The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading business association and economic development organization for the Chattanooga region. Founded in 1887, the Chattanooga Chamber’s membership consists of 2,250 companies of all sizes which employ more than 79,000 people. The Chamber Foundation is a separate but related entity established in 1969 for the purpose of economic development, which it carries out through a public-private partnership called Chattanooga CAN DO. That effort has played a direct role in supporting the creation of nearly 20,000 new jobs since 2003. The Chattanooga Chamber has won many national awards for recruitment, marketing and existing industry support and is accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with four stars.