Strategy that connects policy, people and communications.
Rice Public Impact Group helps leaders and mission-driven organizations build support, communicate effectively, navigate complex environments and turn priorities into measurable results. Located in Maryland, we work with clients nationwide, with a current focus on Washington, DC and New Jersey.
- Building coalitions
- Winning campaigns
- Advancing change
One firm, at the intersection of five disciplines
Most consulting firms specialize in one discipline. We operate where strategy, policy, communications, community and partnerships meet, because the challenges our clients bring us rarely stay inside one lane.
- Strategy
- Policy
- Communications
- Community
- Partnerships
Passing legislation
An organization seeking passage of a bill may need government relations, coalition building, stakeholder engagement, a communications strategy, executive messaging and grassroots advocacy, all pulling in the same direction.
Raising a nonprofit’s visibility
A nonprofit that wants to be seen may need organizational storytelling, executive positioning, partnerships, sponsorship development, events and a communications plan that ties them together.
Running for office
A candidate for local office may need campaign strategy, coalition development, community engagement, message development, speechwriting and preparation for debates and public forums.
Rather than treating these disciplines separately, we help clients integrate them into one coherent strategy.
Eight ways we help, built to work together
Start with the one that matches the problem in front of you. Most engagements end up drawing on two or three.
Public Affairs & Government Relations
Understand government, engage decision-makers and advance policy objectives, backed by the strategy, relationships and coalitions it takes to get there.
Learn more → CampaignsPolitical Campaign Strategy
Disciplined planning, authentic community engagement and clear messaging for candidates seeking municipal, county, school board and other local offices.
Learn more → CommunicationsStrategic Communications & Marketing
Communications that audiences understand and remember, planned around your real objectives rather than activity for its own sake.
Learn more → LeadersExecutive Communications & Thought Leadership
Speeches, talking points, op-eds and visibility strategy that help leaders communicate with clarity, authenticity and authority.
Learn more → StoryBrand Positioning & Organizational Storytelling
Narratives that connect mission, programs, people and impact, so audiences understand not just what you do but why it matters.
Learn more → CommunityCommunity Engagement & Coalition Building
Identify the constituencies that matter, build trust and develop coalitions around shared objectives. Public support rarely develops by accident.
Learn more → PartnershipsStrategic Partnerships & Sponsorship Development
Partnerships that expand reach, resources and impact and create value for both sides, not sponsorship as a line item.
Learn more → EventsSignature Events & Thought-Leadership Programs
Summits, forums, roundtables and community conversations designed as strategic platforms rather than standalone activities.
Learn more →Capabilities most firms keep separate, brought together
Political consultants understand campaigns. Lobbyists understand government. Communications firms understand messaging. Marketing firms understand audiences. Community organizers understand grassroots engagement. Partnership professionals understand institutional relationships. Rice Public Impact Group brings those capabilities together, so you are not coordinating six vendors who have never met.
- Strategy
- Communications
- Community
- Advocacy
- Policy
- Impact
That connection is what lets our clients move beyond isolated tactics toward strategies that line up their goals, audiences, relationships, messages and actions.
Two principals, two complementary careers
Ronald C. Rice, Founder & Principal, brings extensive experience across government, public policy, political strategy, government relations, education advocacy, community engagement and coalition building, including two terms as an elected member of the Newark Municipal Council and senior government relations work in national public charter school advocacy. His focus at RPIG is political and campaign strategy, public affairs, advocacy, coalition development and strategic counsel.
Libi Sprow Rice, Principal for Communications, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, spent 12 years leading communications and marketing at The Executive Leadership Council, following work at Discovery managing complex programs and stakeholder relationships. She leads strategic communications, marketing, thought leadership, partnerships, sponsorship development, crisis and change communications, events and fractional communications leadership.
Structured around what you need, for as long as you need it
Project-based consulting
A defined project with specific objectives, deliverables and a timeline. The right fit when the goal is clear and bounded.
Monthly strategic advisory
Ongoing counsel and execution support on a monthly retainer, for leaders who want a strategist in the room all year.
Fractional leadership
Senior-level communications, marketing, public affairs or strategic leadership without a full-time executive hire.
Campaign engagements
Strategic consulting for candidates and campaign organizations, from the pre-campaign assessment to Election Day readiness.
Workshops & training
Customized sessions in advocacy, communications, coalition building, public engagement, candidate preparation and storytelling.
Executive advisory
Confidential strategic counsel to executives, candidates, organizational leaders and boards.
Leaders and institutions whose success depends on public support
The common thread is an organization that has to earn trust and participation from people it does not control: voters, legislators, members, parents, partners, funders or neighbors.
- Political candidates & campaigns
- Nonprofits
- Associations
- Foundations
- Public charter schools
- Public schools & education organizations
- Advocacy organizations
- Community development organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- Civic organizations
- Businesses & corporations
- Municipal & county leaders
- Coalitions
- Professional organizations
- Senior executives & boards
A Baltimore address and a national practice
Our office and mailing address are at 306 West Redwood Street in downtown Baltimore, on the Northeast Corridor about an hour from Capitol Hill and a train ride from Newark. Our current focus is Washington, DC and New Jersey, where our founder served two terms on the Newark Municipal Council and spent two decades in Essex County public life.
The practice is not tied to a map, though. Strategy, communications, coalitions and campaigns travel with the client, and we work with leaders and organizations nationwide. For the places we work in most, we have written up how each one runs.
What people ask before they call
What kinds of organizations does Rice Public Impact Group work with?
Political candidates and campaign organizations, nonprofits, associations, foundations, public charter schools and traditional public schools, advocacy and community development organizations, faith-based and civic organizations, businesses and corporations, municipal and county leaders, coalitions, professional organizations, and senior executives and boards.
Do you only work in Maryland?
No. We are located in Maryland, our current focus is Washington, DC and New Jersey, and we work with clients nationwide. Our practice areas are not tied to one state. Campaign strategy, communications, coalition building, partnerships and executive advisory travel with the client, so we work wherever your goals take you.
What happens in a first conversation?
We start by clarifying the goal: the outcome, decision or organizational objective that matters. Then we talk through who has to be persuaded, engaged, mobilized or retained, and what you already have in place. From there we propose an engagement shaped around your needs, whether that is a defined project, ongoing advisory or something in between.
Can you help someone who is only thinking about running for office?
Yes. We conduct pre-campaign assessments for individuals considering public office, covering the political environment, potential constituencies, organizational requirements and the strategic considerations that come with a prospective candidacy, before any decision to run.
How are engagements structured?
Around the client. Options include project-based consulting with defined objectives, deliverables and timelines; monthly strategic advisory retainers; fractional leadership in communications, marketing, public affairs or strategy; campaign engagements; customized workshops and training; and confidential executive advisory. Scope and pricing are set together once we understand the work.
Let’s turn strategy into impact
Send a few lines about your organization, campaign or company and what you are trying to accomplish. We will follow up to talk through the right next step.
Prefer the phone? Call (240) 881-4660. Meetings are by appointment at our Baltimore office or wherever is convenient for you.