I hope this message finds you all well and filled with anticipation for the start of an exciting new Rotary year! As the 2023-2025 Chair and President of the Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development (RAGCED), I am genuinely excited to join you on this incredible journey where we will make a meaningful impact together. As we start this year, I offer my sincere thanks to Immediate Past Chair Margaret Thorpe Williamson and her team for lots of hard work to strengthen RAGCED and create more positive change in the world. I also thank Nick Frankle and Howard Weinstein, two members of the RAGCED Board of Directors, for their many years of dedicated service. Howard and Nick are rotating off the Board.

I want to share two important goals for the upcoming year:

#1: Get more Rotary Foundation Global and District Grants involving community economic development.

#2: Create a more effective support structure to accomplish goal #1 and increase the value of RAGCED membership.

Let me offer a few brief thoughts on these.

Goal #1: More Rotary Foundation Global and District Grants

Our Rotary Foundation has seven Areas of Focus, one of which is called Community Economic Development. About 15% of all foundation global grants are in this particular area of focus. These grants do nothing short of change lives through the creation of good jobs and stronger enterprises. We need more and larger grants in our area of focus. RAGCED’s task is to figure out ways for Rotary Clubs to obtain more grants.

Goal #2: Create a More Effective Support Structure to Accomplish Goal #1 and to Increase the Value of RAGCED Membership

RAGCED’s key purpose is to help Rotarians and Rotaractors have more impact on community and economic development around the world. To achieve this, RAGCED is reorganizing into eight key committees, including:

 

We’re also actively organizing chapters in various districts around the world to bring RAGCED closer to our members.

We can’t do this alone! If you’ve got skills and interests in community economic development and you’re not already involved, please contact RAGCED at info@ragced.org, visit our Facebook page, or contact me via my email below. We’d like to get you involved. If you’ve got a project, let us know how we can help you.

Thank you for your interest in the work of RAGCED and your support of the Rotary Foundation.