The economic development company that recruits businesses to Northern Kentucky is raising its fundraising target by 25%, aiming to collect $6 million from regional investors to fuel job growth through 2032.
BE NKY Growth Partnership unveiled its Build+Elevate 2032 capital campaign at a board meeting Wednesday, July 15. The campaign will fund efforts to attract new employers, grow the workforce, and boost capital investment across Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties.
"There's not a Northern Kentuckian it would not affect," Steve Stevens, a consultant with Convergent hired to plan the campaign, told the board.
The new goal marks a significant jump from the previous Build+Elevate campaign, which launched in 2022 with a $4.5 million target and ultimately raised more than $4.6 million. CEO Lee Crume told the board the higher figure accounts for inflation.
The previous campaign funded four initiatives, including activating the Northern Kentucky Port Authority as a real estate vehicle and delivering customized workforce solutions. BE NKY has not yet announced what specific initiatives the 2032 campaign will fund.
BE NKY plans to measure the new campaign's success in jobs created, payroll growth, and increases in overall personal income. The organization will present its return-on-investment goals to investors in August.
The campaign comes as BE NKY reports momentum in business recruitment. As of mid-2026, the organization had announced five project wins representing 248 jobs, compared to three wins and 60 jobs at the same point in 2025, according to figures BE NKY presented to its board.
Stevens, a Northern Kentucky native, has already begun meeting with local businesses and potential investors to gauge interest, though he said he is not yet asking for money. The $6 million target could adjust based on investor feedback. He plans to present his findings to the BE NKY executive committee on Tuesday, July 28.
Financially, the organization appears stable. Administrative Project Manager Rachelle Creager told the board that vehicle rental fee income through May exceeded the prior fiscal year's budget by about $922,000. BE NKY's most consistent revenue comes from a 3% tax on gross motor vehicle rental fees collected by Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties under Kentucky law. That tax covers conventional rental companies and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
BE NKY reported in May that it anticipates higher expenses in its new fiscal year, which began Wednesday, July 1, and could draw on reserves to cover them.
Fifteen of the 23-member volunteer board attended the July 15 meeting. Crume urged directors to stay engaged as the campaign develops.
BE NKY will host a Q3 Economic Development Briefing on Wednesday, August 26, at the Florence Nature Park Event Center, 7200 Nature Park Drive, from 8:30 to 10 a.m., with updates on the Port Authority and campaign results.
