Partners For Growth Campaign Creates Significant Impact For Mobile
Mobile Area Chamber Of Commerce, Mobile, AL 09/01/09

LEaP Blitz Day A Success!
Coffee County Chamber Of Commerce, Douglas, GA 08/16/09

Grow Greater Dalton Accelerates Job Creation And Economic Growth
Dalton-Whitfield Chamber Of Commerce, Dalton, GA 08/01/09

Edge4 Celebration Marks Great Success
Greater Raleigh Chamber Of Commerce, Raleigh, NC 07/17/09

Vision3D Accelerates Strategic Economic Growth In Durham
Greater Durham Chamber Of Commerce, Durham, NC 02/17/09

Edge4 Growing Great Has Strong Kickoff
Greater Raleigh Chamber Of Commerce, Raleigh, NC 02/20/09

It's Time To Be Bold
Greater Durham Chamber Of Commerce, Durham, NC, Connections Newsletter March 2009 Issue

Highlands Expected To Reap Nearly $154 Million From New Jobs
MySpartaNews.com, Sparta, TN 04/13/09

Durham, NC Chamber-led Economic Development Program
Visions 3D Campaign Is Halfway To Its $2.5 Million Goal

Raleigh Chamber Is Half-Way To Fundraising Goal
Chamber Of Commerce, City Of Raleigh And Wake County Combine Efforts In Edge4 Program 01/28/09

You Can't Cut Your Way To Prosperity
Why In Tight Budget Times, Funding For Economic Development Is More Important Than Ever 11/03/08

Small County, Big Plans
NCDS CEO Howard Benson Touts Economic Revitalization Efforts To Blakely, GA Rotary Club 10/15/08

$5.9 Million Pledged By Private Sector For Economic Development In Greater Richmond
Press Release, Greater Richmond Partnership Inc. 10/08/08

Partners For Growth Campaign Surpasses $10 Million
Press Release, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 09/16/08

Gulf Coast Exploreum Wins State And National Recognition
Press Release, Downtown Mobile Alliance 08/15/08

Partners For Growth Campaign A Success For The Mobile Area
August 2008 issue of The Mobile Area Chamber's Business View

National Association of Counties Honors Business First Greater Richmond
Press Release, Greater Richmond Partnership Inc. 07/01/08

MaconNow!
Spring 2008 issue of the Economic Development Journal

Georgia Initiative Enables State Chamber To Take Lead On Water
March 2008 issue of Georgia Trend Magazine

NCDS Conducts $2 Million Trust Campaign For Columbus-Lowndes Development Link
Columbus, MS -- 02/26/2008
Link seeks to balance public sector funding with private contributions. View PDF

Highlands Initiative Creates Over 1,700 New Jobs
Cookeville, TN -- 03/23/2008
As a result of the Highlands Initiative, new jobs created $57 million in direct and indirect earnings for the region. View PDF

Disaster Recovery Fund To Help Small Cedar Rapids Businesses
Cedar Rapids, IA -- 07/08/2008
Cedar Rapids business leaders have begun raising what they hope will be a $15 million fund to assist many of the estimated 600 businesses damaged by the June 12-13 floods. View PDF

NCDS Works With Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber To Raise $4 Million
Allentown, PA -- 11/30/2007
Valley group to award grants for community revitalization and improvement. View PDF

Investment in Economic Development Multiplies Returns
Iowa City, IA -- 09/13/2007
Two new studies commissioned by the Iowa City Area Development Group report contributors received a greater return than last period on their investment. View PDF

Madison is Community of the Year
Madison, SD -- 04/19/2007
MADISON, SD -- Madison received high praise from Gov. Mike Rounds on Wednesday when he presented the city with the 2007 Governor's Large Community of the Year Award for its efforts in economic development. More

Van Wert debuts $9.6M venue for performing arts
Van Wert, OH -- 03/22/2007
VAN WERT, OH -- Nationally known performers rarely play high school auditoriums, but then, this isn't your average high school auditorium. More

Georgia Chamber fundraising hits halfway point
Atlanta, GA -- 06/08/2007
ATLANTA, GA -- The Georgia Chamber of Commerce said its capital campaign, known as The Georgia Initiative, has received $4.1 million in committed pledges toward its overall goal of $7.5 million. More

Time for Fundraising Execs to Rethink the Role of "The Closer"
Atlanta Hospital News -- 07/27/2007
I was behind the wheel, and beside me was a well-connected gentleman from our community. Our quest was to secure a major gift to the hospital capital campaign where I was CEO. Before we arrived, my companion informed me pleasantly but tersely, "Pete, I opened this door, but I'm not the closer." More

Chamber sets ambitious goals for Columbia area
Columbia, SC -- 06/16/2007
COLUMBIA, SC -- THE GREATER COLUMBIA Chamber of Commerce is to be congratulated for the broad vision of its new five-year effort to improve the business environment and quality of life in the area. It has carved out an ambitious and worthy task, one that will be made no easier by the problems that have kept the community from reaching its potential. More

Focused Forward Campaign a Success
Everett, WA -- 06/22/2006
EVERETT, WA -- Focused Forward's investment campaign numbers are in and two things are clear: the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County is ready to move ahead with its aggressive five-year targeted growth plan, and local business leaders trust the EDC to get the job done. More

Jobs push sets new goal
Chattanooga, TN -- 08/10/2006
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- Chattanooga's economic development officials have set new jobs and business investment goals to push the area to another level of growth after posting higher numbers the past year. More

EDC exceeds fund raising goal
Bloomington, IL -- 12/21/2006
BLOOMINGTON, IL -- McLean County businesses and governments invested nearly $3.2 million in a plan to stimulate the local economy, the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area announced Thursday. More

Priority One tops capital campaign goal
Cedar Rapids, IA -- 03/22/2006
CEDAR RAPIDS , IA -- Priority One officials announced Tuesday that this year's capital campaign raised $6.85 million - surpassing its goal of $5.8 million set last year. More

Investment in Sioux Falls Flourishes
Sioux Falls, SD -- 11/21/2006
SIOUX FALLS, SD -- A venture to foster business growth in Sioux Falls wrapped up its fifth fundraising campaign Monday by raising almost $2 million more than its goal. More

Money: That's What You Want
International Economic Development Council -- 07/24/2006
When it comes to fundraising for economic development organizations, Howard Benson has a recommendation: "Make no small plans," he says. More

Destination Rutherford scores high on jobs test
Murfeesboro, TN -- 02/28/2006
Destination Rutherford helped bring in more than 9,200 jobs in a three-year period, generating $455 million in earnings, according to a report card on the jobs initiative. More

Cody program aims to add hundreds of jobs, increase earnings
Cody, WY -- 12/28/2006
CODY, WY -- Business leaders here are set to launch an ambitious four-year economic development plan aimed at adding 400 jobs and increasing workers' earnings by more than 20 percent. More

Speaker warns against complacency
Casper, WY -- 5/12/2006
CASPER, WY -- When Howard Benson spoke at the first Outlook Forum in 1996, he said some things that shook business and government leaders in the state and led to the creation of the Wyoming Business Council.
"Wyoming, I don't think you are hungry enough for economic development!" Benson said in 1996. More

Group raising money for a day-care facility
Cheyenne, WY -- 7/31/2006
CHEYENNE, WY -- It's the stealth issue of economic and community development, and people are starting to take notice.
The number of children who need day care because their parents work or go to school far outpaces the number of spaces that are available in Laramie County at any one time. More

Priority One tops capital campaign goal
Cedar Rapids, IA -- 3/22/2006
Priority One officials announced Tuesday that this year's capital campaign raised $6.85 million - surpassing its goal of $5.8 million set last year.
"This is a great tribute to the community," said Jack Evans, president of the Hall-Perrine Foundation and co-chairman of the Priorities 2010 campaign."This is a tribute to what exists here and we have to nurture it." More

Steve Johnson: Valley initiative needs to be funded to help spur growth in Boise
Boise, ID -- 2/24/2006
The vibrant energy for action we have found among Idaho business and political leaders who are driving the Valley Initiative for Prosperity — the ViP — is sure to spur significant economic development and job creation for the Treasure Valley. More

Education initiative nears goal of $2.5 million
Ardmore, OK -- 10/28/2005
ARDMORE, OK --The Cornerstone Education Initiative is nearing the goal of raising$2,500,000 for Ardmore and Plainview schools.
A report received by the Cornerstone Steering Committee on Oct. 21 indicated a total of 85 business and individual investors had pledged$2,376,000. More

Andy Burke Wants His To Be The First Of 7,200 New High-Paying Jobs In The Tri-Cities
Kingsport, TN -- Fourth Quarter 2005
Andy Burke is, as they say, in a good place. Burke has most everything that achievement-oriented businessmen want when they start a new job. He has a challenge, the support of those individuals and businesses that will be most likely to help him meet that challenge, the expertise to succeed, and the authority to do what he needs to do in the process. More

Leaders Get Serious About Boise
Boise, ID -- July, 2005
Boise Valley leaders are passing the hat to collect $5 million to promote the region and keep established businesses from moving away.
"This effort shows this regions is very, very serious about remaining a contender – globally and nationally – for good jobs," said Nancy Vannorsdel, president and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. More

Effort seeks to add 8,400 Bibb County jobs
Macon, GA -- 5/4/2005
A $2.5 million campaign expected to create more than 8,000 new jobs will be unveiled today by Bibb County economic leaders.
Macon Now! is a five-year initiative of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce aimed at improving the local business climate, officials said Tuesday. More

Priority One kicks off fundraising
Boise, ID -- 09/01/2005
In kicking-off the public portion of their fundraising campaign last week, Priority One officials gave investors a tangible example of the type of impact the economic development group has on the Cedar Rapids community. More

Cooperation brings economic benefits
Richmond, VA -- 06/26/2004
Greater Richmond is one of America's Top 10 business locations, according to a Forbes magazine study released in early May. Based on an evaluation of 150 metro areas, the study looked at living and business costs, cultural amenities, the crime rate and other factors. "A metro area for all seasons, Richmond is the only area to rank in the top half of our list for each of the nine criteria we examined," Forbes said. Atlanta and Austin, Texas also ranked in the Top 10. Charlotte came in No. 27. More

$7.3M pledged by private sector
Richmond, VA -- 04/21/2004
Nearly 120 businesses and individuals have pledged almost $7.3 million to fund the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. and related regional economic development programs for the next five years.
The tally was announced at a campaign victory celebration at the Jefferson Hotel. More

New focus attracts $16M for five-year initiative
New Orleans, LA -- 04/21/2004
In a bold and sweeping move, regional business leaders have closed the books on their 140 year old regional chamber and its economic development arm MetroVison, to take on a new five-year plan to generate 30,000 new jobs and $1 billion in new payroll. Recognizing that the most relevant issue for the region is an at-best, stalled economy, leaders have created Greater New Orleans, Inc. to be the new, streamlined organization to implement best-practice strategies to achieve these measurable objectives. More

Advancing Akron area means luring professionals
Akron, OH -- 3/24/2004
Don Misheff, managing partner of Ernst & Young, is chairman of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. Alan Bleyer, president of Akron General Medical Center, is chairman of the chamber's Advance Greater Akron Campaign. More

$7.5M program to target 32,500 high wage jobs
Dallas, TX -- 03/18/2004
The Greater Dallas Chamber announced today at its DALLAS REGIONAL MOMENTUM kickoff breakfast at the Fairmont Hotel that over one-half of the a five-year, $7.5 million economic development program goal has been raised. As of this morning, $3,810,500 has been pledged. More

Economic drive nets $3.87M
Cheyenne, WY -- 01/09/2004
Progress & Prosperity II, a private capital campaign to boost economic development, has surpassed its goal by more than $1 million, officials say. The total, based on pledges completed, is $3.87 million. More

Economic Development is Everyone's Business
Economic Development Now -- 01/04/2003
A business in need of a cash infusion usually turns to the bank or to venture capitalist. For an economic development organization that, say, needs to add staff or pump up its marketing efforts, a common approach is to increase its existing government funding. But a growing number are working with the private sector to raise funds from an economic developer's natural market - the business community and area governments. More