Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

What Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce does

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce (also operating as Greater Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce) is a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1921 and headquartered at 123 S. 10th St., Suite 505, Mount Vernon, Illinois. The chamber serves local small and medium-sized businesses across Jefferson County and the broader Southern Illinois region, providing networking, advocacy, marketing exposure, education, and community development services. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and operated by a small professional staff consisting of an Executive Director (Jamie Storey) and a Community Engagement Director (Lauren Berry), supplemented by an active board of directors drawn from local healthcare, financial services, education, manufacturing, and retail leadership.

The chamber's core offerings include Chamber Membership (annual subscription), an online Business Directory, a Job Board, and a calendar of recurring networking events such as Monthly Luncheons, Business After Hours, Annual Awards, Golf Outing, and Restaurant Roulette. Add-on products include the 110% Club (a premium membership tier requiring an additional 10% contribution beyond dues), Event Sponsorship opportunities, the AGE Energy Savings Program (a bulk electricity and natural gas buying group operated jointly with Affordable Gas and Electric across 20+ chambers and 360+ Ameren accounts), the Community Leadership Academy (a leadership development program launched with support from a Foundation for Rural Service / Wabash Communications grant), Chamber Councils (Ambassadors, Education, Special Events, Past Presidents, Internal Affairs, Small Business), and Student Scholarships with Classroom Grants at four local high schools. The chamber does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website (southernillinois.com), a Facebook page, email newsletters, and the ChamberVu membership platform.

The chamber's revenue model is built on three streams: annual membership dues (subscription, pricing not publicly disclosed), event sponsorships and fees (covering monthly luncheons, annual awards, golf outings, and similar functions), and non-dues revenue (described by the chamber as comprising at least half of operating budget, including newsletter sponsorships, raffle baskets, the AGE program, and grants). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: members are acquired through referrals, ambassador outreach, and a network of 18+ reciprocal partnerships with neighboring Southern Illinois chambers including Carbondale, Marion, Centralia, Benton, and Carterville. Member retention is reinforced through M2M Discounts, council participation, and the 110% Club premium engagement tier. The organization celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021 and remains actively operating under current leadership.

Name

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://southernillinois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1921, serving local businesses across Jefferson County and Southern Illinois through networking events, business directory listings, advocacy, scholarships, and bulk energy purchasing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from local businesses in Jefferson County. The chamber notes that at least half of their budget comes from non-dues generated funds.
2. Event Sponsorships and Fees: Revenue from event sponsorship opportunities including monthly luncheons, annual awards, golf outings, restaurant roulette events, and other networking functions.
3. Non-Dues Revenue: At least half of the chamber's operating budget comes from non-dues revenue sources including sponsorships, newsletter sponsorships, raffle baskets, and special programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit membership organization serving businesses in Jefferson County and Southern Illinois. It provides paid chamber membership, an online business directory, in-person networking events (monthly luncheons, Business After Hours, annual awards, golf outings, ribbon cuttings), a job board, the Community Leadership Academy, and group energy buying services through a partnership with Affordable Gas and Electric (AGE).

Product overview

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based organization providing a platform of services to strengthen and support local businesses through networking, marketing, education, and regional advocacy. The core offerings include Chamber Membership for business networking and promotion, a Business Directory for member visibility, Networking Events (Monthly Luncheons, Business After Hours, Annual Awards, Golf Outing, Restaurant Roulette), and a Job Board connecting employers with job seekers. Premium offerings include the 110% Club (enhanced membership with additional support), Event Sponsorship opportunities, the Community Leadership Academy (leadership development program), the AGE Energy Savings Program (bulk electricity buying group), Chamber Councils for specialized engagement, and Student Scholarships with Classroom Grants. The organization celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chamber Membership Annual paid membership program providing local businesses with networking opportunities, marketing support, event access, advocacy for regional development, and inclusion in the chamber business directory.
• Online Business Directory Searchable online directory showcasing chamber member businesses by category, including dining, lodging, shopping, and services, available to the community and visitors 24/7.
• Networking Events In-person networking events including Monthly Luncheons, Business After Hours, Annual Awards, Golf Outing, Restaurant Roulette, Margaritas & Mulligans, and ribbon cuttings, designed to connect member businesses and community leaders.
• Community Leadership Academy Annual leadership development program that trains community members in strategic leadership skills, supported by scholarship funding.
• Job Board Online job posting board connecting local employers with job seekers within Jefferson County.
• AGE Energy Savings Program Bulk electricity and natural gas buying group offered through a partnership with Affordable Gas and Electric (AGE), providing members projected savings of 10-20% or more on Ameren electricity bills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can save 10-20% or more on electricity bills through the AGE bulk buying group
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jefferson Parish ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Regional collaboration partnership focused on economic growth, infrastructure, tourism, and disaster preparedness between Jefferson County and Jefferson Parish, hosted by local chambers of commerce.
• New Orleans ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Regional collaboration partnership focused on economic growth, infrastructure, tourism, and disaster preparedness between Jefferson County and Jefferson Parish, hosted by local chambers of commerce.
• Affordable Gas and Electric (AGE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AGE partnered with the chamber to offer members exclusive bulk electricity and natural gas buying group. This program projects savings of 10-20% or more off current electricity rates. The partnership includes 20+ other chambers and serves 360+ Ameren accounts.
• Benton West City Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber partnership for cross-promotion and collaboration among Southern Illinois chambers.
• Carbondale Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber partnership for cross-promotion and collaboration among Southern Illinois chambers.
• Marion Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber partnership for cross-promotion and collaboration among Southern Illinois chambers.
• Centralia Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber partnership for cross-promotion and collaboration among Southern Illinois chambers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce (Indiana): A chamber in a similarly-named city in Indiana operating an analogous small-town membership model; comparable in form and offerings but in a different geography and therefore not a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Carbondale Chamber of Commerce: A neighboring Southern Illinois chamber and active GTM partner of Jefferson County; both serve local SMBs through networking events, business directories, and advocacy, with very similar member offerings and regional scope.
• Centralia Chamber of Commerce: Another Southern Illinois chamber in the active regional partnership network; targets the same SMB members in overlapping geographies with the same membership and event value proposition.
• Marion Chamber of Commerce: A Southern Illinois chamber that partners with Jefferson County for cross-promotion; operates the same membership-dues-plus-events model and serves an adjacent small-city business community.
• Benton West City Chamber of Commerce: Listed as a regional partner chamber; serves the same type of small Southern Illinois business community with a comparable membership, events, and advocacy model.
• Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce: An Illinois local chamber operating with the same membership and event-driven model; serves a comparable mix of SMBs and professionals in a larger capital-city market within the same state.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The national chamber organization; overlaps in advocacy and category branding but operates at a federal scale and does not provide the local event, directory, and community programming that anchor the Jefferson County Chamber's value.
• Illinois State Chamber of Commerce: The state-level chamber that local Illinois chambers, including Jefferson County, interact with; provides broader advocacy and policy work but does not deliver the local networking and event services Jefferson County specializes in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JCCC62864
• Xx.com/sijccc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jefferson-county-chamber-of-commerce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce