Matt

Matt,

I created this page to provide a bit more context about things.

First, my initial reason for reaching out to you is to, as I mentioned on the phone, have a third person on the board. That would also mean listing you as a founding board member of the nonprofit, which entails putting your name and address in the Articles of Incorporation.

That’s the big ask at the moment.

Moving forward, I hope members of the board would provide leads and tips for grants to pursue, guidance on projects to implement, and help with bringing projects to life (maybe we use your livestock or ground for a project, or something of that nature), among other supports.

Second, I wanted to easily share the current drafts of the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws I drafted, which should also help give you a better idea of what I’m planning. They are linked below (note that my lawyer is in the process of updating these to ensure everything is in order and aligns with what the state and federal governments require, so they may change a little from what I have prepared).

Finally, I wanted to reiterate my passion for writing, research, education and making connections. I think social capital is important, especially in rural communities, and I want this nonprofit to support that and the ability of individuals to make a living by uncovering and testing new ideas. Then I want to educate folks about that through presentations, events, and published papers.

If it helps, I also wanted to provide you with a few links to who I am and my background as it relates to my abilities in pursuing this initiative. So, below is a link to my website where I publish a lot of my writing, a direct link to my CV, and a link to a book I recently published (it’s free if you like e-books):

I look forward to continuing this conversation and hopefully being able to launch this nonprofit soon.

Thank you for your time, and feel free to give me a call whenever you would like.

—Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D.

** NOTE: Eventually, I will delete this page once RRI has applied for its nonprofit status.