By Lise Elcock

Each year, several member businesses and nonprofits come on board as Annual Partners of our chamber, providing significant and secure funding for all we do. From the highest tier to the lowest, these sponsor dollars underwrite the events, programming, website, staff and mission of our extraordinarily busy chamber.

Our annual partners choose from a menu of sponsor opportunities that align with their company’s message and community profile. For more than a half-century, The Village Bank has long been the chamber’s Annual Premier Sponsor and returns again this year as the title sponsor of the 25th Annual Children’s Charitable Golf Tournament.

Village Bank’s sponsor dollars also underwrite our Women in Networking Committee which presents our very popular WIN luncheon series and additional programming for women in business, along with our Green Business Breakfast and other initiatives.

Needham Bank will once again be the premier underwriter of our Annual Achievement Breakfast – our largest gathering of the year for the local business and community leaders – and the title sponsor of our Small Business Series of programs and workshops.

We’re starting 2016 with two new Gold Annual Partners: First Commons joins us as the Connoisseur Underwriter of Spring Seasonings: A Taste of Newton and Needham, our very popular and always sold out restaurant tasting event in Newton and Needham; and Wellesley Bank announces their arrival in Newton Centre as the presenting sponsor of both the Lawyers Council and Nonprofit Committee.

Century Bank welcomed the new year as sponsor of our sold-out members only holiday party at the new TripAdvisor headquarters and will be the inaugural sponsor of our very well-attended monthly Coffee Connects where members and nonmembers start their days with an hour of high-energy networking.

The Bulfinch Group returns as the Premier Underwriter of the Youth & Community Awards that are presented at our annual breakfast and will also partner with us on topical programming, including the 2nd Annual Workplace Event panel in late 2016.