At the table, or on the menu: R.I. businesses form new group to influence policy Rhode Island Business Coalition has organized itself as a 501(c)6 as it seeks to have a stronger voice on Smith Hill By Brian Amaral Globe Staff,Updated May 3, 2021, 11:29 a.m. Email to a Friend PROVIDENCE â For a few years, a business group has been working to advance its interests through an informal umbrella called the Rhode Island Business Coalition. Itâs getting more formal now: The group has organized itself as a 501(c)6 nonprofit, picked a president who will draw pay for the first time, and is charging its roughly two dozen members dues as it seeks to have a stronger voice on Smith Hill.