Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Foundation Inc

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Foundation was established in 2016 and is dedicated to advancing the quality of life in Gilbert through education, leadership, and community enhancement.

The mission of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation is supported through five focus areas:

• Chamber For Good
We know our business community is generous - always looking for opportunities to help meet the needs of our residents and local non-profits. As part of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation, the Chamber For Good initiative supports programs and partnerships to benefit local causes.

1,078 Seniors adopted since 2010 and 10 holiday parties hosted at Page Commons.
More than 400 families have benefitted from the Back-to-School Supply Drive since 2018.

• Gilbert Leadership
Founded in 1991, Gilbert Leaderships brings together individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to develop their leadership potential and to expose participants to the issues impacting our community.

586 Graduates since 1993.
28 Community Projects completed - one per class.

• Workforce Readiness
The Gilbert Chamber Foundation works to connect business, education, and government for an ongoing and collaborative conversation regarding the workforce needs of our businesses and the opportunities to support educators, students, and families for a strong talent pipeline.

1,614 Connections made between businesses, educators, and students since 2016.
3,114 Hours tracked by the 393 Participants of the Career Shadowing & Mentorship program.
762 Attendees at the annual Business & Education Summits since 2013.
87 Educators enrolled in Tours for Teachers since 2015, with a reach of 10,029 Students.

• Retention & Engagement
The Gilbert Chamber Foundation works in partnership with the Town of Gilbert's Office of Economic Development, the Office of the Mayor, Development Services, and others to support the community's overall business retention and expansion efforts. We identify ways in which to listen, respond to needs, and encourage further engagement within the business community.

461 Attendees at the Roundtable meetings since 2014.
444 Businesses visited through the annual Business Walks since 2016.
762 Participants in the annual Red Carpet Tour since 2011.

• Events & Fundraising
The funds raised at these events help us to sustain and improve upon important programs of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation.

What is needed to support the programs of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation?

The programs of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation continue to grow, improve, and serve a great good each and every year. But, we can't do it alone! Here are the ways in which to support these efforts:

-Make a Financial Contribution
-Donate a Raffle or Auction Item
Donations of gift baskets, event tickets, goods, and services are an easy and supportive way to support the fundraising efforts of our raffle and auction activities.
https://gilbertaz.com/special-event-donation-form
-Volunteer
Mentor a student
Serve as a guest speaker, science fair judge, etc.
Assist in curriculum development
Participant in Business Walks
Host a site tour for local teachers
Serve on a committee
https://gilbertaz.com/interest-form

Testimonials

• Tours For Teachers

I actually feel like this program is causing me to rethink some of my core values in teaching. Not only have I spent more time this year thinking about the why more than the how, but I am also reflecting on what we are teaching our students. There are so many ways to get bogged down in standards and tests that I now feel have nothing to do with what businesses are looking for. I feel slightly vindicated in my original degree in communication as well! I want to be sure my students leave elementary school with at least an introduction into the idea of the importance of communicating well both in writing and in person. I don't ever want my students to miss out on an opportunity because they don't make eye contact in an interview or don't present themselves in their best light or they don't use proper grammar in an application. Regardless of what else I have to cover, I will be honing those soft skills that aren't tested or graded but are so important. - Lisa Witt, 6th grade teacher, Centennial Elementary School

I've been to many Professional developments in my 9 years as a teacher. Some sounded amazing but when I arrived it was nothing like the advertisement. So, I wasn't sure what would happen with this experience. I was pleasantly surprised that this is a program that does what I thought it would do, provide real contacts in the business world. - Andrea Yancey-Goodwin, Graphic Design Teacher, Higley High School

This was one of the best experiences in my tenure in education. Every aspect of the day was top notch. - Jane Przeslica, Community Education, Gilbert Public Schools

• Job Shadowing

It has been a pleasure having Taniyah shadow me these past few weeks...