Chamber Information

DOWNEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
11131 BROOKSHIRE AVE..
DOWNEY, CA 90241-3860
PHONE: (562] 923-2191
FAX: (562) 869-0461

The Chamber is a non-profit, action-oriented membership organization serving as the leading spokesman for, and the representative of, business in Downey. A voluntary organization, it unites business and professional people and firms into a central agency which lends itself to improving business and building a better community. It directs its energies toward improving the community and conditions under which business is conducted.

The Chamber enables its members to accomplish collectively what no one could do individually. Its strength lies in attracting the greatest number of firms and individuals into membership to create a pool of resources from which can be drawn ideas, energy and financing. The Chamber is people - its membership.

To best understand what the Chamber is, you need to know what it is not. The Chamber is not a government agency, a branch of City Hall, nor political organization. It is also not a civic club or professional society, a social service or service organization.

The Chamber is not a state or federally supported organization. Its budget depends almost entirely on the financial investment of its members and it's fund raisers.

Primarily, the Chamber's role in the City of Downey is to create jobs by strengthening and balancing the overall economy and to help small business survive, prosper and expand. We are also the business link with officials at Cily Hall, in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., in our aggressive role in affecting business legislation.

In addition, we are involved in local quality-of-life issues such as education, transportation, crime prevention, energy conservation and the containment of health care costs.

Membership in the Chamber can also mean increased profits. We strongly encourage people to conduct business with members whenever possible.

Finally, becoming active in the Chamber is a great way to make valuable contacts by meeting other business and professional people in the city on both a business and social basis.

When does the Chamber meet?

Committees within the Chamber set their own meeting schedules to tackle problems until a project is completed. Other committees, such as Legislative Advocacy meet monthly on a regularly scheduled basis.

The major regularly scheduled meetings are the Chamber's popular "Business After Hours" membership mixers which are social in nature and are hosted by members' firms on a monthly basis.

Also, once a year, the Chamber honors the current volunteers and leadership, and introduces those for the coming year at the Installation in June.

Other annual events include: Street Faire, Golf Tournament, Business Expo, Job Fair and Holiday Lane Parade.

In addition, there are seminars for small businesses and various other networking meetings scheduled throughout the year, such as Wakeup Downey, and the Chamber Early Birds.

How much does it cost?

The cost varies, depending on the size of your business and the category into which a business falls. A small enterprise is not expected to invest the same amount as larger firms.

Investments, which are tax-deductible as a business expense, are paid on an annual basis, beginning the day one joins the Downey Chamber of Commerce.

Membership investments range from the base amount to an investment of over a thousand dollars according to the size of a business.