Skip to content

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Chamber and what does it do?

The Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses in the community and region. We consider ourselves to be cheerleaders and connectors for the Carbondale area and its business sector. We work to make Carbondale a great place to live, work, play, learn and invest. We represent more than 400 businesses and organizations and strive to support them through advocacy, promotion, education and other activities.

 

Who can be a member of the Chamber?

Membership in the Chamber is open to any business, organization, or individual, through a variety of membership options. Any employee of a member business or organization is eligible for member benefits. To learn more about membership options, please click here to visit our membership page.

 

What if I don’t work for a Chamber member but want to be active in the Chamber?

The Carbondale Chamber offers memberships to individuals who want to be involved in the Chamber and support the business community. For more information on Booster memberships, call the Chamber office at (618) 549-2146.

 

When is the “Chamber meeting?”

When people ask us this question, we assume that they are not familiar yet with the Carbondale Chamber and we guess that they are referring to the monthly membership luncheon. We understand that some less active Chambers only have one meeting each month, but that’s not the case with us. Every month we have lots of opportunities to learn, network and gain insight to grow your business. Here are a few examples:

Our monthly membership luncheon is usually at noon on the third Tuesday of each month. This event is held in various locations around town and includes a catered meal and an informative and entertaining presentation. RSVPs for monthly luncheons are strongly encouraged.

On the last Tuesday of each month, we hold Networking at Noon. One of our more popular events, Networking at Noons take place at a Chamber-member restaurant where you will enjoy a great meal and have the opportunity to introduce ,  to other leaders in business.

Other meetings and educational opportunities are presented throughout the year.

 

Are you part of the city?

If you mean “are we part of the city government?” the answer is no. The Carbondale Chamber is a separate 501(c) 6 not-for-profit organization. Our bylaws state that the mayor or his/her designee holds a seat on our board. The city does maintain membership in the Chamber and we rent our office space from the City. Other than those arrangements, we are completely separate. We have a great working relationship with the city, however, we do not hesitate to “fight city hall” for our members when the need arises.

 

How far are you from Denver?

Believe it or not, we get this question often. With no disrespect to our colleagues in Colorado, we are very proud to be the Carbondale ILLINOIS Chamber. Our sister city of Carbondale, Colo. has its own Chamber. Visit them at www.carbondale.com. (By the way, Carbondale, Colo. is 169 miles from Denver.)