| National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce | |
|---|---|
Certifying LGBT Businesses, Connecting Our Communities |
|
| Formation | 2002 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | 729 15th ST. NW |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Leader | Justin G. Nelson, President, Chance Mitchell, CEO |
| Staff | 14 (2011) |
| Website | http://www.nglcc.org |
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is a U.S. not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding the economic opportunities and advancements of the LGBT business community. The NGLCC headquarters is located at 729 15 Street, NW in Washington, D.C. They are the national certification body for LGBT-owned businesses and leading advocates for LGBT supplier diversity.
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The NGLCC was co-founded in 2002 by Justin G. Nelson and Chance Mitchell.[1] Nelson has served as President since the NGLCC was founded, and Mitchell has served as CEO over the same period. In 2002 the pair were named to OUT Magazine's Top 100 Success Stories for their role in founding the NGLCC. Instinct Magazine named Nelson as one of their 25 leading men in 2006.
The NGLCC works with state and local chambers and business groups on various issues and is an advocate on behalf of LGBT owned businesses, professionals, students of business, and corporations that share in the desire to expand the gay community's financial opportunities, economic growth, continued innovation, and equality.[2] It supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.[3] The NGLCC is affiliated with 62 local, state, and international LGBT chambers of commerce, and serves to represent their interests.
The NGLCC offices are located over two floors at 729 15th St., NW, Washington, DC, employing approximately 15 full time staff. The NGLCC runs an internship and fellowship program to support operations.
The Board of Directors includes several national business leaders:
NGLCC Co-Founders Justin G. Nelson and Chance Mitchell also serve on the Board of Directors.[4]
Since 2004 the NGLCC has offered certification to businesses owned by LGBT people. This certification helps vendors source from LGBT-owned products and services, also known as supplier diversity. The NGLCC has certified 245 businesses across the U.S. Certification is a multi-step process involving an application and supporting documents, a site visit, and final approval before regional certification committees.
In June 2005, the NGLCC and the US Department of the Interior signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase opportunities for LGBT-certified small business seeking to contract with the department. In August 2007 the NGLCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council to provide opportunities for dual-certification as both a women-owned, and lesbian, bisexual or transgender-owned, business. In 2011 the Human Rights Campaign announced it would include active sourcing of LGBT certified businesses as part of the Corporate Equality Index, a national directory of gay-friendly workplaces.
The NGLCC offers corporate membership. Over 120 companies are recognized as corporate partners of the NGLCC. Membership provides benefits such as access to certified suppliers, recognition as supporters of the LGBT business community and opportunities to share best practice in supplier diversity. The NGLCC recognizes 10 companies as founding corporate members.[5]
The NGLCC National Dinner, An Evening of Courage, is an annual awards event held in November to celebrate progress in the LGBT business community.
It was first held in November to celebrate progress in the LGBT business community. It was first held in 2003 and has been held at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC since then. It is attended by national and international business leaders, LGBT equality advocates, small business owners and political figures alike.
On November 3, 2011, the NGLCC announced it would be honoring U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, with the NGLCC/American Airlines ExtrAA Mile Award for her outstanding contribution to LGBT equality. Previous winners include LGBT activist and sportswoman Martina Navratilova and Academy Award-winning director Cynthia Wade.[6]
Every summer the NGLCC holds a National Business and Leadership Conference. The conference brings together corporations and small business owners to share best practice in supplier diversity, to offer networking opportunities, and provide learning tools for small businesses. The Conference also features an exhibition event to advertise services and provide networking opportunities. It has previously been held in Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Las Vegas. It will be held in Chicago in 2011.
Since 2007 the NGLCC has held an annual Diversity in Financial Services awards dinner at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate diversity in financial services. In 2007 the event was held in honor of U.S. Senator Barney Frank.
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce works with 62 local, state and international chambers. In 2011 the NGLCC appointed a full time position to oversee relations with affiliated chambers.[7] The move is considered mutually beneficial to both local chambers and the national chamber.
The NGLCC stopped national membership options in 2011, and all membership is now routed through affiliated chambers. Membership of an affiliated chamber infers membership of the NGLCC. Certain benefits are afforded for membership, including a waiver of the fee requried for supplier diversity certification. NGLCC corporate partners also offer benefits to members of affiliated chambers.[8]
Relations between affiliated chambers, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the LGBT business community are overseen by the Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO).
In 2010 the NGLCC hosted the first ever LGBT trade mission to Argentina, joined by U.S. LGBT businesses. The trade mission met with government officials and business counterparts and formalized relations with the Argentine LGBT Chamber of Commerce. In October 2011 the NGLCC traveled to Bogota to lay the groundwork for a future U.S. certified LGBT trade mission to Colombia.
The NGLCC considers itself the umbrella body for several international LGBT chambers of commerce.
The NGLCC became the first LGBT organization to ring the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell on June 20, 2005. It rang the bell again on June 5, 2009 and January 10, 2011.
In 2005, the NGLCC launched with Wells Fargo & Company the NGLCC/Wells Fargo LGBT Business Owner of the Year Award to small LGBT business owners; the award includes a cash prize of $5000, a promotional video, and a chance to be recognized at their annual dinner party.[9] The award is no longer offered.
In 2010 the NGLCC began international work (see above).
In November 2011 the NGLCC unveiled a new Supplier Innovation Center covering a second floor in the building that houses their offices. The Supplier Innovation Center is designed to facilitate training opportunities and develop best practice for small businesses, and provide a space for local start-ups to operate. The NGLCC is offering scholarships to LGBT business owners in partnership with the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, to be held at the Supplier Innovation Center.