Winners

2023 Creative Give Back Winner Is ….

The winner of the 2023 Creative Give Back is the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The goal of the project is to strategically improve Wilmington’s value pitch to smaller, high-growth companies. Due to lower capital investment and smaller initial footprints, small businesses and start ups often do not qualify for traditional incentives which are largely geared towards larger, established firms and require larger capital investment and job creation. Creative EDC will perform an assessment of the small business and entrepreneurial resources in New Hanover County and develop a strategy to increase competitiveness.  

Creative Give Back winners are chosen by an independent panel. Each year Creative EDC selects a panel of thoughtful experts to independently pick the winner. A super big thanks to our 2023 Creative Give Back Panel!

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. Look for the 2024 application process to open January 1, 2024. Send us your creative idea!


2022 Creative Give Back Winner Is….

The winner of the 2022 Creative Give Back is the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center. The Center collaborates with local economic development partners, businesses, advisors, and others to communicate the option of selling a business to its employees. It is estimated that over 50% of privately held businesses will have their owner retiring in the next 5-10 years. The effects of COVID have sped up the retirement timeline for many owners. Support from Creative EDC would allow the Center to strategically plan outreach and develop messaging around the benefits of employee ownership. This is an important part of a BRE strategy as it supports retaining businesses that may otherwise close when the owner retires.

Creative Give Back winners are chosen by an independent panel. Each year Creative EDC selects a panel of thoughtful experts to independently pick the winner. A super big thanks to our 2022 Creative Give Back Panel!

• Bronwyn Lucas, NC Rural Center
• Greg Payne, Economic Leadership

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. Look for the 2023 application process to open January 1, 2023. Send us your creative idea!


2021 Creative Give Back Winner Is….

The winner of the 2021 Creative Give Back is the Nikwasi Initiative. The Initiative is a partnership between the Town of Franklin, NC, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee to develop a cultural district around the Nikwasi Mound. The cultural district includes food, art, and a learning center. The Nikwasi Initiative applied for Creative EDC’s help to refine the development vision of the cultural district and to develop an economic impact analysis.

Creative Give Back winners are chosen by an independent panel. Each year Creative EDC selects a panel of thoughtful experts to independently pick the winner. A super big thanks to our 2021 Creative Give Back Panel!

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. Look for the 2022 application process to open January 1. Send us your creative idea!


2020 Creative Give Back Winner Is….

The winner of the 2020 Creative Give Back is the Red Rose City Development Corporation in Lancaster, SC. They applied for Creative EDC’s help to redevelop a site that they hope will “eliminate another blighted area around the city and inspire a sense of hope and pride, and more importantly, economic opportunities for surrounding residents, in addition to providing an attractive landmark for the area.”

In case you wondered how Creative Give Back winners are chosen, we don’t pick the winner of the Give Back. Each year we select a panel of thoughtful, smart people to independently pick the winner. A super big thanks to our 2020 Creative Give Back Panel!

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. Look for the 2021 application process to open January 1. Send us your creative idea!


2019 Creative Give Back Winner Is…

The winner of the 2019 Creative Give Back is the City of Waynesboro. The City of Waynesboro project creatively links the city’s cultural and economic offerings with the natural splendor of Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The four-mile connecting corridor of Hwy 250/East Main Street faces numerous redevelopment challenges such as vacant properties, blight, and lack of coherent development vision. Waynesboro requested support through the Creative Give Back because the redevelopment of the corridor is a pivot point on which many other opportunities will turn. Waynesboro wanted a vision and plan to transform and revitalize the corridor.

A BIG thanks to our 2019 Creative Give Back Panel who selected this year’s winner:

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. We commit up to $25,000 of our services to Give Back Projects annually. 2018 is our sixth year of what we hope to be many years of giving back to the wonderful profession we love. Look for the 2020 application process to be announced January 6.

What will your CREATIVE idea be!


2018 Creative Give Back Winner Is…

Check out the final product from the 2018 Give Back Project. Click Here.

The winner of the 2018 Creative Give Back is The Blacksburg Partnership. Their proposal is to evaluate the Young Professionals program and recruitment efforts, make tangible recommendations for improvements that can be phased in over the next few years, and support brand development. What we learn in the Blacksburg Give Back project could apply to communities everywhere that are struggling with the recruitment and retention of young professionals.

A BIG thanks to our 2018 Creative Give Back Panel who selected this year’s winner:

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. We commit up to $25,000 of our services to Give Back Projects annually. 2018 is our fifth year of what we hope to be many years of giving back to the wonderful profession we love. Look for the 2019 application process to be announced January 2.

What will your CREATIVE idea be!


2017 Creative Give Back Winner Is… 

The winner of the 2017 Creative Give Back is the City of Graham, NCClick here to read the final report.  Their proposal was to design a framework for the implementation and operation of a community development/revolving loan fund. The project focuses on gap funding for the redevelopment of underutilized buildings; provides a source of patient capital to new businesses; and ties in education, mentoring, and support services to recipients of the gap financing. The creative solutions that emerge from the Graham Give Back project are applicable to communities everywhere.

A BIG thanks to our 2017 Creative Give Back Panel who selected this year’s winner:

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. We commit up to $25,000 of our services to Give Back Projects annually.  2017 is our fourth year of what we hope to be many years of giving back to the wonderful profession we love. Look for the 2018 application process to be announced January 2.

What will your CREATIVE idea be!


2016 Creative Back Winner Is…

The winner of the 2016 Creative Give Back was Wayne County Development Alliance. Click here to read the full report. The project developed strategies to transition military dependents, exiting members, and retirees into local employment. Wayne County requested assistance with coordinating the efforts of multiple organizations into a focused plan and creating an influencing model directed at employer hiring practices of the targeted groups. Creative EDC enjoyed tackling a workforce issue many communities are facing.

A BIG thanks to our 2016 Creative Give Back Panel who selected this year’s winner:

The Creative Give Back is Creative Economic Development Consulting’s way to give back to the field of economic development. We commit up to $25,000 of our services to Give Back Projects annually.  2016 is our third year of what we hope to be many years of giving back to the wonderful profession we love. Look for the 2017 application process to be announced January 1.

What will your CREATIVE idea be!


2015 Creative Give Back Winner Is. . .

The winner of the 2015 Creative Give Back is Cabarrus Regional Chamber and EDC. Their proposal to attract more females into non-traditional jobs addresses a workforce challenge and has the potential to be replicated. Excerpts from the Cabarrus proposal explains the challenge their community is facing.

“Some of our newest announced logistics companies are telling us that they do not have enough females. After a very thorough discussion with (company), the General Manager said that she really needed to attract more women to their production lines and engineering efforts. (Company) has said that they want to hire more women in their traditionally male positions. We would like to be a part of an effort to educate…graduates that don’t seem to know what they would like to do or how to make a sustainable wage for themselves. So many of them just end up at fast food restaurants when they could be learning production skills or…logistics training.”

The Cabarrus Regional Chamber and EDC proposal fits the Give Back criteria well. It is innovative, will have a meaningful impact on the community, has the ability to be replicated, and will be a fun challenge.

Thanks to everyone who applied for the 2015 Creative Give Back. Proposals were outstanding this year. The panel reviewed a wide range of creative, unique, and impactful economic development projects. They had a hard time making a decision! We are offering feedback to applicants that were not chosen on how their projects can go forward on a different path.

Also, a BIG thanks to our 2015 Creative Give Back Panel who selected this year’s winner:


2014 Creative Give Back Winner Is…

The Creation of an Economic Development Alliance for the Towns of Indian Trail, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Stallings.

The four towns propose to develop a partnership between Indian Trail, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Stallings to create an Alliance for economic development. The Creative Give Back project will evaluate various economic development partnership opportunities for the four communities and develop a plan of action. Their ultimate goal is to work together to enhance the economy of each community. Keep track of our Creative Give Back project throughout the year on our website and social media.

Thanks to all communities that applied for the Creative Give Back. It was a very hard decision! We are offering feedback to applicants that were not chosen on how their projects can go forward on a different path.

Also, a BIG thanks to our Creative Give Back panel who selected this year’s winner:

Creative Economic Development Consulting