Western chambers have not adopted the total resource campaign model used by other chambers across the country, according to the results of W.A.C.E.’s Opinion Poll.
Total Resource Campaigns
According to the survey, only 5% of chambers reported running a total resource campaign (TRC).
A TRC is when a chamber recruits volunteers to call on their network of business connections to join the chamber and sponsor chamber programs during a set time period. For some chambers the results can be impressive.
Among the 5% of W.A.C.E. chambers that reported running a TRC, the lowest amount raised was $40,000 from a chamber with a budget between $250,000 and $499,999.
The largest amount reported in the survey was $3.4 million by a chamber with more than 1,000 members and a budget of more than $1 million.
Overall, the average amount of revenue raised among all respondents was $614,528.
“Total resource campaigns can be a big boost for a chamber’s budget, but they do require a significant amount of staff time and preparation to recruit and educate volunteers in order to run an effective campaign,” said W.A.C.E Vice President Russell Lahodny.
Chamber Podcasts
Last month, W.A.C.E. launched the Chamber Leadership Podcast to provide information on running a 3C chamber and made it sharable for chamber staff and volunteers. With the launch of the podcast, W.A.C.E. surveyed its members to see how many local chambers were podcasting.
The survey showed that only 7% of participating members have a podcast. Among the chambers that are currently podcasting, 47% schedule them on a weekly basis. Twenty percent record on a bi-monthly basis, while 13% record on an “as needed” basis.
As far as content is concerned, the primary focus of these podcasts is spotlighting chamber members for 40% of the respondents.
“I think podcasting is one of the hottest platforms going right now,” Lahodny said. “The number of people listening to podcasts is on the rise and it is much more accessible for people to create their own show. A number of chambers commented that they participate in a program on a local radio station, but podcasts are pushed out to subscribers who can then listen to the content at their convenience.”
Wellness Programs
A local chamber recently reached out to W.A.C.E. for data on chambers that coordinate a community-wide wellness program.
The survey found that 12% of chambers have some sort of wellness program for their community. The programs are clearly more common among larger chambers.
Among chambers that have a wellness program, 37% pair it with a kick-off event or expo.
