Chapter 17: RAGCED as an Expert Partner¶
Who RAGCED is¶
The Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development (RAGCED) is one of the Rotary Action Groups recognized by the RI Board of Directors. It describes itself as a global network of Rotary members, non-Rotarian professionals and partners committed to advancing sustainable economic growth and improving living conditions around the world.
Like all RAGs, RAGCED operates under the mandatory regulatory wording: "This Rotary Action Group operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of or controlled by Rotary International." This means it has no hierarchical authority over clubs or districts, does not run Global Grants, and does not formally endorse projects in the TRF sense. It is not an agency of Rotary International, but an affiliated network that operates in accordance with RI policy.
What RAGCED does (advise, connect, capture knowledge, equip) is exactly what a club starting out in CED needs most. This chapter details how to make the most of this partner.
History and roots¶
According to its current chair, Wally Gardiner, RAGCED grew from a small group of five people in District 5360 into a global organization of more than 400 members in 34 countries. District 5360 covers southern Alberta, Canada, with Calgary as its main city. These Canadian roots explain the strong presence of Alberta clubs in its historical projects.
The exact founding date and the names of the five cofounders are not published on RAGCED's public pages. These details are to be confirmed by contacting secretary@ragced.org directly or through the Rotary Service archives.
Mission and values¶
The official mission: "to be a source of knowledge and expertise that helps Rotarians plan, implement, and manage impactful and sustainable economic development projects and create lasting change in poor and underserved communities."
The stated values (gratitude, renewal, compassion, perseverance) read as an extension of Rotary's classic Four-Way Test.
Legal status¶
RAGCED itself operates as an entity affiliated with Rotary International. Its own tax status is not directly documented on the public website, but it is linked to the Economic Development & Empowerment Foundation (contact info@empowermentfdn.org), a US 501(c)(3) foundation, which makes donations tax-deductible in the United States.
Governance¶
The Board of Directors (2025-2027 term)¶
RAGCED is led by an eleven-member Board of Directors, renewed for two-year terms. As of the research date, the members of the 2025-2027 Board are:
- Wally Gardiner (chair), Rotary Club of High River, Alberta
- Sunny Akuopha
- Rakesh Babuji
- Christina Calaguian
- Juliana Corredor
- Biswajit Ghosh
- Adrienne Booth Johnson
- Gomathy Manickam
- Xavier Sentamu
- Carl Treleaven (Past President, treasurer)
- Peter Verbeek (also spelled Verbeeck)
The Executive Committee: thirteen functional portfolios¶
The executive committee, larger than the Board, runs day-to-day operations. The main portfolios:
| Portfolio | Holder [as of the research date] |
|---|---|
| Treasury and Immediate Past President | Carl Treleaven (St. Petersburg, Florida) |
| Membership Director | Peter Verbeek (Key Biscayne) |
| Public Image | Gomathy Manickam |
| Technical Officer | Robin Steele |
| Partnerships | Biswajit Ghosh |
| Foundation | Peter Verbeek |
| CED Area of Focus Manager | Bonaventure Fandohan |
| Governance | Margaret Williamson |
| Operations | Nick Frankle |
| Education | Rakesh Babuji |
| RICON (RI Convention) | Mary Coward |
| TRF Liaison | Lynne Duckham and AnneMarie Mostert |
| Technical Coordinator, TRF Cadre | Nilam Bedi |
These holders change over time. The current list is published at ragced.org > Leadership Team.
The eight standing committees¶
Operational governance is divided among eight committees:
| Committee | Mission |
|---|---|
| Operations | Supports members in designing and implementing CED projects |
| Communications & Public Image | Website, newsletter, online presence |
| Education | Global CED educational programming (webinars, workshops, publications) |
| Partnerships | Connects Rotarians and Rotaractors with outside organizations |
| Membership | Information and support for creating local chapters |
| Finance | Financial management of RAGCED |
| Fundraising | Fundraising, liaison with the Empowerment Foundation |
| Administration | Chair, secretariat, treasury |
For a CED coordinator, the committees most worth tapping are Operations (operational support), Education (training, webinars) and Partnerships (matchmaking with international partners).
Regional chapters¶
Beyond its central governance, RAGCED works through geographic chapters that adapt what it offers to regional realities.
RAGCED LATAM¶
The Latin America chapter, coordinated by Juliana Corredor González. Covers Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador, with support from Canada and the United States. Documented regional events, impact investment projects (linked with the Talanton Fund).
RAGCED South Asia / Dakshinpatha¶
The chapter for India and South Asia. Organizes CED project fairs and facilitates international partnerships for Indian host clubs. The name Dakshinpatha refers to the ancient southern Indian trade route, a symbol of prosperity and exchange.
African expansion¶
An African chapter is being developed. The West Africa Project Fair is the main regional event in French-speaking Africa. Talanton East Africa operates in East Africa.
How to find the right chapter for your project¶
For a club considering a project in a given part of the world, first contact is made:
- Through the online form on
ragced.org, specifying the target country - By email directly to
secretary@ragced.orgorpartnerships@ragced.org - By attending a monthly RAGCED meeting where the regional coordinators speak
Typical response time: a few days.
Joining RAGCED¶
Membership is open to Rotarians and, depending on the terms, to non-Rotarians committed to CED issues. Annual dues are modest (exact amount to be confirmed on the website at the time of joining).
For a club seriously committed to CED, at least one member of the CED committee should be an individual member of RAGCED. This gives access to:
- The monthly newsletter
- Invitations to the monthly video meetings
- Access to restricted resources on the members' site
- The chance to be put in touch with international partners
- Voting rights at RAGCED general meetings
You join through the form at ragced.org > Membership or by contacting membership@ragced.org.
Concrete services for a CED club¶
RAGCED is not a funding window. It does not award funding, does not run projects and does not replace the technical partner. It amplifies a club's capacity by offering five concrete services.
Service 1: Pro bono critical review of a concept note¶
A CED coordinator can submit a concept note in progress to RAGCED. An experienced member reviews it, points out weaknesses, suggests adjustments and flags the risks TRF staff will raise. A free, confidential service of considerable value.
To request this review:
- By email to secretary@ragced.org or to the relevant regional coordinator
- At a monthly meeting, by briefly presenting the project
- Through the Project Assistance Request form (if available on the website)
Service 2: Matchmaking with a qualified International Partner¶
TRF's international partner requirement is often the hardest hurdle for a club without an established network. RAGCED solves this problem in a few video calls. The relevant regional coordinator (LATAM, South Asia, Africa) proposes two or three potential partner clubs, already engaged in CED and aligned with your topic.
This matchmaking is the main payoff of taking part in RAGCED activities: a club that puts a year into it almost always finds its international partner through this channel.
Service 3: Access to the TRF Cadre for CED¶
The TRF Cadre's Technical Coordinator for RAGCED (Nilam Bedi as of the research date) directs requests to the most relevant Cadre members. The Cadre steps in on complex technical components:
- Audit of a potential partner MFI
- Review of the M&E plan for a value chain project
- Technical evaluation of an economic infrastructure project
- Advice on designing a complex cooperative
Requests to the Cadre go through the district's DRFC (who submits the formal request to TRF), but RAGCED helps identify the right person.
Service 4: Documentary resources and training¶
RAGCED publishes or circulates several resources:
- Monthly newsletter: a selection of articles, field reports, calls for partners, event announcements
- Webinars: one or two a month on average, on specific topics (microfinance, value chains, cooperatives, digital financial inclusion, etc.)
- Methodological guides: depending on what is published, for example the Guidebook for Building Sustainable Microfinance Programs
- Case studies: documented lessons from Rotary CED projects
- Educational programming at RI conventions: CED-specific sessions
Service 5: Taking part in regional project fairs¶
The regional chapters organize fairs where host clubs present their projects to potential international partners:
- West Africa Project Fair: West Africa, annual
- Dakshinpatha: South Asia (India in particular)
- LATAM in Action: Latin America
- RI conventions: RAGCED booths, dedicated sessions
Attending these fairs, even as an observer the first year, is a decisive learning experience. You see how other clubs structure their projects, make lasting contacts and spot opportunities for collaboration.
Documented RAGCED projects¶
Honduras Economic and Community Development (HECD)¶
RAGCED's flagship project, run for more than ten years in partnership with Honduran clubs and District 5340 (San Diego, California). HECD combines vocational training, microcredit and support for cooperatives across several areas of Honduras. Several million USD raised through a series of successive Global Grants. More than 5,000 documented direct beneficiaries.
It is a model of combining several families of intervention within a multiphase program: a living illustration of what the doctrine in Chapter 0 calls the long cycle.
Talanton East Africa¶
The Talanton Impact Fund is an impact investment vehicle operating in East Africa, cofounded by RAGCED through the Economic Development & Empowerment Foundation. It invests in SMEs that create jobs for vulnerable populations. Talanton is the preferred link for clubs that want to pair a standard Global Grant with an impact investment component.
Operational details (sectors, amounts, pipeline) to be updated through partnerships@ragced.org.
Dakshinpatha and South Asia¶
The RAGCED South Asia chapter, coordinated for India. An annual fair, Indian host projects, support for clubs working on village microfinance, vocational training for young people and women's cooperatives.
West Africa Project Fair¶
An annual fair bringing together West African host clubs and potential international partners. Over several editions, it has given rise to CED Global Grants in several countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Benin).
LATAM in Action¶
The Latin American chapter, coordinated by Juliana Corredor González. Documented projects in Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador, linked with CED Global Grants and Talanton investments.
All of these details should be updated through recent RAGCED publications and direct contact with the regional coordinators.
The Economic Development & Empowerment Foundation¶
A US foundation (501(c)(3)) linked to RAGCED. It acts as:
- A vehicle for collecting tax-deductible donations in the US
- An investor in the Talanton Impact Fund
- An additional financial lever alongside Global Grants for CED projects with an impact investing dimension
Contact: info@empowermentfdn.org.
For a club that wants to add an impact investment component to its standard project, this foundation is a natural contact, to be approached through partnerships@ragced.org.
RAGCED's four functions, revisited¶
Chapter 0 set out the doctrine of RAGCED's four functions. This chapter gives them concrete content.
| Function | In practice |
|---|---|
| Advise | Pro bono concept note review, referral to the Cadre, methodological recommendations, discussion of the club's strategic direction |
| Connect | Matchmaking with a qualified International Partner, introductions to NGOs or UN agencies, links with the other RAGs |
| Capture lessons | Newsletter, case studies, webinars, archives of past projects, regional sharing fairs |
| Equip | Methodological guides, document templates, online training, educational programs at conventions |
None of these functions is exclusive: RAGCED remains a volunteer association of Rotarians. How quickly it responds depends on the availability of the members asked. A club that invests in the relationship (membership, attending meetings, contributing to the newsletter) gets faster, more thorough attention in return.
Getting the most out of RAGCED: seven practices¶
For a club that wants to get the most value out of RAGCED:
- Join as soon as the club's CED committee is launched
- Attend at least four monthly meetings a year
- Speak at least once a year (presenting a project, sharing lessons learned): contributing is how you gain visibility
- Attend a regional fair at least every other year
- Offer an article to the newsletter on a completed project, as requested by the Communications committee
- Use the pro bono review service at least once per project cycle
- Attend the RI Convention at least once every three years, stopping by the RAGCED booths and the CED sessions
A club that checks four or five of these practices is visible in the RAGCED network. A club that simply joins without ever engaging stays invisible, and will miss out on the most valuable connections.
Key contacts: a business card¶
RAGCED's main functional contacts as of the research date:
| Contact | Use |
|---|---|
president@ragced.org |
Chair's office, strategic direction |
secretary@ragced.org |
General first point of entry, concept note review, referrals |
treasurer@ragced.org |
Membership, dues, financial questions |
operations@ragced.org |
Operational support for projects |
partnerships@ragced.org |
Matchmaking with international partners, Talanton |
membership@ragced.org |
Individual membership, creating local chapters |
researcheducation@ragced.org |
Training, webinars, studies |
funds@ragced.org |
Empowerment Foundation, donations, funding |
publicimage@ragced.org |
Communications, newsletter, media |
stories@ragced.org |
Sharing lessons learned, newsletter articles |
Main website: ragced.org
Empowerment Foundation: empowermentfdn.org
Social media: Facebook @RAGCED, Instagram @ragcedglobal, LinkedIn Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development
A network to take you further¶
RAGCED does not replace the club's internal rigor, the quality of the CNA or the seriousness of the concept note. Nor is it a shortcut to TRF. But for a club that starts out seriously, it is the multiplier that turns an isolated effort into a connected one: same topics, same standards, same contacts, same access to international resources.
A club that engages with RAGCED discovers it is not alone. That discovery alone changes the energy of the project.
The next chapter broadens the view to the other RAGs useful for CED (WASH-RAG, ESRAG, RAGFP, DNA-RAG, RAG Refugees) and to how to combine their expertise.