Rich Barnett leads individual giving and special events for World Resources Institute. Rich joined WRI in 1996 and since that time has worked on a variety of projects, always at the junction of communications, marketing, and fundraising. He strives to bring a “practical” creativity to everything he works on. Illustrative projects include WRI’s annual reports and “Courage to Lead” events in New York, which collectively have raised $5 million in critical unrestricted funds.

Prior to WRI, Rich worked with the Sheridan Group, a private fundraising consulting firm, and for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a national institute that conducts research on policy issues of special concern to African Americans. He also covered corporate and foundation giving trends and issues for the Taft Group, a publisher of reference works for the nonprofit arena.

Rich received his J.D. from the University of Georgia and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.