named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Citizen of the Year
An annual awards event recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the Grand Island community.
Clean UP Grand Island
Community cleanup event co-organized with local groups to remove trash and debris from public spaces across the island.
KidBiz Young Entrepreneur Program
An annual program for students in grades 2–8 to learn entrepreneurship by creating, marketing, and selling their own products; includes parent training sessions and culminates in a vendor event at Town Commons.
Light Up The Blvd
Annual holiday-themed electric parade and festival promoting community spirit and local businesses.
Youth Ambassadors for Service
A youth leadership program selecting two high school students annually to represent the Chamber at community events; participants receive a $1,500 scholarship.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Business Community Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocates for local business climate improvementAdvocates for a supportive business climate that enables member growth, connection, and access to competitive resources on Grand Island.
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Regional Economic Development Initiatives 1 activity
- Conducts local economic development activitiesEngages in business development initiatives to support local commerce and economic engagement on Grand Island.
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Visitor & Business Guide Distribution 1 activity
- Distributes printed and digital community guidesDistributes nearly 10,000 printed guides annually to all residences, businesses, and PO Boxes on Grand Island, plus an additional 2,000 through public locations, events, and welcome packets. Also maintains a digital guide at www.discovergi.com that receives thousands of annual views from local and international audiences.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Facilitates business networking and connectionsConnects local entrepreneurs, established companies, and community members through committee meetings, mixers, and community events. Provides business referrals to Chamber members and maintains an online directory with website links and contact information for member visibility.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosts business promotion and community eventsOrganizes annual events including ribbon cuttings, the Light Up the Boulevard event featuring an electric parade and holiday activities, and the Citizen of the Year awards to recognize community contributors and promote local businesses.
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Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
- Organizes community beautification initiativesCo-organizes a community cleanup event to remove trash and debris from public areas on Grand Island.
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Member-Focused Advertising Services 1 activity
- Provides advertising and sponsorship opportunities for local businessesOffers sponsorship levels for the KidBiz program, Citizen of the Year event, and Light Up The Blvd event. Provides ad space on the chamber’s homepage, in the annual Discover Grand Island publication, and in print materials such as posters and program booklets.
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Membership Program Administration 1 activity
- Provides member services and office facilitiesOffers tiered membership programs for businesses, civic members, and nonprofits based on organization size, and provides access to rent Chamber office space equipped for meetings, seminars, and organizational events.
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Youth and Student Entrepreneurship Competitions 1 activity
- Supports youth entrepreneurship and engagementOrganizes the annual KidBiz Young Entrepreneur Program for students in grades 2 through 8, hosts the event at The Town Commons, and engages youth representatives at community events. Awards two $1,500 scholarships annually to selected Youth Ambassadors.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$26K
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue$12K48%
Investment income$150%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$45K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$15K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$60K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$60K
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020
Who runs it
board members · 4
- MICHAEL BILLONI — DIRECTOR
- RAMCY RIZEK — DIRECTOR
- STACEY WATT — DIRECTOR
- SUE BERGER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- 773 North, Inc. Partner — Member organization listed by the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.
- Addison Lewis Partner — 2025-2026 Youth Ambassador representing the Chamber at community events
- Allegany Mountain Resort LLC Partner — New member of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
- Cassidy Kurtzhalts Partner — 2024-2025 Youth Ambassador who represented the Chamber at multiple community events
- Grand Island Lions Partner — Co-organizes the Clean UP Grand Island community event.
- Grand Island Rotary Partner — Co-organizes the Clean UP Grand Island community event.
- Janelle Spiesz Partner — 2024-2025 Youth Ambassador who represented the Chamber at multiple community events
- Middle School Partner — Hosts mandatory parent/guardian training sessions for the KidBiz program.
- Niagara River Greenway Partner — Co-organizes the Clean UP Grand Island community event.
- Nova Reset Partner — New member of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
- One Stop Car Wash Partner — New member of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
- Sienna Sarkees Partner — 2025-2026 Youth Ambassador representing the Chamber at community events
- Social Status Marketing, LLC Partner — Site design partner for the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce website
- Town of Grand Island Partner — Co-organizes the Clean UP Grand Island community event.
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Local Business Advocacy Drives Community Prosperitymethodology: local-business-advocacyBy advocating for a favorable local business climate, the Chamber enables member growth and resource access, which in turn strengthens the community's economic and social fabric because thriving businesses are foundational to regional resilience and shared prosperity.
- Youth Engagement as Future Economic Stewardshipmethodology: youth-business engagementBy connecting youth with local businesses through ambassador programs and experiential entrepreneurship, the Chamber builds long-term community investment in local economic development because early exposure fosters future participation, loyalty, and entrepreneurial capacity.