Three Trends in Chamber Operations
Chambers of commerce continually reinvent their business models, evolving value propositions, membership experiences and revenue streams as they lead their communities forward. ACCE's 2025 Chamber Operations Survey Report draws on three years of data to highlight how peers are adapting and surface opportunities for growth. Three findings stand out.
Revenue Is Keeping Pace With Costs
The median revenue per member increased 31% from 2023. Expense per member moved in lockstep, up 29% over the same period. Rising costs to do business are evident and warrant ongoing attention. Revenue has kept pace with help from a modest uptick in member counts, but the close margin between earning and spending leaves little room for relationships to slip.
The correlation holds across chambers of different sizes, though profitability varies year to year. Cost discipline matters, but not at the expense of quality or strategic investment. Chambers that maximize the value in every offering keep revenue comfortably ahead of expenses.
Non-Dues Revenue Holds Its Majority
The share of chamber funding from non-dues revenue has steadily increased for more than a decade. Though chambers are historically dues-based organizations, expanding community priorities have turned non-dues into a key driver of growth.
For three years running, non-dues sources have generated about 62% of total annual chamber revenue. Chambers that diversify their revenue build organizational resilience and the capacity to take on more transformative work. Revenue should not reflect a club. It should reflect the leadership and expertise chambers bring to their communities.
501(c)(3) Foundations Are the Norm
Three-quarters (76%) of chambers now operate a 501(c)(3) foundation, up from 69% two years ago. Once focused mainly on scholarships and leadership programs, today's foundations also tackle education and workforce, community revitalization, small business support and quality of life.
Adoption tells part of the story. Funding tells another. Median foundation revenue has dipped, likely reflecting newer foundations entering the mix or broader shifts in funding. In any case, sustaining the work takes deliberate funding strategy.
Conclusion
These findings show chambers meeting the moment to drive impact in their communities. The full operations report covers more than 50 metrics across chamber structure, finance and membership, with three-year trend charts and current-year revenue category breakdowns for peer comparisons.
Horizon and All-Access: Free | ACCE members: $100 | Non-members: $200
*Chambers that completed the FY2025 Operations Survey receive a complimentary copy through Dynamic Chamber Benchmarking, along with access to dynamic reports and metric comparisons.
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