Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce

What Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce does

The Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit member-based business association founded on April 2, 1987, serving approximately 175 active member businesses and organizations in and around Mt. Zion, Illinois (population ~5,800). The chamber operates as a 501(c)-style non-profit corporation governed by a 10-member Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Linda Harper, with Laura Cullison serving as President for the 2025-26 term. Its primary deliverable is a Business or Organization Membership program priced at $175 annually, supplemented by recurring event revenue from monthly luncheons ($15 per attendee), an annual Golf Outing with multi-tier sponsorships ($150-$2,500), an annual EXPO & Taste, a Community Prayer Breakfast, a Veterans Day Breakfast, and an Annual Awards Banquet.

The chamber's member service stack is built on the Pippily.Ai third-party platform, which provides a business dashboard, mobile app, QR codes, job postings, ratings/reviews, offers and flyers, video profiles, trade show booths, kiosk booths, community event calendars, business statistics/reporting, and messaging/subscription management — all of which include an OpenAI integration for AI-generated marketing text. Additional integrations include Eventbrite for event distribution, Constant Contact for email marketing subscriber sync, and Google Reviews for verified rating display. The chamber also maintains partnerships with three community radio station groups for the free Member Spotlight advertising program, which provides :30 radio commercials, newsletter features, and website/Facebook promotion to each member once per cycle.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues ($175 × 175 members ≈ $30,625 base), event fees, Golf Outing sponsorships, newsletter advertising ($25 per placement), and luncheon exhibitor fees. The chamber operates with 5 employees, maintains a seat on the Mt. Zion Economic Development Corporation Board, and administers a scholarship program that has awarded over $100,000 historically to graduating Mt. Zion School District seniors or children of chamber members. Distribution is purely regional to Mt. Zion, Illinois, with all revenue tied to the local SMB economy.

Name

Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://mtzionchamber.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit business association founded in 1987 serving 175 active member businesses in Mt. Zion, Illinois through $175 annual memberships, signature community events, and the Pippily.Ai-powered member services platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chamber of Commerce Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Chamber of commerce
• Business networking
• Community advocacy
• Membership services
• Local business support

Headquarters

HQ city

Mt. Zion

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Business/Organization Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $175 per business or organization, providing full membership benefits including directory listings, networking events, referrals, and marketing opportunities.
2. Monthly Luncheon Fees: Luncheon events priced at $15 per attendee, with registration and catering handled through the chamber.
3. Event Sponsorship and Advertising: Revenue from event sponsorship opportunities (Golf Outing tiers: Title $2,500, Gold $1,000, Silver $400, Bronze $250, Hole $150), newsletter advertising at $25, and luncheon exhibitor slots.
4. Member Spotlight Advertising: Free Member Spotlight advertising provided to members, featuring radio commercials on community stations, newsletter placement, website and Facebook promotion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership organization that provides business networking, marketing, advocacy, and community event services to local businesses and organizations in Mt. Zion, Illinois. It operates an annual Business/Organization Membership program at $175 per year that delivers referrals, directory listings, networking events, ribbon cuttings, advertising, and event sponsorship opportunities. The chamber also organizes signature community events such as the annual EXPO & Taste, Golf Outing, Community Prayer Breakfast, Veterans Day Breakfast, and Annual Awards Banquet, while leveraging the Pippily.Ai-powered digital platform for member business promotion.

Product overview

The Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce operates as a community chamber of commerce organization rather than a technology company. It offers a Business/Organization Membership program ($175 annually) as its primary service. The Chamber provides member businesses access to the Pippily.Ai platform, a third-party member services platform that offers a comprehensive suite of digital tools including: Business Dashboard (core platform for content publishing and marketplace management), Business Information Management, Business Education (Learning Management System), Business Ratings and Reviews, Business Offers and Flyers, Business Video Profile, Business Statistics, Business Job Postings, Business Trade Show Booth, Business Kiosk Booth, Business QR Code, Business Community Events (with Eventbrite integration), Business Reporting, Business Messages and Subscriptions, and Business Support Team. All Pippily.Ai tools include OpenAI integration for generating marketing content. The Chamber also organizes in-person events including Monthly Luncheons (2nd Wed), Ribbon Cuttings, Business After Hours, Golf Outing, EXPO & Taste, and Community Prayer Breakfast. Additional member services include Member Spotlight advertising, Member Directory, and Scholarship Program for graduating seniors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business/Organization Membership Annual membership program for businesses and organizations offering benefits including Member Spotlight advertising, referrals to potential customers, member-to-member networking, business education/speakers, ribbon cuttings, monthly luncheons, monthly newsletter, chamber directory listings, free website presence, event invitations, $25 advertising, Business After Hours, luncheon exhibitor, Business Expo, and sponsorship opportunities. Priced at $175 annually.
• Member Directory Printed and online searchable directory of chamber members providing business contact information and categorization by industry for visibility and referrals for member businesses.
• Member Spotlight Free advertising opportunity for members to appear in :30 radio commercials on community radio stations, be featured in the printed newsletter, website, and Chamber Facebook page. Available once per member.
• Monthly Luncheons Regular networking events held on the second Wednesday of each month featuring guest speakers, business education, catering, and member-to-member connections at $15 per person.
• Golf Outing Annual summer golf event offering multiple sponsorship tiers and participation opportunities for chamber members and the local community.
• EXPO & Taste Annual premier community event showcasing chamber member businesses and providing exhibitor opportunities for local businesses.
• Community Prayer Breakfast Annual fall breakfast event for community gathering and fellowship, hosted by the chamber since October 2012.
• Annual Awards Banquet

Quantifiable outcome

• 77,000+ meals served, 84,700+ produce servings harvested by Good Samaritan Inn (chamber luncheon speaker)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pippily.AicoreTechnology or IntegrationPippily.Ai provides the chamber's member services platform including business dashboard, mobile app, advertising tools, QR codes, job postings, AI-powered content generation, and community marketplace. The platform enables businesses to publish content, create mobile apps, access advertising dashboards, and connect with the community. Member Services powered by Pippily.Ai.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Decatur Area Chamber of Commerce: The regional chamber serving Decatur, IL, the larger city that Mt. Zion is part of. Operates the same membership/event/sponsorship model for a larger but overlapping business community, making it the closest direct comparator in the same geography.
• Taylorville Chamber of Commerce: Small central-Illinois community chamber. Direct peer by size, geography, and operating model — typical small-town Illinois chamber offering membership dues, monthly luncheons, and signature community events.
• Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance: Regional chamber and economic development organization serving Springfield, IL. Comparable Illinois-based chamber model with membership dues, events, and advocacy programs; serves as a benchmark for what a scaled-up Illinois local chamber can become.
• Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce: Small-town Illinois chamber serving the Logan County area. Highly comparable in scale (similar small-town population, similar dues-based membership model, similar event portfolio) and the closest peer match for size and structure.
• Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber serving the Peoria, IL metro. Same membership dues/events/signature events structure, providing a reference point for chamber economics at a larger but still mid-sized Illinois scale.
• Champaign County Chamber of Commerce: Illinois-based local chamber offering membership tiers, networking events, and signature community events for Champaign County businesses. Operates the same core model of dues + events + sponsorship + advocacy for a mid-sized Illinois market.

Regional players

• Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: Central Illinois economic development and events organization. Comparable community-events focus and sponsorship tier model, though oriented more toward tourism and conventions than SMB membership advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The national federation of U.S. chambers. Represents the broader category in which Mt. Zion Chamber operates and is the umbrella/affiliation touchpoint for local chambers; not a direct competitor but the macro-incumbent in the chamber space.
• Illinois State Chamber of Commerce: Statewide umbrella chamber organization in Illinois. Comparable in advocacy and member-service orientation but operates at a much larger scale across the full state rather than serving a single local market.

Others

• Macon County Economic Development Corporation: Local economic development partner in the same Macon County / Decatur region. Closely affiliated ecosystem participant (Mt. Zion Chamber holds a board seat at EDC), not a competitor but a complementary organization with overlapping member relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mt.-zion-chamber-of-commerce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Mt. Zion Chamber of Commerce