Evanston Chamber — The Voice of Evanston Business
Benefit from the power of our collective voice (representing hundreds of member businesses), as well as deep-rooted relationships and participation on committees and councils.
One of the key roles of the Evanston Chamber is to serve as an effective advocate for its members. This includes educating members and keeping them informed of business and public policies that impact the business climate.
Successful advocacy is built on relationships, along with strength in numbers. The Chamber takes an active role in representing its members’ business interests, leveraging its relationships with local community leaders, elected officials and other businesses; and providing introductions and setting up meetings with key decision makers.
The Chamber’s Advocacy and Government Affairs Council helps lead the Chamber’s advocacy initiatives. The volunteer group monitors relevant legislative, regulatory and municipal issues, and apprises members as needed. It may also propose a more acute response by advancing recommendations to the Board of Directors for further action.
Often, the Chamber seeks input from its membership on proposed policies or regulations through surveying. With the premise that the foundation to a winning advocacy strategy is communication, and specifically the delivery of an appropriate message, it is key that the Chamber and appropriate stakeholders understand the importance of any given issue to members or groups of members. From the surveys, member findings are reported to the appropriate parties to ensure full disclosure, along with the potential impact to affected businesses.