The Jacksonville Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that serves Northeast Florida by funding workforce development, community leadership and entrepreneurial education programs in support of long-term regional prosperity, is seeking year-end donations to continue to serve the Jacksonville community through its various programming, including:

Entrepreneurial Education
-The JAX Chamber Foundation partially funds the Chamber’s Entrepreneurial Growth Division (EGD). EGD assists entrepreneurs and established small business owners to open, build and sustain their businesses. It accomplishes this through a variety of programs and services including supporting small business development, growing the local economy, broadening the tax base and creating jobs.

Education & Workforce Development
–Earn Up is a national initiative funded through the JAX Chamber Foundation with the goal of raising the post-secondary educational attainment rate. To be competitive as a region, the Chamber aims to increase the current college graduation rate from 36 percent to 60 percent by 2025. Research shows the single greatest predictor of economic success in a community is the number of degree and industry-certified people who live there.

Community Leadership
-The Foundation works with the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center and Jacksonville University to present Leadership MattersSM and the JAX Chamber on ImpactJAX. Both programs enhance the leadership skills of women business owners, female executives and young professionals across Northeast Florida.

Women’s Initiatives
–The Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC) is a program of the JAX Chamber Foundation. Its mission is to advance the success of women entrepreneurs at every stage of business development. JWBC accomplishes its mission by offering a wide array of educational programs coupled with a mentoring component, which is unique in Northeast Florida. In the past decade JWBC was instrumental in 113 new business starts and more than 1,200 jobs created.