Founded in 1984, Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that promotes and supports business in the Edgewater community through marketing, education, networking, and advocacy programs. The mission of Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is to create and support a thriving business environment, contributing to a vibrant Edgewater community.

In 2020, Edgewater Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit joined forces with Edgewater Chamber of Commerce to further the goals of increasing commercial activity, promoting economic development, and strengthening existing businesses in the Edgewater community.

In addition to serving its member businesses, Edgewater Chamber of Commerce administers Special Service Area #26 (SSA #26). Since 2003, this special tax district provides funding for additional services, programs, and improvements in Edgewater’s business corridors on Broadway (from Foster to Devon) and Devon (from Broadway to Glenwood).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Chamber of Commerce?

A chamber of commerce is a membership-based business association whose goal is to further the interest of businesses. Chambers of commerce are independent non-governmental organizations and may cover geographies or regions (individual municipalities, communities, business districts, states, metropolitan areas, countries) or special interests (specific trade industries, ethnic groups, etc.)

All chambers of commerce differ in terms of programmatic offerings and primary areas of focus.

Many large/regional chambers of commerce focus on advocacy, policy, or pro-business lobbying. While smaller chambers of commerce (municipalities or business districts) tend to focus on providing communal amenities like marketing, advertising, meeting space, networking, and by organizing events, markets, or festivals.

In the United States, chambers of commerce are typically listed as 501c6 not-for-profits that are exempt from federal taxes but usually pay state, local, and sales taxes. Chambers of commerce derive most of their income from membership fees and revenue from events, sponsorship, and advertising.

Some chambers of commerce may receive partial government funding for participating in economic development activities, tourism promotion (CVBs), or business improvement districts (known as SSAs in Illinois).

How can I get involved in Edgewater Chamber?

Get involved in Edgewater Chamber by becoming a member, attending events, advertising, and participating in committees. Maybe after participating in some committees and getting involved, you’d make a good fit by serving on Edgewater Chamber’s Board of Directors.

How does Edgewater Chamber help my business?

Membership to Edgewater Chamber is just like your gym membership. It only pays off if you show up and use it!

Don’t just sit at home and assume that being a member of Edgewater Chamber is automatically going to generate new leads for you, or step in to save your business during hard times (we are not superheroes, unfortunately). For membership to be worth your while you have to SHOW UP and GET INVOLVED.

Here are a couple easy ways to leverage your Edgewater Chamber membership:

1. Promote your events, promotions, job postings, and more using the member portal on edgewater.org – if you upload your events, promotions, and job posting to the appropriate pages, we can use Edgewater Chamber’s e-newsletter and social media feeds to provide an extra signal boost
2. Attend events and meet other chamber members
3. Tag us on social media so we can re-post to our full audience
4. Sponsor an event (like the Edgewater Monday Market or a street festival)

Participating in Edgewater Chamber is a long-term pay-off. The biggest return on your investment is always going to be the highest level of involvement, like sponsoring a large event and/or joining Edgewater Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Will Edgewater Chamber sponsor my event?

Unfortunately, Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is not a foundation or a tourism organization with a large endowment or budget to support outside events. We do not actively sponsor outside organizations, events, festivals, or fundraisers. 

Edgewater Chamber does support our members through communications and marketing. If you’re an Edgewater Chamber member with a big event, fundraiser, or special offer to promote, please submit this information to us in the member portal on the website and we can help promote it on our channels.

How do I become a member of Edgewater Chamber of Commerce? How much does it cost to become a member? What benefits do I receive as a member?

The easiest way to answer all of these questions, to see our pricing structure, and to register to become a member is by going to the membership page on our website. You can pay by credit card online or by mailing us a check.

(We promise that it is much easier and much faster to become a member on our website than by calling us or showing up in person at our office. Our staff is very small and not always at our desks during business hours.)

Where should I go and what should I do in Edgewater? Can you recommend and business that provides a certain service?

As of right now, Edgewater Chamber does not maintain a complete list of Edgewater retail business or food/beverage establishments to visit.

Please keep in mind that as a business membership association Edgewater Chamber of Commerce only promotes our dues-paying members. If you are interested in learning more about Edgewater Chamber member businesses, please check out the MEMBER DIRECTORY on our website. On that page you can sort by category and find specific business affiliated with our organization. But please keep in mind, these are not the only businesses in Edgewater. 

While some other chambers may operate a public visitors center and/or actively distribute maps and guides to visitors by mail or in person, Edgewater Chamber does not operate a visitor center, call center, or customer service desk. Unfortunately, we do not supply print maps at this time, and our staff does not have the capacity to facilitate requests to mail maps or directories to individuals.

I’m looking for a letter of support for my business or development. Or I’m wondering why Edgewater Chamber is/isn’t supporting a certain development. How do I find out more information?

Like other chambers of commerce and community organizations, Edgewater Chamber may occasionally write letters of support to local elected officials or city departments when appropriate. Requests for letters of support may be submitted to our staff at info@edgewater.org. Depending on the nature of the proposal, our staff may reach out for additional information or request a follow-up meeting.

Proposals are formally reviewed and discussed by Edgewater Chamber’s Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis. The board makes their own internal decisions on behalf of the full membership of Edgewater Chamber. Edgewater Chamber’s Board of Directors reserves the right to make its own internal decisions on behalf of the chamber of commerce, by taking into account the best interests of local business community.

As an independent not-for-profit membership organization, Edgewater Chamber is under no obligation to seek public feedback or issue public statements relating to its level of support of local development, unless it chooses to.