meaning no need for small talk or any “getting to know you” gab. Even so, my response could be classified as direct, abrupt, bold, even brazen and yet, it was very

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of joining a panel at IEDC’s Annual Conference in Atlanta where my role was to speak about the preparation work that Chambers and EDOs should undertake BEFORE launching a funding campaign. I focused on the importance of taking the time to develop a multi-year strategy that casts a vision for the organization and the community in collaboration with private and public sector investors and partners. The plan developed should offer strategies

From the most recent Economist: “The world should start preparing for the next recession while it still can” We are ten years removed from the global downturn of 2008, and while we have experienced unprecedented economic growth in the decade since, those words sent a chill down my spine when I read them earlier today. Clearly, the next recession is not an “if” but a “when”. As I watched the market tank for yet another day, I asked myself three questions: How soon? How ready a

So you just raised a bunch of money to fund your organization for the next three years. Or maybe you raised a new pot of money to use towards special projects. You spent at least half of your year meeting with current investors and new investors asking them for their participation and you poured a lot of energy into creating a program of work that they could buy into, that promises a strong future for your community. Hooray! We’re done, right? Absolutely not. I hate to break

You never know what you might discover in your backyard. I’m a Bruce Springsteen fan. Recently my wife and I went to NYC to see him on Broadway. Maybe 1,000 people in the theatre and he was fantastic. It wasn’t a full-blown concert but rather Bruce alone on stage for the most part, walking you through his life, story telling and offering the impetus to many of his songs lyrics……and of course playing his music. He is quite a story teller and he talked about the good times and

Last week’s Super Bowl was fantastic; it had everything you could possibly want in an NFL football game: fast pace, great execution, the highest caliber of athlete, intrigue, entertaining half time show, competitive game, a coming out part for a new stadium, and of course most importantly, funny commercials! Even if you are not a football fan, I hope you had a chance to see it. For me, it was refreshing in the sense that I had no dog in the hunt. I didn’t care who won, I just

You’ve done everything right. Your private sector and community stakeholders are at the table. You have regional alignment and cooperation. Your proposal was first class. Maybe, as Rob Radcliff said in RDG’s last blog, you even made a point of going outside your comfort zone. How can you fail? Then you do. This scenario is certainly not an uncommon occurrence in the economic development world. One of the latest examples is the Toyota-Mazda plant that was recently announced. Y

One of my traditions is a New Year’s Day run.  I’ve done one for at least 25 years now, sometimes alone, oftentimes with one or more family members.  It’s been one of my ways of starting each year on the right foot (no pun intended!). You see, I’m a runner. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion.  While I have run for over 45 years in one form or another I never really thought of myself as a runner.  It started in Middle School when we ran for sports, and continued