2024 CACC Annual Report by canbyareachamber

That’s a Wrap!

BELINDAGOODY

CEO / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2024 was a year of transition for the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce.

The new year kicked off with an ice storm with our staff working remotely to keep things moving, and our new Board of Directors met to update our Strategic Plan during their Annual Retreat. Then, we moved into action honing our own internal business operations at the Chamber.

By my one year anniversary in April 2024, we were transitioning from our outdated ChamberMaster member management software (circa 2015), to a new and continuously improving new platform: ChamberMate! This was a cost savings of about $200/mo.

We have worked, not only to ensure that this software was customized to suit our needs behind the scenes, but that it also has a user-friendly customer-facing platform that even our most computer-challenged members have been able to navigate with ease!

Today our most challenging aspect of ChamberMate is actually getting our members to login and and use it! We know who you are! If you haven’t done so, you ’ re missing out!

Not only do we have a new platform, but we have new processes, prodedures, and policies in place, and our employee handbook and bylaws have been updated as well.

We went from one full-time and two part-time staff (1.5 FTE) in 2023 and were able to grow enough to now have two full-time and one part-time staff (2.0) to support our growth and our member businesses. We were also able to invest funds in a money market account!

We added a very dedicated volunteer to help us get into the nitty gritty work that has been lagging for some time now. That extra set of hands allowed us to update our ancient filing system where we purged hundreds of old records and creatiing room for a better organized and efficient system - which includes electronic records stored securely in the “cloud”.

Kintechnology has been instrumental in helping us transition our records and update our operational productivity to maximize our abiity to get things accomplished efficiently.

In 2025, we will be recruiting additional Chamber Ambassadors to help us perform outreach with new and existing members to be the eyes and ears of the Chamber. They will be tasked with routine check-ins with fellow Chamber members to solicit feedback and make sure that each of our members are taking advantage of their membership benefits!

thisyearforourmemberstoengageinChamberactivitiesorotherwisegetconnected.

Whetheryoujoinacommittee,becomeanambassador,attend,sponsor,orhost,wefind thegeneralconcensusis“yougetoutofitwhatyouputintoit”andmemberswho engageonsomeleveltendtoflourishintheCanbybusinesscommunity! Beingpresent works!

Tohelpwithengagement,wehaveworkedveryhardtobookallofour2025eventsin advance!Here’sthelinktofindyourbusinessnetworkingopportunititesthisyear: https://canbyareachamber.org/events/canbychambercalendarofevents

2024 GMC Hosts

NW Employment Solutions

DirectLink

Unlimited Light Wellness

Northwest Mechanical Group

McClaren's Carpet One

Canby Fire District

Embold Credit Union

2024 Hosts

TMK Creamery

Jarboe’s Grill

FOB Taproom

We had a great turnout for our 2024 “Shred-It-Day” sponsored by Kahut Waste Services and NW Employment Solutions!

A huge thank you those who came out to shred with us, including Ambassador Sandra Towes (Canby Smiles), Board Members Diane Harbeck and Alex Redmond, and to Canby Fire District who came out to help us with set up and traffic flow management. Thanks also to Clackamas County Event Center for providing chairs, tables and the venue.

Our Annual Golf Tournament at Willamette Valley Country Club

We love helping businesses celebrate opening their doors, renovating their spaces, or showing off their new location! This is a FREE part of your member benefits. We even have a FREE “Grand Opening” banner for you to use!

We had a wonderful time touring Canby’s Neighborhood Health Center located just across from Wait Park! We learned a bit of history about the building and a great deal about all the services they provide in the Canby community!

Celebrating the completion of Highway 99 E Improvements that had huge impacts on our local businesses!

ODoT, City of Canby, Canby Fire District, Canby Area Transit and the Chamber spoke at the event.

Thank you to Joan Monen of The Wild Hare Saloon for the idea!

Beyond our day to day role, the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce is considered a community stakeholder due to the excellent partnerships we have forged over many years.

Our CEO is often asked for their opinion or perspective, invited to attend important industry conferences, or to have a seat at the table at to discuss events and meetings. The CEO and staff may also be invited to speak at or partiicpate in community functions. Here are some examples:

Board of Directors seat for the Dr. Richard Davies First Responder Fund

Annual Mock Interviews participants at Canby High School

Guest Speaker at Baker Prairie Middle School

Governor’s Conference on Tourism

Annual Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Conference

Canby Fire District’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

Legacy Park Dedication Ceremony

Canby Fire District’s Retirement & Change of Command Ceremony

Clackamas Coordinated Business Service / CWP Business Advisory Group

Canby Community Partners Group

Clackamas Community Partners Roundtable

Career and Technical Education Summit

Small Business Association Resource Partners Network

Canby Area Transit (CAT) Workshop

Participation by invitation on Mt. Hood Territory Familiarization Tours

Chamber Executives Monthly

We have seemingly endless ways we communicate our events activities and the daily business services we manage here at the Chamber. These are just a few of the ways we are working to attract new businesses and residents to Canby to help stimulate economic development and help grow our community.

Our coveted online Business Directory boasts over 50 categories and 240 companies and brands of local, national and international acclaim! These include financial institutions, distributors, manufacturers, farmers, realtors, artisans, retail establishments and myriad service providers who make Canby’s community offerings uniquely diverse and broadbased. This directory drives business directly to our members!

Each year we produce the Canby Community Guide (printed by Chamber Members Mt. Angel Publishing) which we distribute to visitors, families, and businesses who are looking to relocate to Canby. This publication includes advertising and referrals to local moving companies, schools, restaurants, housing, healthcare and other area services and resources. Our online version averages 12,000 impressions and we publish over 1,700 printed copies annually.

In 2024, we procured a free space at the End of the Oregon Trail Museum in Oregon City. Thanks to our connections with Mt. Hood Territory, we were able to have a prime spot to show off our guidebook to thousands of U.S. and international visitors!

Just before July 4th, we updated three area kiosks and the Bike Hub in Canby fitting each with a weather proof QR code, local event information, and two magazine boxes each and stocked them with our guides for locals and visitors. This was made possible by a 2023 grant from the City of Canby! Our volunteers work to keep them stocked on a weekly basis.

The Canby Advantage (published by Chamber Member Active Media) is a monthly magazine mailed to over 12,000 addresses, including areas outside of Canby, with our paid advertising directing traffic to our web page and, vicariously, to our member businesses.

Our website alone reaches thousands on an annual basis.

Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn (4,600 Followers & 56,360/yr)

Over 900 Subscribers to our bi-monthly newsletter (18,000/yr)

Best of Canby Competition (Averages 8,000/yr)

Print: 107,000 + Online: 80,580 + 187,580 impressions annually

We can’t accomplish what we do without our member volunteers!

Chamber Board of Directors

Chamber Ambassadors

Chamber Events Committee (Golf, Gala, Dahlia Run, etc.)

Chamber Government Affairs Committee

Chamber Nominating Committee

Chamber Budget Committee

Chamber Tourism Committee

Avg. Hrs. / Yr

Overall Board Ambassadors

We must take time to celebrate too. We would like to recognize the following Chamber members who celebrated benchmark partnerships with the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce in 2024:

Celebrating 10 Years

Celebrating 25 Years

Celebrating 75+ Years

For the past three years we have seen the same number of new members gained during the fiscal year. This does not count what we call “false starts” where someone joins, but doesn’t pay and then drops.

Our Top Tier Membership Upgrades are available to all Chamber members and include additional, value-added perks such as event tickets and ad sales credits, plus additional media exposure. Upgrade pricing starts at just $250.00 - $2,300.00 a year plus your annual basic membership dues.

These numbers represent the top tier industries that make up a percentage of our Chamber memberships.

Source: ChamberMate Data

Accountants (CPAs), Bookkeepers & Auditors

Advertising & Media Publishers

Agriculture, Farm Products (Retail), Farming & Farms

Apartment & Home Rentals

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Attorneys & Legal Services

Automotive, Marine & Aviation Repairs

Automotive, Marine & Aviation Sales & Service

Banking, Credit Unions, Finance, Investments & Mortgages

Bars, Cideries, Pubs & Taprooms

Book Stores

Business & Professional Services

Candy, Ice Cream & Specialty Food

Cleaning Services for Home, Auto & Commercial

Clothing, Boutiques, Resale

Coffee Shops

Commercial Distribution

Communications, Audio, Video, Radio & TV

Computers & Telecommunications

Construction Contractors & Equipment

Crafts & Creating

Dental Offices & Providers

Education

Engineers & Surveyors

Equipment Sales & Rentals

Escrow & Title Companies

Events, Festivals, Travel & Tourism

Family, Community & Civic Organizations

Fireworks Wholesaler

Flowers & Florists

Food Trucks & Carts

Government Entitles & Representatives

Grocers & Produce

Hardware Stores

Health, Fitness & Alternative Therapies

Home & Garden

Home Decor, Flooring, Carpet & Furnishings

Hotels, Motels & Lodging

HR, Personnel & Employment Services

HVAC, Heating, Air Conditioning

Individuals - Gold Star Members

Industrial Materials, Supplies & Services

Insurance

Landscaping, Maintenance & Supply

Manufacturing, Production & Wholesale

Marketing, Print, Promotional & Web Services

Medical Services, Health Care Providers, Clinics & Hospitals

Moving, Storage & Relocation Supplies, Rentals & Services

Museums & Attractions

Music & Dance

Non-Profit Organizations & Foundations

Personal Services & Self Care

Pet Supplies & Support Services

Pets & Veterinary Care

Photographers & Videographers

Plumbing & Electrical (Commercial)

Plumbing & Electrical (Residential)

Real Estate & Realtors

Religious & Spiritual Organizations

Restaurants, Food & Beverages

Salons & Barber Shops

Senior Support Services

Shipping, Mailing & Delivery Services

Shopping & Specialty Retail

Signs & Graphics

Sports & Recreation

Tax Services

Transportation Services

Trash & Recycling

Trophies, Medals & Awards

Utilities

Venue Rentals & Meeting Spaces

Veterans Organizations & Services

We have seen a great increase in overall program and event attendance in 2024 - Nearly double from 2023!

We also noted a low rate of attendance for the four FREE and low cost (supplemented hard won BRC funds) at the professional development courses we offered this year.

In 2023, we sent out a Stakeholder Survey asking what professional development our Chamber members were looking for and we answered with new opportunities.

Is this a result of lack of interest, not getting the word out, or something else?

Should we focus on our other events and discontinue some of our other offerings?

Source: ChamberMaster & ChamberMate Data

Primary PURPOSE for Membership

It is important to esure we stay focused on the original purpose for the formation of the Chamber of Commerce and to make clear that, while we are the largest nongovernmental, private membership nonprofit organization in Canby.

Each day our staff of 2.0 FTE serves our 240 member businesses who choose to invest in and support what the Chamber of Commerce stands for in our community and at the same time, we go through the same growing pains every business owner experiences because we are also operating a business.

We are here as a resource, as leaders in the community and we hope when you are facing challenges in business, you will look to us for advice, support and advocacy.

FROM OUR BYLAWS

Purpose:

The Chamber of Commerce is organized to promote the general welfare and prosperity of the Canby area business community.

ARTICLE II – MISSION, VISION, CORE VALUES

Section 1.

Mission - “To serve and support our membership through advocacy, education, transparent leadership, and passion for the growth of business in and around Canby, Oregon.”

Section 2.

Vision - Working together to develop Canby as a community in which to work, live, and play.

Section 3.

Core Values - To treat all Chamber relationships, partnerships, and memberships the way we want to be treated.

began monthly meetings to continue keeping their eye on the pulse of Federal, State, County and Local legislative issues that impacted businesses large and small.

With guidance from our partners at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce, and Oregon Business & Industry, we worked to advocate for our Chamber member busniesses through sending letters to our leaders in Washington, D.C. and standing against legislative activities and proposals that are bad for business. OSCC’s Legislative Report can be accessed HERE.

Our Policy Platform:

This platform provides direction to the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce in the development of positions on legislation and other public policy issues:

Facilitate a market-based economy with emphasis on the following issues:

Curtailment of frivolous litigation

Promote efficiency in government

Encourage quality development, redevelopment and business retention

Eliminate excessive regulation with emphasis on the following:

Reform workers' compensation laws to reduce costs to businesses

Reduce laws and regulations which impose an undue burden on private business and property

Oppose duplicative and overlapping jurisdictions among regulatory agencies

Oppose labor issues which impose undue burden on businesses

Oppose unnecessary state and local tax increases affecting Canby businesses

Improve infrastructure with emphasis on the following issues:

Maintain existing infrastructure to meet present needs

Promote infrastructure necessary to support reasonable growth

Encourage efficient, cost effective, and intelligent allocation and use of transportation dollars

Support growth which stimulates the economy and benefits Canby businesses.

Please also note uur Bylaws state that the “Canby Area Chamber of Commerce will support or dissent on issues based on the Chamber’s Guiding Principles and where the issues clearly represent the interest of the business community The Chamber will not take a position on candidates for public office ”

Keeping on top of legislative activities and informing our membership represents just a portion of the work we deliver around legislative advocacy. During 2024, our CEO sent letters petitioning various local and Federal entities to ensure that the voices of Canby business owners were heard. This included:

February 14, 2024 - The Oregon Small Business Coalition (OSBC) writes in strong support of Senate Bill 1542, which proposes raising the Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) sales threshold to $5 million for Oregon businesses. Considering most retailers receive goods through distribution channels that often have 2 or 3 transactions before the end consumer makes the final purchase of said goods As a result, Oregon retailers could see the gross receipts fee of Commercial Activity Tax applied multiple times on a single item by the time it makes it into the hands of a consumer, and for those small businesses with less than $5mil in gross sales each year. This is one bill that could help them maintain margins despite all of the other external pressures from rising energy costs, real estate costs, labor costs

February 14, 2024 - Letter to the House of Representatives giving opposition testimony on HB 4005 which would effectively eliminate Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) in the state of Oregon by prohibiting the "co-employer" business model, with significant negative consequences for over 3,000 small businesses in our state that rely on PEOs for essential services

March 18, 2024 - Letter to the Secretary of Energy on their moratorium on liquefied natural gas which would undermine economic growth as America has surpassed Russia and Qatar, respectively, as the world’s leading natural gas producer and exporter

April 10, 2024 - Letter to the EPA Administrator to deny the California Air Resource’s Board’s overreach attempt to exempt its in-use Locomotive Regulation from the Clean Air Act potentially causing supply chain issues for 40% of the nation’s long distance freight hauling by rail transport.

May 24, 2024 - Letter to the Federal Trade Commission with a Request to Stay and Delay Implementation of the Noncompete Rule as companies were incurring substantial legal costs as they explore other tools to attempt to protect their investments, and workers are losing training opportunities and bargaining power to negotiate compensation

November 4, 2024 - Coalition Letter to Congress Requesting Disaster Supplemental Legislation to ensure additional funding needed to help already devastated communities and ensure that there are adequate resources to respond to future droughts, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and other severe weather

This is how we “Chamber”.

These pillars represent the avenues we use to ensure our members receive the professional services we provide and demonstrates our operational workflow.

The top area represents how we want to be seen and valued by our members and the community.

The middle section is how we believe (based on surveys) our members want to feel or gain from being a part of the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce.

The bottom section represents our goals for 2024 and beyond.

Created internal processes to manage overdue member dues

Performed ACH Audit; Updated ACH Forms

Switched to ChamberMate from outdated ChamberMaster platform

Completed new website which fully integrages with ChamberMate

Invoices now sent and easily paid online through Stripe merchant services

Purchased a Square POS device for faster CC processing at events

Acquired tent, logo banners, photo backgrounds for member and outreach events

Created and published 12 Advertisements in Canby Community Advantage Magazine

Audited and added renewing member shoutouts featuring length of membership

Recruited new Ambassadors to help with membership outreach activities

Applied for and received ERC refunds from IRS totalling approximately $40,000

Guest Speaker at Baker Prairie Middle School for AVID program

Took over as host of the Canby Dahlia Run brining a large scale event back to Canby

Installed security cameras and outdoor lighting to prioritize staff safety

Updated 3 informational kiosks at two city parks and at the CCEC - leads to landing page

Able to invest Chamber funds in an interest bearing money market account

Created Canby Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Seed monies already paid back to Chamber by CACC-F from CDR returns

Transitioned to Quickbooks Online with payroll processing

In the process of developing an audit-ready filing system; purched hundreds of outdated records

2024 CACC Annual Report

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