The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to be among an elite group of chambers nationwide that can declare five-star accreditation. A chamber of commerce’s success is recognized by a star-ranking system, beginning with accredited, then moving up to 3-Stars and 4-Stars, and ultimately culminating with 5-Stars. The star ranking is contingent on a chamber's ability to meet nine standards of excellence.

What exactly is Accreditation?
The Accreditation Program defines standards of excellence in chamber planning and performance and shows chambers how they can reach and maintain these standards. It helps measure achievement and recognize members and staff who contribute to the good of their communities.

The criteria and standards used in the guidelines become tools for management control and self-discipline - guiding the organization by helping it to upgrade and improve the basic effectiveness. Chambers that have earned Accreditation value the process as a worthwhile experience. It has helped them focus attention on the many important factors that add to successful chamber performance.

What's the procedure?
It begins with a desire and a willingness on the part of the leadership of the organization to commit to a rigid self-analysis that will require hours of research, examination, and writing. A self-analysis survey is then sent to the U.S. Chamber. Upon acknowledgement of eligibility, the chamber is sent a detailed application to complete, adding appendices of supporting documents. A panel composed of business leaders across the country then reviews the submitted information and makes a determination.

Why pursue it?
Never satisfied with the status quo, even with status changing, our Chamber is in constant pursuit of excellence! Our consistent program of self-assessment coupled with an ongoing search for betterment set the stage for our leadership to seek opportunities for benchmarking. Along the way, we learned much about ourselves that will ultimately provide better direction for our board and our staff. The end result is a continuously scrutinized program of work that will always strive for realistic satisfaction of member needs.

What is its lifespan?
The Accreditation program is the only one of its kind to monitor the dynamic chamber of commerce industry. The program, developed by a team of chamber executives and the U.S. Chamber, was introduced in 1964 for the continuous improvement of local chambers of commerce. Guidelines are updated each year to reflect changes in the chamber industry. It is not a lifetime achievement. Accredited chambers must apply for re-accreditation every five years.