By Sara Beth Williams–
Citrus Heights City Council members recently approved an award of $30,000 in grant funding to the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce at the latest City Council meeting, and celebrated the Chamber’s accomplishments from 2025.
The grant request comes to the City Council annually.
“What you’re asking for tonight is just a small investment from us compared to what you give back,” Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa said following a discussion of the Chamber’s 2025 accomplishments.
The grants request was approved on Aug. 26 and is comprised of four parts:
Chamber’s Circle Sponsorship
This year, the Chamber requested $10,000 for the Chamber’s Circle sponsorship, which the city has actively participated in sponsoring for over a decade. Participating as a Diamond Chairman Circle Sponsor affords the city specific privileges with the chamber, including a logo with link on the Chamber website recognized as Diamond Level, logo recognition on all luncheon presentations and in newsletters and e-blasts, four tickets to each Access Citrus Heights Luncheon and tickets to the annual Elected Officials Reception.
Renting the Citrus Heights Event Center for a full year
The chamber also requested $7,000, which would go toward renting the newly branded Citrus Heights Event Center for a full calendar year. The Chamber first began including this grant request in 2021, according to the city, to propose hosting monthly chamber luncheons locally instead of outside the city.
Since hosting at the Citrus Heights Event Center, the city said the Chamber has “consistently expressed gratitude and excitement” to be able to host within the city limits and has supported multiple local restaurants over the years by utilizing their catering services.
Presenting Sponsor, Leadership Citrus Heights program
The Chamber requested $8,000 in grant funding for the city to be a presenting sponsor for the next Leadership Citrus Heights cohort which launches this September.
Leadership Citrus Heights Cohort kicked off in 2025 and resulted in donations of over $6,000 t0 local nonprofits. The program is focused on “cultivating the next generation of civic and business leaders,” the Chamber stated in its application packet.
As Presenting Sponsor, the City of Citrus Heights would receive, leadership Citrus Heights tuition scholarships (value: $2,385), premier logo placement on program materials, featured sponsor recognition, opportunity to speak at orientation and/or graduation, logo and link featured on the program’s landing page, opportunity to provide branded materials at each monthly session, two tickets to Leadership Graduation Ceremony, and more.
Kids Commerce Biz Expo
Lastly, the Chamber requested $5,000 to be allocated toward a presenting sponsorship for the upcoming Kids Commerce Biz Expo and job fair, also launching in September.
Kids Commerce was first launched last year by the Chamber, which partnered with Mesa Verde High School and Junior Achievement. Through the youth biz expo and job fair, $1,700 was able to be donated to students’ future prospective career plans.
“We are incredibly excited to continue building upon the success of Kids Commerce and provide Citrus Heights students with meaningful, hands-on exposure to entrepreneurship, business development, and our local business community,” the Chamber said.
The Chamber’s plans for 2026
The Chamber said they are planning to continue with a new season of Leadership Citrus Heights, along with another Kids Commerce biz expo, which will offer six instructional sessions, and expand to cover 12 weeks, with the Chamber and other partners engaging with youth every other week.
“This will give students additional time between sessions to work through the curriculum, develop their business concepts, and more thoughtfully apply what they are learning,” the Chamber said.
The Kids Commerce program plans to work with 30 junior high school students at Mesa Verde.
The Chamber also hopes to bring Kids Commerce students to the Citrus Heights Chamber Business Expo, happening on Oct. 14.
The city stated that $25,000 of the $30,000 requested would be awarded through the Economic Development Support Fund, and $5,000 would be awarded from the Community Projects Grant Fund.
The City’s Economic Development Support Fund provides grants and sponsorships to businesses, business associations, and other economic development-related organizations for events, marketing, promotions and more.
The goals of the city’s Community Projects Grant program include “engaging citizens in creative efforts to improve the community and promoting community involvement, pride and connection.” The project grant funds provides grants to community groups for special projects and events implemented in Citrus Heights.
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