The Chamber’s Recommended Program Seal Ensures a Program or Event is Relevant, Useful, and Independent of Commercial Influence. 

Our seal guidelines reflect the same values of our educator community, build on adult education research, and respond to the evolving business environment. With this framework, the Chamber recommends providers that deliver high-quality programs that meet specific standards.

Partnering, Not Duplicating​
The Chamber seeks to create a community culture that will produce breakthrough results.
We do this by working in partnership with others, not by duplicating services already in the community. That’s why we collaborate with organizations who have specific strengths and competencies. We work to unite the strengths of our community partners so the Chamber can free up resources to focus other mission-critical activities. The Chamber's Recommended Seal of Approval formalizes these efforts. 

Chamber Standards for High Quality Educational Programs
​The Chamber's standards for recommending  educational programs reflect the same values of our educator community and built on adult education research. 

Chamber Seal of Approval Partners

The Chamber Seal of Approval is a prestigious recognition awarded to organizations that demonstrate exceptional excellence in meeting specific criteria. Established in 2021, this seal signifies a commitment to high standards, innovation, and community impact. Among the first recipients of this esteemed honor were SCORE and the Arizona Commerce Authority.

amber Seal of Approval Partners

 What Our Seal Ensures: 

• The provider has a teaching objectives that are measurable and includes expected results articulated in terms of changes in competence, performance, or outcomes that will be the result of the program.

• The provider develops activities/educational content independent of commercial interests. Commercial interests include financial, or in-kind (free meals), contributions (donations) given by a commercial interest which is used to pay all or part of the costs of the educational program. 

• An educational program is deemed commercial free, when a commercial entity has no influence over:  (a) Identification of needs; (b) Determination of educational objectives; (c) Selection and presentation of content; (d) Selection of persons and organizations that will be in a position to control the content of the program (e) Selection of educational methods; (f) Evaluation of the activity.

• Confidentiality: The educational provider does not turn over participant information to third-party commercial entities. 

• The provider incorporates into activities the educational needs (knowledge, competence, or performance) based on independent data or literature reviews, that underlie the gaps of their own learners. 

• The provider generates activities/educational activities that are designed to change competence, performance, or outcomes as described in its teaching objectives. 

• The provider chooses and has expertise in various adult educational formats for activities that are appropriate for the setting, objectives, and desired results of the activity.

• The provider analyzes and can demonstrate changes in learners (competence or performance) achieved as a result of the overall program's educational interventions.​ ​ 

No Sales Pitch Guarantee: Recommended Programs are Free of Commercial Interest

To obtain the Seal, a program must be free of real or perceived commercial bias. A commercial bias or interest is when the presenter or organization has a product or service that is related to the subject matter. The entity is producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing goods or services consumed by businesses in the audience. This also includes being paid to speak by a commercial sponsor or presenters/program planners who are employed, owned, or controlled by commercial interest. The Chamber makes the seal available to 501-C non-profit organizations, government organizations and unincorporated business groups that meet our guidelines 

​Guidelines for Use of Seal 

• The Seal of Approval is proprietary to the Chamber and may only be used by authorized organizations.
• The elements of the Seal must remain in the same proportional to all other logos on promotional materials.
• The Seal may be reproduced in any color.
• Do not add graphic elements or devices to the Seal, including other words or slogans.
• The Chamber is recommending your program and is not a sponsor of your event.
• You may add the following sets of words below the seal and, in promotion, "Meets the Surprise Regional Chamber Commerce standards for quality, content, and integrity, and independent of commercial influences.” Alternatively, you may use the following phrase: “ [your organization’s name] has earned The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce Recommended Seal of Approval."

 
Additional Criteria and Considerations

• The entity  shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
• The entity must comply CAN-SPAM Act. This includes having permission to send messages and an opt-out provision in all solicitations. 
• Chamber will not assume any liability for the event/program, including liability for any injuries sustained by third-party employees, volunteers, or participants.
• The Chamber will not approve events, activities or programs that serve as vehicle for prospecting, advertising, or generating sales, for a commercial enterprise. 
• All approved programs must hold harmless the Chamber, its officers, directors, employees, any vendors and agents from all claims and liabilities associated directly or indirectly with the activity. 
• The Seal may not be used for events/programs that promotes a political party, candidate, or potential candidate.
• The third-party is responsible for its marketing, including writing and distributing press releases, PSA’s, Facebook postings, invitations, ads, etc.
• A third party shall not solicit on behalf of the Chamber, or in any way imply they are representatives of the Chamber.
• Third-parties that are approved by Chamber will be allowed to post items on the Chamber calendar of events and the Chamber may make referrals to entity. 
• The Chamber discourages the serving alcohol at events. If liquor is required, and it is appropriate for the event, the following items need to be in place: (1) Sponsoring organizations must have proper insurance (general liability and/or host liquor liability). (2) The organizer must always offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, to remove the emphasis from alcohol. (3) Drinking or eating should never be used to attract participants. (4) There must be a written plan or policy to deal with those who overindulge. (5) There must be a policy or written Code of Conduct that makes it clear that guests can expect expulsion for over-imbibing or poor interpersonal behavior up to and including a prohibition from attending future events.  ​​
• The Chamber may disallow the use of the seal at any time if these policies are not satisfied or if there is a conflict with its mission, fundraising or programming efforts.

The Chamber Seeks to Create a Community Culture that will Produce Breakthrough Results
We do this by working in partnership with others, not by duplicating services already in the community. That’s why we collaborate with organizations and people who have specific strengths and competencies. We work to unite the strengths of our community partners so the Chamber can free up resources to focus on mission-critical activities. The Chamber's Recommended Seal of Approval formalizes these efforts.