Grant Writing 101

Anissa Starnes, YGM Total Resource Campaigns

In this webinar, Anissa will provide you with the basic knowledge and understanding of how to find potential grants to apply for, how to reach out to build relationships with Grantmakers, and ultimately craft a grant application that will be successful in securing funding. We will walk through the basic best practices of these three steps in the grant life cycle: research, relationships, and writing. We hope this will help you feel more confident as you seek grant revenue for your chamber. During this webinar you will learn:

• The key elements of the grant life cycle;
• Why some grants do not receive funding;
• How to determine which Grantmakers are a strong fit for your organization;
• How to best tell “your story” on why you need the funding; and
• How to use your research and relationship efforts to customize your grant applications.

CLICK HERE to register for the hour-long session. The meeting will be recorded and shared with the full membership after the session if you aren't able to join us that day.

"The Biz: Pit Stops Along LA23" is now live. Check out the latest episodes featuring incoming Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce President Tammy Ledet. Click HERE to listen.

SSBCI is a $10 billion federal program that helps states support small businesses and startups that are creditworthy but unable to access the capital they need to grow or establish their businesses and create jobs. SSBCI is not a government grant program. It is an economic stimulus program that uses federal dollars to leverage private investment in existing and start-up businesses through loan and equity programs. Click here for more information.

1099 Self-Employed Tax Credit

Was your business affected by COVID-19? You may be eligible for a 1099 Self-Employed Tax Credit (SETC). To find out more, please click here.

Learn About KLB Litter Study Results in a Public Webinar on December 6

This fall, Keep Louisiana Beautiful released the 2023 Louisiana Litter Study including the annual cost of litter abatement, roadside litter assessment statistics, and data on the public’s attitude toward litter. Learn the results of the study and ask questions in a public webinar on December 6 at 10 a.m. Registration is required. Visit the KLB website to read the full study and download fact sheets. Click here to register for the webinar.

FREE WEBINAR

By all indications, the 2024 election will once again be a highly emotional, highly divisive event. As the voice for business in your community, your Chamber needs to encourage the business community to participate in elections, but you likely want to stay above the political fray. Lumin Strategies will be hosting a free webinar, “Navigating the 2024 election: 5 ways to cut through the divisiveness to improve your community.”  According to a recent Edelman survey, the public trusts business more than non-profits, government or the media.  We’ll discuss ways that your Chamber of Commerce can capitalize on that trust to educate your members and the public on important issues and offices as well as the role that you can play in building trust in our elections.

Date: December 13, 2023

Time: 10:00am EST

Via Zoom

CLICK HERE to register

Lumin Strategies helps Chambers of Commerce develop impactful, revenue producing, public policy programs.  We are currently enrolling for our 2024 Advocacy Framework program.

I wish you and your families and chamber teams a very Merry Christmas! I wanted to take a moment to just say thank you to those who have supported Starfish Partnerships in 2023. I really appreciate you. I am excited about the partnership with your association for 2024 – the “All Things Chamber” Program. This is a digital course which includes modules on Governance, Operations, Membership, Events and Programs, Community and then a final Extras module. This program is full of knowledge I wish I had when I began my chamber career almost 29 years ago and some of what will be included, took me years to figure out! I have packed as much content into each 1-hour module as possible. At only $195 per chamber, with $100 of each sale supporting your state association, this is truly a project of love for the chamber profession. This program is my way of giving back and saying thank you for what has been and continues to be a great chamber career for me. If you would like to schedule a time to chat to see if our programs and facilitation are a fit for your chamber, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me easiest by email at teri@starfishpartnerships.com. Check out our website at http://www.starfishpartnerships.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linked in – all @StarfishPartnerships. We will be posting our 2024 programs soon so stay tuned and be sure you are receiving our monthly e-newsletter – check your spam folder if you haven’t seen it!   I share helpful content for you and your chamber as well as let you know about upcoming programs.  

The Chamber's annual golf tournament, Golf Around the World in 18 Holes, was on Thursday, October 26. Teams of four played through different "countries" on the course, enjoying unique food and drinks sponsored by local businesses at each hole. It was a fun way for golfers to try new cuisines, meet professionals from various industries, and take part in fun contests like closest-to-the-pin and longest drive.

The Chamber hosted it’s fall networking event, After Hours, on November 9 at the Hilton Shreveport. The two-hour evening social brought together a crowd of the area’s business professionals for an opportunity to connect and grow their business. We had a great turnout and our next one will be in March!

The Chamber continued to explore the world of AI in our third, FREE Back to Business webinar. During this webinar, attendees learned how to refine their prompts in open-language models apps like ChatGPT to get the results they need. They learned that with the right prompting, it cuts down on the time it takes them to plan and finish projects, creating a more efficient workday for them and their staff. We hope to offer more AI seminars and/or webinars in 2024! 

The Chamber is proud to collaborate with the City of Broussard to host Noël á Broussard, our kickoff to the holiday season, on Saturday, December 2. The event begins with the annual Christmas Parade that rolls down Main Street, followed by lots of activities for guests of all ages. There will be arts and crafts for little ones, shopping at Pápa Noël’s Market, caroling by local schoolchildren, and opportunity to take photos with Santa. The evening wraps up when Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves light the community Christmas tree in front of City Hall. Festivities begin at 2:00 pm and end at 7:00 pm. MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BROUSSARD!

The Chamber will be hosting their 19th Annual Miracle on Washington Street festival followed by the Lighted Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 02, 2023.

In November, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded the Chamber with its designation of accredited with five stars for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. Only 146 out of 7,000 Chambers in the United States are 5-Star Accredited, placing the Jefferson Chamber in the top 2% of Chambers across the Nation!

Additionally, the Chamber recently held several events. The Chamber's Young Professionals hosted the last Eats & Edu of the year. Attendees enjoyed dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse while hearing from experts on “first-time homebuying.” Over 300 cycling enthusiasts took over the Westbank’s roads at our 17^th Annual Tour de Jefferson. Presented by Laitram, Tour de Jefferson is a fall family friendly event. This bicycle ride is a unique way to experience the scenery of Louisiana’s heartland. The goal of this ride is to continually enhance the awareness of quality-of-life amenities, recreational venues, and the Bicycle Master Plan in Jefferson Parish. Finally, we partnered with the Jefferson Economic Development Commission to bring the business community one last Prosper Jefferson seminar series. The topic was Strategic Planning & Time Management, presented by Thomas Aleman, Chief Administrator Officer at OnPath Federal Credit Union and Suzi Swoop O' Brien, Chief Executive Officer at Peoples Health. This seminar offered attendees an opportunity to learn how to get organized, balanced, and focused on the future as we head into 2024.

The Chamber’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for December 8 at the Hilton Riverside New Orleans! Newell Normand with WWL Radio will be broadcasting LIVE and we will be raffling off a 7-day cruise from Carnival Cruise Lines – benefitting New Orleans Chamber Foundation.

The Chamber is excited to unveil its latest initiative, called 'Think Local,' which supports locally owned businesses and recognizes their impact on our city's economy. ‘Think Local’ is rooted in the idea that dollars spent locally have a multiplier effect on our community. Studies have shown that money spent at local businesses recirculates through our local economy 2-4 times more than funds spent with national chain stores or online retailers.

The Chamber is proud to announce that our President & CEO, Sandra Lombana Lindquist, and Executive Vice President, Ashley Hilsman, are featured in the 2024 edition of The New Orleans 500, an annual publication from Biz New Orleans magazine, which profiles the business leaders who are driving the greater New Orleans economy today and making decisions that will shape the region’s future. 

One Acadiana has been awarded a five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the highest level of accreditation available. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s accreditation program is the only one of its kind which defines excellence in chamber performance and planning. There are roughly 7,000 chambers of commerce throughout the country, but only 158 chambers nationwide and eight in Louisiana carry this prestigious honor.

The Chamber continued its proud tradition of recognizing outstanding businesses in St. Tammany Parish at its 21st annual Business Appreciation Luncheon, presented by Gulf States Bank & Trust Company and sponsored by Humana and Inside Northside, on November 16, 2023. Fifteen deserving businesses were honored in nine categories. Click here for a list of award recipients and here to view event photos. Congratulations to these award recipients!

The Chamber is hosting our "Old Fashion Christmas on the Square" event in the downtown area on December 2. We will have local arts and craft vendors, activities for kids, a pet parade and an opportunity for photos with Santa. Plus, we will have our traditional "Lighting of the Christmas Tree" at 6:00pm in a new location, in front of the Union Parish Court House. Our "Christmas Parade" will start at the junction of West Boundary & Main Street at 6:30pm. Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place will be presented.

2024 Social Media Trends to Drive Organic Growth

In the ever-evolving world of social media, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for marketing professionals, especially those working with chambers of commerce, associations and economic development organizations. As we step into 2024, the social media landscape is poised for significant changes. For marketing professionals seeking organic growth, adapting to these trends will be essential. Click here to read the full article.

Are Your Grassroots Influence Tactics Working or Wilting?

Results from the 2023 Grassroots Influence Pulse (GRIP)

We created the GRIP research in 2013 to determine trends in grassroots influence tactics, and most important, what’s working (and not) regarding those tactics. This research is important because it provides the pulse of grassroots advocacy tactics —– what worked in 2016 may not be effective today. It’s also important because we know that you are evaluated in part on your advocacy results. It helps you educate your board, advocacy committee, or government relations committee on the most effective grassroots advocacy tactics, which allows you to then measure what matters. Click here to read the blog.