Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce

What Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce does

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce (OICC) is a member-based nonprofit corporation founded in 1951 and headquartered at 65 North Beach Road in Eastsound, Washington. It operates as the primary business association and destination marketing organization for Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands at 57.3 square miles with a resident population of approximately 6,000. The organization serves approximately 237 member businesses, artists, tradespeople, service providers, and community organizations across categories including lodging, food and drink, outdoor activities, wellness, transportation, retail, weddings, and nonprofit services. The Chamber is explicitly independent, with no affiliation to any state or national chamber body, and is led by an Executive Director (Carey Eskridge) supported by a three-person operations staff (Assistant Director, Visitor Information, Digital Media) and an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the local business community.

The Chamber's core deliverable is a website-based platform at orcasislandchamber.com that bundles a searchable 237-member online business directory, an island events calendar, a visitors guide, dedicated wedding planning resources, a job board, and a separate merchandise e-commerce shop. Distribution is delivered through the website, a weekly email newsletter, active Instagram and Facebook accounts, a physical visitor information center in Eastsound, and a network of mutual partnerships covering all primary transportation access points — Washington State Ferries, Kenmore Air, San Juan Airlines, Point-to-Point Air — plus a co-marketing relationship with the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. The Chamber coordinates or promotes over 50 recurring annual events including the Pride Festival, Film Festival, Jazz Festival, Garden Tour, Lit Fest, and Artists Studio Tour.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed. The organization derives income from annual membership dues (paid by the ~237 members), event sponsorship from island businesses, merchandise sales through the online shop, and likely job-posting and advertising fees. Membership dues are not publicly listed; prospective members submit an application, receive an invoice, and pay annually by credit card, check, or bank transfer. Pricing is therefore opaque and relationship-driven rather than self-serve. The Chamber has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity, consistent with its scale of 1–10 staff.

Name

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://orcasislandchamber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce is a member-based nonprofit founded in 1951 that serves as the primary business association and visitor information hub for Orcas Island, Washington, supporting roughly 237 member businesses and 6,000 residents through an online directory, events calendar, transportation partnerships, and visitor services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eastsound

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from local businesses, artists, tradespeople, service providers, and community organizations. The Chamber represents more than 200 members who pay annual dues to be listed in the online directory and receive member benefits.
2. Event Sponsorship: Community events are sponsored by island businesses, providing revenue and supporting local economy while promoting the island as a destination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce is a member-based non-profit organization that provides business membership services, an online member directory with 237+ businesses, visitor information services through a physical center in Eastsound, and coordination of more than 50 annual community events. The Chamber drives economic development on Orcas Island by connecting local businesses to visitors and residents through directory listings, event promotion, and tourism marketing in partnership with regional transportation providers.

Product overview

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based nonprofit organization that serves as a central hub for the island's business community and visitors. The organization provides a digital platform featuring a business member directory, event calendar, visitor information resources, wedding planning services, and a job board. The website aggregates and promotes local island businesses across categories including accommodations, restaurants, outdoor activities, wellness services, shopping, and arts and culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Membership Program
• Visitor Information Center
• Online Business Member Directory
• Annual Island Events Coordination
• Wedding Planning Resources
• Weekly Email Newsletter
• Online Job Board

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 annual events supported and promoted including Pride Festival, Film Festival, Jazz Festival, Garden Tour, and Lit Fest

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington State FerriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary transportation partner providing ferry service from Anacortes to Orcas Island. The Chamber promotes ferry travel and provides ferry schedule information. Reservations are highly recommended for vehicle travel during peak season.
• Kenmore AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScenic floatplane service partner offering direct flights to multiple locations on Orcas Island from Seattle area locations including SeaTac, Boeing Field, Lake Union, and Lake Washington.
• San Juan AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional airline partner providing scheduled and charter flights to Orcas Island Airport from various Northwest locations.
• Point-to-Point AirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional airline partner offering flights to Orcas Island as an alternative transportation option.
• Bellair ChartersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShuttle bus service recommended for visitors arriving from SeaTac who want to travel to Anacortes ferry landing without a car.
• San Juan Islands Visitors BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism marketing partnership representing the San Juan Islands. The Chamber collaborates on visitor promotion and shares Madison West as advisory board member.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau: Regional destination marketing organization for the San Juan Islands. Directly comparable as a tourism promotion and visitor services entity in the same geography, with overlapping partnership and advisory ties to the Orcas Island Chamber.
• Friday Harbor Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce serving San Juan Island, the other major inhabited island in the same archipelago. Comparable membership-based nonprofit structure, visitor information services, and event coordination for a small island community.
• Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce for Bainbridge Island, Washington. Shared business model: small-island membership nonprofit providing directory, visitor services, and event coordination for a ferry-served island community.
• Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce for Port Townsend, a destination-oriented small town in Washington. Comparable in combining membership services, visitor promotion, and event programming for a tourism-dependent community.
• Anacortes Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce for Anacortes, the mainland ferry departure point for the San Juan Islands. Directly comparable in business membership and visitor services profile, with significant crossover in the ferry-travel audience.
• Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce serving Whidbey Island, Washington. Comparable as a small-island membership nonprofit combining business advocacy, visitor information, and community event coordination.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Seattle: Regional destination marketing organization for Seattle. Comparable in tourism promotion and visitor services mission, but operates at a much larger scale and metropolitan scope, with which the Chamber's Seattle-area airline partners overlap.
• Washington State Chamber of Commerce: Statewide business chamber in Washington. Comparable in chamber-style business advocacy and member services, but operates at scale across the entire state rather than focusing on a single island community.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: National chamber of commerce. The Orcas Island Chamber explicitly states it has no affiliation with this organization, but it is the most well-known reference point for the Chamber model and offers overlapping business advocacy and member service concepts.

Regional players

• Maui Chamber of Commerce: Chamber of Commerce serving Maui, Hawaii. Comparable as a destination-island membership nonprofit whose economy is heavily tied to tourism, with a similar role of connecting visitor traffic to local member businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@orcasislandfilmfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/orcasislandchamber
• Instagraminstagram.com/orcaschamber

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce