WHAT IS A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE?
Believe it or not, if you don't know what a chamber of commerce is or what we do, you're not alone. Especially as new generations join the workforce, we find this is more and more common. As a membership organization, it's important that we keep telling our story and showing our value.
One of the main purposes of a chamber of commerce is to advocate on behalf of businesses. Business owners, executives and managers have enough to worry about, and so at the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce we stay on top of issues and policies that can affect local businesses.
One of the main purposes of a chamber of commerce is to advocate on behalf of businesses. Business owners, executives and managers have enough to worry about, and so at the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce we stay on top of issues and policies that can affect local businesses.
IS THE CHAMBER A PART OF THE CITY?
Nope. In fact, we're a non-profit organization guided by a board of directors which is made up of local business owners. Our main funding sources come from membership dues and revenue from events & programs. While our events are how most people usually first interact with us, it may seem like that is our main focus—but it's not. We do put a lot of energy into bringing our community together, but it's all to support our larger collective impact which is focused around advocacy and economic development.
THE CHAMBER DOES A LOT—HOW BIG IS THE TEAM?
While our team has grown over the past few years, we've also launched a partner organization—Onward Eugene—which we share staff and resources with to maximize efficiencies and cut expenses. Our team is small but mighty!