President’s Letter - July 2010 “Taking Things for Granted”

Dear GBBC Members and the GLBT Community;

It is very easy to take for granted many things we have in life. It’s just the nature of the human race.  We rush through each day and don’t even stop to realize what we have today, may be gone tomorrow. 

As President of the GBBC, one of the largest GLBT Business Chambers in the United States, it appears that some of the work we do may be one of those things we just take for granted. The amount of hours it takes to operate a chamber of our size is staggering and to imagine that 100% of the GBBC infrastructure is operated by volunteers is even more unimaginable.  Although our membership continues to grow, recently the GBBC has had to postpone some events because of the low turnout of registrants.  After pondering this, I could only contribute this to the effects of a down economy. The reports that we are recovering is only shadowed by news of unemployment being extended to 99 weeks in some states. Yes, that is not a typo.

Today I find it important to remind the GLBT community of a few things that make up the GBBC and the many long hours put into sponsoring events.  My hope is that after you read this the GBBC won’t be something we take for granted.

Boston’s GLBT Chamber of Commerce:

• Events - the GBBC sponsors between 12 to 20 events each year with each taking an average of 8 to 10 weeks to plan, organize and implement. In addition the Events Committee also manages anywhere between 10 to 30 monthly lunch groups depending on the number of regions participating and volunteers needed. This one committee work nearly every day of the year creating and producing events that are either educational, networking or social in nature.
• Corporate Sponsorship - the GBBC fosters a professional GLBT environment that is attractive to many corporations that have diversity groups and wish to be connected to the Community.  The GBBC offers corporations many opportunities to be plugged into different facets of the GLBT Community of Boston as well as nationally. Our corporate sponsors are the very essence of giving the GBBC the ability to reach for levels within our community that would give back.
• Non-Profit Affiliate Program - the GBBC recognizes that in Boston we are home to many wonderful non-profit organizations that work diligently to provide important and critical services to the GLBT community. With this, the GBBC has created a program that was designed specifically for non-profits, allowing them to be part of the GBBC Chamber. In addition, the GBBC co-supports their initiatives and events, which can be found on our Events Calendar and newsletter. Non-Profits organizations are members of the GBBC through an invitation basis, however non-profits that wish to be considered can contact the GBBC.
• GLBT Youth Scholarship - our scholarship initiative is in its second year and we couldn’t be more proud than to contribute to a national GLBT scholarship program through the Point Foundation. Being directly connected to the future GLBT leaders is very rewarding. In part, being part of the program offers every GBBC member and corporate sponsor the chance to stand proud in supporting future leaders and today’s GLBT youth.
• Web Design and Maintenance - nearly a 24/7 operation, the GBBC has both an internal and external web management support system. Once a limited resource, the GBBC web site has many benefits and should be visited by all. Our monitored demo graphics tell us that nearly every continent and country in the world has touched our site. In addition, the daily hit rate has been has been as low as 200 visits per day and as many as 1,800 visits per day. The site also offers current GLBT news, programs, benefits, business directory, links to corporate sponsors, information and links to non-profits providing services to our community and much more.
• Media - the GBBC manages several relationships with key media companies that cross a variety media types including newspapers, magazines and internet distributions. These relationships are important in broadcasting information about the GBBC and events that we are sponsoring. It is also a means of letting people know who we are.
• Membership - the GBBC has positioned itself as an important component of the GLBT community in Greater Boston and along with all our benefits and programs has experienced a large growth in membership. With 2,200+ members in database, our membership department is very busy.
• NGLCC Membership - the GBBC is proud to be a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for over two years. Among the chambers associated with the NGLCC, the GBBC is one of the oldest and largest GLBT chambers in the country. In addition, all NGLCC benefits are also offered to all active GBBC members. Furthermore, the NGLCC offers many programs in which we are all welcome to participate in, including GLBT Business Certifications, scholarships and business awards.  Visit the NGLCC at http://www.nglcc.org to learn more about them and their benefits.
• Member Benefits - the GBBC, along with the NGLCC offer a large number of benefits from discount shipping, discount travel, medical and dental benefits to investment planning. There are several more benefits to learn about by visiting http://www.gbbc.org and http://www.nglcc.org.
• Monthly Newsletter - one of the many ways we communicate with our members and the GLBT community is by producing a monthly newsletter. If you are interested in receiving this monthly communication you can sign up for a free subscription at http://www.gbbc.org The newsletter offers an array of information from GLBT news and events, non-profit events and our corporate sponsors.
• Advocate - the GBBC continues to advocate GLBT rights both locally and nationally. In addition we support many surrounding chambers by assisting them in organizing their own chapters in their state and cities. The GBBC is all about knowledge sharing and having organizations learn from our own 20+ years experience as Greater Boston GLBT Chamber of Commerce.

And to imagine this isn’t even the whole “footprint” of the GBBC. 

The importance of sharing these facts is to ask all our members, all our corporate sponsors and the entire GLBT Community of Greater Boston to step out and participate with the GBBC as well as all our affiliates and corporate sponsors.  We have existed for over 20 years for the betterment of the GLBT Community and now is the time to show your support by becoming a member and attend events we organize for you.  By doing so, you will be fueling the engines that keeps the GBBC one of the largest, oldest and most successful GLBT Chamber of Commerce in the United States. 

Don’t take for granted that the fourth largest GLBT Chamber of Commerce in your very own backyard.  Show your support…become a member and meet other GLBT professionals.

Happy Summer 2010!

Ed Travers

President