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Resolution Approving a One-Time Funding Request of $82,500 from the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce to Implement the Chamber Financial Sustainability Plan
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Introduction
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The purpose of this resolution is for the Village of Oak Park to provide a one-time funding contribution to the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce (“the Chamber”), which will allow the Chamber to implement a financial sustainability plan focused upon new and existing membership initiatives. This one-time request for an operating funding contribution is a strategic reinvestment into Oak Park’s business infrastructure.
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Recommended Action
The Office of Economic Vitality recommends approval of the resolution granting funding to the Chamber to implement the Chamber financial sustainability plan.
Prior Board Action
On February 24, 2026, the Village Board heard a presentation (ID 26-209) from the Chamber describing all of the services the Chamber provides to enhance the business climate in Oak Park.
Background
For over a century, the Chamber of Commerce has served as an advocate for business and growth engine for the local economy. The Chamber represents over 350 local businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs who make our commercial corridors vibrant, distinct, and economically durable. When local businesses thrive, Oak Park benefits through stronger sales and property tax revenues, thriving commercial corridors, local job creation, and a vibrant community character. Over the past year, the Chamber has experienced a number of challenges that have affected their operations and financial position. Due to some staffing changes in 2025, the Chamber was unable to secure sponsorships, member relations, and other revenue generation during that time.
Meanwhile, an interim Executive Director was engaged as a transition consultant and worked part-time through April 2026. During this leadership transition over the past year, interim consulting expenses and temporary staffing constraints limited the Chamber’s bandwidth to proactively engage and retain members. While basic services continued, the Chamber was forced to pause proactive outreach, targeted small business mentorship, and commercial corridor cultivation. In May 2026, Melissa Mallinson began her tenure as full-time Executive Director. The Chamber has since prepared a financial sustainability plan that should enhance membership retention and cultivation, sponsorships, and revenue growth.
The Chamber appeared before the Village Board to present their plans earlier this year. There was a shortfall in the 2026 budget which affected the resources and the Chamber's ability to right-size the Chamber's staffing level. The Office of Economic Vitality has been working closely with the Chamber to enhance the business climate in Oak Park and promote ribbon cuttings, business collaboration, sustainability, business attraction, and business retention.
The one-time investment in the Chamber will enable the Chamber to provide direct support to 350 business owners by restoring the full-time staff capacity to provide direct retention support, technical assistance, and crisis navigation for local merchants. The funding will also enable the Chamber to prevent commercial vacancies by identifying struggling business early and connecting them to the Office of Economic Vitality, as well as offering capital, mentoring, and marketing resources. This will create a unified feedback loop between business owners and the Office of Economic Vitality. This will streamline business development in Oak Park.
The Chamber will restore operational capacity and deliver on the mutual goals by hiring a full-time Membership & Business Engagement Manager dedicated to driving member retention, recruitment, and merchant services. The Chamber plans to hire Membership & Business Engagement Manager in the fourth quarter of 2026 or first quarter of 2027. The Chamber will formalize the Village partnership by integration of an Office of Economic Vitality staff member to the Chamber Board of Directors as a voting member. The Chamber would conduct bi-monthly strategic alignment meetings between Village Economic Vitality staff and Chamber leadership.
The Chamber will activate business owner voice by conducting comprehensive merchant surveys and sector-specific focus groups. The objective is to deliver a “state of Oak Park business” priorities report to the Village Board of Trustees. This would be conducted in March 2027. Finally, the Chamber would provide small business mentorship by launching tailored business counseling and corridor support initiatives. The Chamber would support 50+ new and expanding businesses with mentorship and concierge services. This would be conducted in the second quarter of 2027.
The long-term sustainability of the Chamber is also ensured by implementation for a revitalized revenue model centered on membership expansion, high value corporate sponsorships and enhanced program services to meet the needs of businesses throughout the region. The Chamber plans to upgrade their operating systems, that will allow for rolling membership onboarding and renewal options. This will stabilize the organization’s cash flow by eliminating the current twice-yearly renewal cycles. Additionally, the new system will equip the Chamber to better serve members with an updated website, mobile-friendly business directory, enhanced internal reporting and analytics, and improved staff user interface. The system improvements and full staff capacity will enable the Chamber team to implement an improved Member Onboarding Pan. In order to support the Village’s goal to support new businesses, the Chamber will provide a variety of access points and engagement opportunities including live welcome events, automated user journeys, professional development offerings. And introductions to digital benefits. Internally, the Chamber staff goal is to make direct contact with newly licensed business owners within two months of issuance. In order to help ensure the Village’s investment produces the desired results, the Chamber and the Village will formalize communication structures through the appointment of an Office of Economic Vitality staff member as a designated voting member of the Chamber Board of Directors.
Timing Considerations
The Chamber has been collaborating with the Office of Economic Vitality to obtain one-time funding to implement the financial sustainability plan. The requested funding is necessary before the end of the year. Implementation of the financial sustainability plan is essential for the Chamber's long-term viability.
Financial Impact
The financial impact upon the Village is $82,500. This funding will require a budget amendment and will be funded from GL (1001.41026.101.585652) - Operating Subsidies. The resource allocation of the $82,500 in Chamber funding would be allocated as follows:
• $27,223 - Operational Rebalancing (2026) absorbing the temporary, higher cost of transition consulting and search firm fees incurred during the Executive Director recruitment.
• $35,277 - Membership & Business Engagement Manager - (2026-2027 Salary Offset): Funding the immediate hiring of a dedicated manager focused on retention, recruitment, and small business support.
• $20,000 - Business Retention & Economic Vitality Programming: Direct funding for merchant focus groups, small business workshops, marketing campaigns, and corridor cultivation.
Operations Impact
The Chamber provides six-month memberships to new Oak Park businesses and is reimbursed by the Village. There are approximately 100 memberships provided at a cost of $150 each for a total of $15,000. The current funding request is separate from membership reimbursement. The operational impact on the Village for this one-time funding is $82,500.
The Office of Economic Vitality has met with the Chamber and the President of the Chamber Board to discuss the financial sustainability plan. Collaboration with the Chamber is part of the daily operating function of the Office of Economic Vitality. Among partnership efforts, the department attends ribbon cuttings, after-hours events, and Chamber luncheons to collaborate with Oak Park business owners.
The Chamber funding will require some additional staff time to collaborate and monitor Chamber activities during implementation of the financial sustainability plan. The Office of Economic Vitality has not had to engage any consultants nor will additional staff be needed to implement the financial sustainability plan. Approximately 30 hours of staff time have been devoted to meetings with the Chamber and the analysis of the Chamber’s financial sustainability plan.
DEI Impact
The Chamber can assist minority business enterprises and minority populations. The Chamber can also support community members of any age range, especially those who own or operate a small business. The Chamber is focused upon small business so this program addresses many of the needs of small minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses. The Office of Economic Vitality reviewed the Chamber membership to examine how the financial sustainability plan might impact policy/procedure/programming from this one-time funding.
The membership data indicates most of the Chamber members are small businesses including minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses. The new Chamber membership relations outreach should engage these specific small businesses as part of the financial sustainability plan. The impacted population are planned to be engaged more aggressively with the one-time Village funding. There is a positive environmental impact as more Chamber members engage in financial sustainability programs and benefit from the DEI programming throughout the Village of Oak Park. Additionally, the Office of DEI has been partnering with the Chamber on various special events.
Community Input
The Office of Economic Vitality has discussed funding for the Chamber with a variety of other business organizations. The Chamber went before the Village Board earlier this year and provided a summary of their programming, membership, budget, and future programming.
Staff Recommendation
The Office of Economic Vitality recommends approval of the one-time funding to implement the financial sustainability plan. The one-time funding will drive membership retention and rebuild the chamber infrastructure to support future membership growth and enhance long-term capital reserves.
Advantages:
• The Chamber will enhance the business climate in Oak Park.
• The Chamber will strengthen membership cultivation.
• The Chamber will increase staffing to service the needs of the Oak Park business community.
Disadvantages:
• The Village will have to reallocate Village resources to provide the one-time funding.
• There may be resources potentially dedicated to other Village programs that will be eliminated as a result of the one-time Chamber funding.
Alternatives
The Board can elect not to one-time funding and let the Chamber of Commerce falter.
Advantages:
• The Village would have $82,500 to fund alternative Village programs.
• The Village could reallocate the funding resources to pay down pensions.
Disadvantages:
• The Chamber of Commerce may falter and have an adverse impact upon the business climate in Oak Park.
• The Village may have to take on a more prominent role in afterhours events, ribbon cuttings, and Chamber membership oversight.
Anticipated Future Actions
There are no anticipated future actions in relation to this item.
Prepared By: John C. Melaniphy, Assistant Village Manager, Economic Vitality
Reviewed By: Ahmad Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution
2. Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce - Strategic Investment and Sustainability Plan
3. Member Onboarding Plan 2027