Welcome to the RDG Blog!
Your go-to source for all economic development fundraising related matters.

These are truly unique times in which we are living: global pandemic, renewed focus on systemic racism and economic disparity, generational economic upheaval and the ensuing instability and uncertainty about our future.  It reminds me that many of our problems are not new and the solutions are long overdue.  Just today I read an article highlighting a report issued this past week titled, “White Supremacy as Pre-existing Condition: Eight Solutions to Ensure Economic Recovery R

LISTEN ……….LEARN……….LEAD “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr. “As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path.” – Barack Obama “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” – Fannie Lou Hammer “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has freedom.” – Malcolm X “We need each other. All of us, we need each othe

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

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

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

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

I wish I had said that, but I didn’t.  It’s a quote from Chris Bradley, a long-time Columbus, Ohio weatherman who is dying of leukemia.  A dog loving husband and father of two, he is now on hospice care and yet continues to inspire with his deep faith and positive outlook for the future.  Let that be a lesson for all of us.  I know it is for me. Chris is worth knowing (Learn more here) as he has touched the lives of so many in C-bus for over two decades. He’s a testament to u

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

Today is the 30th anniversary of my 30th birthday!  Another milestone; one step closer to the next phase of my journey.  So, I apologize in advance if this is too long, too random, too much free-flowing stream of consciousness and not your normal feel good about everything kind of a blog.  Bear with me, there is a point! Birthdays are always interesting for me. No longer a big celebration they are more a time to reflect and project — reflect on where I’ve been and project whe

Stephen Hawking, 11 years ago, experiencing one of his bucket list wishes: Zero Gravity Earlier this week, I was at dinner with a colleague engaged in a very lively and intellectual discussion well into the evening. We both intentionally left our phones off the table so as to make a solid effort to give our full attention to the conversation- something that doesn’t happen often these days and something I, like my colleague, am trying to be better at. I came back to my hotel r

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