By Lauren Pulido (He/They)
Outreach and Engagement Manager
Rainbow Chamber of Commerce & Foundation
Since our establishment in 2001, the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and Rainbow Chamber Foundation has continued to serve LGBTQ+ and allied business owners and our LGBTQ+ community in the greater Sacramento area. The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber offers a prosperous and inclusive community that connects local business owners with resources to network, generate business visibility, and create lasting connections.
The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber offers our members free monthly networking mixers, new member orientations, many special events, and much more. Through these events, we offer our members the opportunity to meet new customers, develop beneficial business relationships, and make long lasting business connections. In addition to these incomparable benefits, our focus in professional development allows us to provide workshops and seminars presented by Rainbow Chamber members or community partners to create opportunity for new skills and accessible resources to help businesses grow and thrive.
Through our community partnerships, we are able to provide our members with even more invaluable benefits. In partnership with our corporate partner SMUD, we provide free workshops to help member businesses get certified as a SEED SMUD small business vendor. Rainbow Chamber can assist with certifications through partnerships with other corporate members such as the State of California Department of General Services, CPUC, Siemens Mobility, local transportation companies and top medical health providers. We also partner with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), which allows us to help member businesses that are at least 51% LGBTQ+-owned become certified as an LGBTQ+ Business Enterprise. As an added Rainbow Chamber member benefit, the $400 cost of NGLCC certification is waived for those who apply for certification. We strive to provide top level of support to all businesses and create a region where LGBTQ+ businesses thrive, are prosperous, supported, and equitable. In addition to the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, our non-profit giving arm, the Rainbow Chamber Foundation, provides academic scholarships to LGBTQ+ and allied students. Currently we offer three scholarships: the Rainbow Chamber Foundation Scholarship, the Culinary Arts and Related Programs Scholarship, and the Palmer Family Healthcare Education Scholarship. This year in collaboration with UC Davis Health, we are proud to announce our Residents & Fellows Debt Relief Award. The Rainbow Chamber Foundation’s Resident & Fellows Debt Relief Award was established to provide financial relief to LGBTQ+ and LGTBQ+ supportive resident and fellow physicians actively in a healthcare training program at UC Davis.
Aside from our scholarships, we offer a variety of other programs and support to non-profit organizations. Through the Rainbow Chamber Foundation, we host several charity events that provide funding to LGBTQ+ and allied scholarship programs, LGBTQ+ health organizations, LGBTQ+ and allied non-profits, Queer proms, and more. Our monthly Drag Queen Bingo at Mango’s is one of our most popular fundraising events which allows us to support a new non-profit or charity each month. The philanthropic work of the Rainbow Chamber and our Foundation has raised and donated over $400k in awards to local charities and has presented more than 100 scholarships to LGBTQ+ and allied students.
The Rainbow Chamber foundation is funded entirely by private donations, sponsors, and our large-scale annual events which help us give back to our community through our philanthropic and scholarship efforts. Our hope is to create a healthy pathway for those entering the workforce or businesses sector and to continue supporting new or existing businesses.
We would like to invite you to our upcoming major events, the Farm to Scholar dinner and Boas and Bow Ties Gala. Farm to Scholar will be held on September 28th at American River College and will take place as our awarding ceremony for our Culinary Arts and Related Programs Scholarship recipients paired with a multi-course dining experience. Our annual Boas and Bow Ties Gala on October 26th will take place at the Sacramento Hilton Arden West where we will award the Rainbow Chamber Foundation Scholarship and the Palmer Family Healthcare Education Scholarship and enjoy a night of lively entertainment and fine dining.
More information on our scholarships, events and more about the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber can be found at www.rainbowchamber.com, come join our marvelous network of support. We look forward to bettering community with you!
