Member Benefits

For more than 120 years, the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce has worked to make Santa Cruz a better place to work, live, and visit. The Santa Cruz Chamber has members from a full range of professions, industries, and non-profit organizations, all committed to improving our local economy and community. The Chamber conducts social and business events where you can develop relationships, learn from other members, and stay connected to our local community. Becoming a member of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce provides opportunities to give back to the community and raise your visibility and credibility in Santa Cruz County.

The Santa Cruz Chamber offers you the depth and breadth of support that you need to succeed: comprehensive, timely, local information and resources that you won't find anywhere else. We are the resource that Santa Cruz turns to for connecting, informing, and advancing the Santa Cruz County community. Please see below for the best ways to maximize your Santa Cruz Chamber benefits.

Creating a stronger Santa Cruz NAME

The Santa Cruz Chamber is dedicated to helping local companies grow their businesses by taking the lead in programs and efforts that help create a strong local economy and make our community a great place to do business, to live, and to visit. The Chamber also takes the lead in promoting the community by helping to recruit new businesses to locate here, participating in efforts to improve our quality of life, and by advocating our community as a great place for people to vacation, do business, and raise a family. The Chamber is committed to building a stronger Santa Cruz through NAME: Networking, Advocacy, Marketing, and Education.

Networking

The networking opportunities at the Santa Cruz Chamber provide an opportunity for members to share information about their products and services with their peers and benefit from ideas that have helped others grow. The Chamber hosts more than a dozen events every month, including Monthly Networking Mixers, Member Luncheons, Women in Business events, and Chamber Committee meetings.

Advocacy

The Santa Cruz Chamber also works year-round to ensure local elected officials and other decision makers are educated on the impact their actions have on the local community. The Chamber's Breakfast Briefings on local and state issues, Election Forums, participation in Economic Development discussions, and Polls on Local and State initiatives help our members and local lawmakers understand issues from a business and community point of view.

Marketing

At the Santa Cruz Chamber, through the strong voice of large and small organizations who employ more than 15,000 local Santa Cruzans, we work together to strengthen our local economy and promote the community. The Chamber offers numerous marketing opportunities to introduce your company to potential clients or customers and gain access to ideas that save you money or increase your bottom line. The Chamber markets our members and their organizations to the Santa Cruz community through Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Openings, the Online Business Directory, Website and Email Advertising, the Annual Santa Cruz Business Fair, and Sponsorship of events.

Education

The Santa Cruz Chamber is dedicated to helping local companies grow their businesses so that the economy will grow for everyone. The Chamber puts together an annual calendar of events to help members build business skills and their careers. Our Workshops and Seminars feature experts that keep members on top of current business and lifestyle trends, teach businesspeople how to take advantage of the latest techologies, and share research and findings from local surveys and studies. The knowledge you gain through these Chamber events can make the difference in surviving or thriving in tough economic times.

New Chamber members automatically receive the following free benefits:

  • Referrals from the online Business Directory. Your listing includes your contact information, your photo or logo, 100-word business description, a link to your website, search keywords, a map link. You have access to detailed web statistics about displays of your listing, click throughs, banner clicks to track your web referrals.
  • Free online coupons to promote your business
  • Ribbon cutting for a grand opening, reopening, remodel, or anniversary
  • Free pass to any Chamber networking mixer
  • Share your business news and upcoming events on the Chamber website.
  • Reduced pricing on chamber events and services, web advertising, event sponsorships, and mailing lists
  • Decals to display at your business and company vehicles.
  • Constant Contact email marketing free trial, or discount if you are an existing Constant Contact customer
  • Member logos to use on your website & printed materials

For all the details of membership, download the Santa Cruz Chamber Member Handbook or see Getting Started.

The real value of Chamber membership

The benefits of Chamber membership are measurable. A study commissioned by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives found that in economic downtimes, Chamber membership is critical. The study showed that if people are told that a particular business is a Chamber member, they think more favorably about a company’s products, services and reputation:

  • Consumers are 44% more likely to rate it favorably
  • Awareness of the business increases by 51%
  • Companies have a 57% better local reputation
  • Customers are 63% more likely to want to purchase goods or services from the company

You can read "Just the Facts" about the ACEE study, or download the entire study, "The Real Value of Joining a Local Chamber of Commerce."

Join the Chamber today

We welcome you to attend a Chamber event to meet our members and see whether Chamber membership is a good fit for you and your organization. To join the chamber, please complete an Online Membership Application or download and fax or mail the Santa Cruz Chamber Membership Application. If you have questions about Chamber membership, please contact membership@santacruzchamber.org or call the Chamber at (831) 457-3713.