Business Advocacy · De Pere, Wisconsin
Your voice with
the city, the county, and the region.
131 years of showing up in rooms where De Pere's business future is decided. The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce advocates for member businesses with the City of De Pere, Brown County, and regional economic partners — so you don't have to go it alone.
What advocacy means in practice
In the room before it becomes a problem.
Advocacy is included at every membership level — not a bonus, not an upgrade.
Most business owners are too busy running their businesses to track every zoning amendment, county budget discussion, or regional workforce initiative. Membership buys continuous representation in the rooms that matter — City Hall, the Brown County Board, the New North regional table — from a chamber that has known the players, the process, and the pressure points for a century and a third.
Want a direct hand in shaping the positions? That's the Advocacy Committee.
Named advocacy relationships
Where we show up — and with whom.
Chamber advocacy isn't lobbying in the distant-capital sense. It's a consistent presence at the local and regional tables that set the conditions for De Pere businesses to succeed.
City hall
City of De Pere
The front door to our business community.
— the City of De Pere, on the chamber
An active relationship with city staff, the Common Council, and the mayor's office. Once a year the State of De Pere puts the mayor and chamber leadership in front of the business community at the Mulva Cultural Center — the relationship in public, not in a memo.
Find the next State of De Pere
Regional table
New North
Northeast Wisconsin's regional economic development partnership. Through the chamber, De Pere businesses plug into regional workforce initiatives, talent attraction, and an economic strategy no single company could reach alone.
Help shape the positionCounty level
Brown County
County decisions on workforce, transportation, and land use reach every community the chamber serves. The chamber works those conversations so the De Pere business voice carries alongside Green Bay and the wider region.
Campus
St. Norbert College
A four-year college inside the city limits is a rare asset for a community this size. The chamber's relationship with St. Norbert connects members to student talent, campus events, and the civic leadership network that runs through it.
The Advocacy Committee
Want more than representation? Lead it.
The Advocacy Committee is where member businesses move from represented to active. Committee members help shape the chamber's positions on local government, policy, and regional economic issues. No previous advocacy experience needed — just a stake in De Pere's business climate.
Express interest in the Advocacy CommitteeHow it works
From membership to the table — four steps.
Chamber advocacy is not a promise that a specific outcome will occur. It is a commitment that your business interests are represented continuously and professionally — at the local, county, and regional level.
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Join the chamber
Built in — not an add-on.
Advocacy representation is included with membership at every level. No tier upgrade, no separate fee.
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The chamber watches
Before it becomes a problem.
Staff and committee members track city agendas, county discussions, and regional economic initiatives — flagging what affects the business community early.
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Members weigh in
Your perspective, on the record.
The Advocacy Committee is the mechanism for member input: your perspective shapes the chamber's positions. Any member can take a seat.
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The chamber represents you
One unified voice.
At city hall, at the county, at the New North table — influence no single business could sustain alone.
Advocacy as economic infrastructure
The business climate doesn't build itself.
De Pere sits next to Green Bay in a region competing nationally for talent, investment, and employers. The chamber's civic partnerships are the infrastructure that keeps a community this size in that conversation.
Its place in the New North network, and its relationships with Brown County and St. Norbert College, give members access to regional workforce pipelines, economic-development intelligence, and civic leadership networks no individual business can build alone. The service area follows how De Pere's workforce and customers actually move — not city limits — so joining represents your business across that whole footprint.
Meet the chamber's partners
Civic partnerships
- City of De Pere Planning, permitting and business-climate decisions, with member perspectives in the room.
- Brown County County-level representation across every community the chamber serves.
- New North The regional economic partnership — Northeast Wisconsin's competitive voice.
- St. Norbert College Workforce, talent and civic partnership in De Pere's own backyard.
Required disclosure
IRS Section 6033(e) Lobbying Disclosure
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) membership organization. A portion of your annual chamber dues may be allocated to lobbying activities. That portion is therefore not deductible as a business expense under federal tax law.
What this means for your business
- The lobbying-allocated portion of dues is not deductible as an ordinary business expense. The chamber provides the required Section 6033(e) disclosure annually to all dues-paying members, so you have the exact non-deductible amount for your records.
- The remainder of your dues is deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense — the same category as professional dues, trade association fees, and similar costs of doing business.
- Chamber dues are never deductible as a charitable contribution. For a tax-deductible charitable gift, that's the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation — a separate 501(c)(3) entity.
The specific lobbying allocation percentage is confirmed and disclosed to all members annually, as required by the IRS. Contact the chamber for your current-year disclosure notice, or with any questions about the deductibility of your dues.
This disclosure satisfies the chamber's Section 6033(e) notification obligation. It is not tax advice. Consult your tax professional regarding the deductibility of your specific membership costs.
What does the chamber actually do for advocacy?
The chamber monitors local government agendas and regional economic discussions, brings member business perspectives to city and county decision-makers, and participates in the New North network on regional workforce and economic-development issues. The Advocacy Committee is the direct participation channel for members who want to be actively involved rather than represented at arm's length.
Are my chamber dues tax-deductible?
Most of your dues are deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. The portion allocated to lobbying is not, and the chamber discloses that exact amount to every member annually — the requirement is IRS Section 6033(e), and the full disclosure is set out above on this page. Contact info@deperechamber.org for your current-year notice.
How do I join the Advocacy Committee?
Any member can take a seat — committees are open at every membership level. You don't need previous advocacy or government-relations experience, just an interest in De Pere's business climate and a willingness to engage. Express your interest and the chamber will connect you with the committee.
Does the chamber take political positions?
The chamber advocates for the business interests of its member community, focused on the local and regional policy environment that affects operating costs, workforce access, infrastructure, and economic development. Positions are developed through the Advocacy Committee with member input, grounded in practical business concerns. For current positions or committee activity, contact the chamber at info@deperechamber.org.
What is the difference between the chamber and the Foundation?
They are related but legally separate. Membership dues fund chamber operations, including advocacy. The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a charitable organization whose gifts fund community programs — five named pillars investing in youth, veterans, women in business, community faith, and civic connection.