Business

By Kristine Keil

Ames Chamber of Commerce

June 21, 2012

Ames, IA – The Ames Chamber of Commerce introduced a new way of funding their programming with an inaugural, eight-week Total Resource Campaign (TRC) and raised over $326,000 – far exceeding the $250,000 goal. The TRC was well received by the community and exceeded the Chamber’s expectations.

The Total Resource Campaign allowed the Chamber to market sponsorships of their programs, events, publications and electronic media as well as recruit new members. Purchasing sponsorships gives Ames Chamber members the opportunity to market their businesses through the Chamber’s many programs and products.

While this campaign was a huge success in terms of raising additional funds to help assist the Chamber in their programming efforts, it went well beyond rudimentary fundraising. Members were able to share with the Ames community how the Chamber strives to make Ames a better place to live, work and do business. Many were surprised by the depth of programming the Chamber provides to the community. Also, it was exciting to see members talking with fellow members and assisting them in selecting sponsorship opportunities to market their businesses. It was a chance for our members to network with each other in an exciting, new way.

By taking this different approach to securing sponsorship funds, Chamber members really got a unique opportunity,” said Frank Nogel, Ames Chamber of Commerce Chair and Iowa State University (ISU) Senior Associate Athletics Director. “The Total Resource Campaign enabled new relationships to blossom and feeds the conversation on how to better Ames and our community. Getting our members connecting and working together was one of the major reasons we went ahead with this campaign. It is an exceptional way to raise funding for the Chamber, enable our Chamber members to market their organizations in a variety of ways, and to educate the community about what our Chamber does to strengthen the community’s economic vitality.”

Brian Dieter, President & CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center, and John Russell, President of Bankers Trust, were the co-chairmen of the TRC. Each recruited their own teams of volunteers.

“Our volunteers were terrific!” said Angela Davidson, Director of Government Relations at the Ames Chamber and lead staff contact for the TRC. “Brian and John were excellent leaders that recruited an outstanding group of Chamber volunteers. Our volunteers are what made this first Total Resource Campaign such a success. I look forward to working with them again next year.”

Davidson also went on to say the Chamber appreciates the overwhelming response received from the community and that the Chamber’s “sincere thanks go out to all the organizations that pledged their support to the Chamber during the Total Resource Campaign.”

The TRC began in April and wrapped up the first week of June.