Success stories from Rich's engagements and clients.
The following success stories highlight Rich Tafel’s commitment to building coalitions and driving transformative change across global health, civil rights, and social entrepreneurship.
Transforming Global Health
Working with the AIDS Responsibility Project, Rich Tafel helped bring diverse stakeholders to support the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest U.S. aid program since the Marshall Plan. His coalition-building expertise was instrumental in assembling diverse stakeholders to address the global HIV/AIDS crisis, resulting in the delivery of life-saving antiretroviral drugs to millions in Africa and saving over 25 million lives.
Advancing LGBTQ+ Civil Rights
As the founder of the Log Cabin Republicans, Rich Tafel was pivotal in advocating for gay and lesbian rights within the Republican Party during the 1990s. His leadership and strategic efforts contributed to significant policy discussions and advancements, including the fight for marriage equality and including LGBTQ+ individuals in civil rights protections. He was the only member of the gay and lesbian community to testify for increased AIDS funding in the 104th Congress. He helped create a bi-partisan coalition that steered AIDS policy away from becoming another partisan issue.
Pioneering Social Entrepreneurship Competitions
In 2014, Rich Tafel provided leadership to social entrepreneurs in Detroit by facilitating the nation’s first statewide social entrepreneur competition in Michigan. In 2015, he created a social entrepreneur competition for California community colleges. His strategic guidance empowered social innovators to develop sustainable solutions to societal challenges, combining the best of capitalism and the social sector toward systemic change. In 2015, he became the founding Director of Raffa Social Capital Advisors.
Impact on the Academia and Non-Profits
Rich has frequently contributed to the Stanford Social Innovation Review, sharing insights on social entrepreneurship and public policy. His articles cover navigating conservative GOP Washington for progressive nonprofits and the importance of inclusive definitions in social entrepreneurship. Rich also co-founded the American Project at Pepperdine School of Public Policy, which brought together leading thinkers to imagine new solutions to America’s political challenges. He provided adjunct healthcare policy lectures to Johns Hopkins University students. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership at George Washington University.