African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania

The African American Chamber of Commerce has grown the membership from 28 paid members in 1998 to over 600 members as of january 20, 2020, and is ranked the 9th largest Chamber in the region. This includes developing a diverse membership of African americans, whites, hispanics, latinos, and indians. 74 corporations serve as sponsors of the organization. These sponsorships contribute to the support of ongoing financial operations. In addition, corporations have instructed their procurement officers to send bids and proposals to the Chamber for distribution to the membership. The organization serves as an information and resource center, and conducts 'how to do business workshops'. These workshops, held at various corporate locations, are developed to ensure that members are aware of company requirements, and the protocol for obtaining contracts. On average, over 4,200 requests are received each year from government and nonprofits to distribute their requests for products and services.the Chamber's business institute, established in 2003, has had over 4,750 business owners and professionals participate in programs to strengthen their business acumen in the areas of finance, legal, information technology, and marketing and communications. The Chamber also serves as the advocate for minority and small business owners on such issues as public, legislative and policy matters that affect its membership.