Some outcomes of Chamber L.I.N.K.S. Program Marat Djanbaev – PhD student in Public and Social Policy, FSV Charles University in Prague

Chamber L.I.N.K.S. Program CIPE’s Chamber L.I.N.K.S. (Leaders, Interns, and Knowledge Sharing) program is a new initiative designed to provide ‘rising stars’ of CIPE’s partner chambers of commerce and business associations overseas with the opportunity to gain valuable leadership skills in the United States. CIPE brought young chamber professionals from abroad to participate in the leadership programs held by Chambers of commerce in the U.S. Participants completed substantive, unpaid internships with the chambers, putting their new skills to use in a professional environment.

Shadow the CEO and employees from all chamber departments Assist with legislative advocacy campaigns Research issues of importance, such as association sustainability models Attend special events, such as state-wide association conferences, chamber board meetings, and better business bureau meetings Prepare for large events such as U.S Chamber member’s annual meeting Attend Leadership Institute classes and retreats Network with other young leaders in the business community Write articles and give presentations on their experiences and how they will implement new practices at their home organizations Internship Activities

the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. It includes hundreds of associations, thousands of local chambers, and more than 100 American Chambers of Commerce in 91 countries. The core mission is to fight for business and free enterprise before Congress, the White House, regulatory agencies, the courts, the court of public opinion, and governments around the world. Host organizations during the internship

- The Center for International Private Enterprise is a non- profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. CIPE has supported more than 1,000 local initiatives in over 100 developing countries, involving the private sector in policy advocacy and institutional reform, improving governance, and building understanding of market-based democratic systems. www. cipe.org

Outcomes upon the program Sustainability of nonprofit organizations in the U.S. In my opinion, most nonprofit organizations benefit from a stable and strong national, state and local economy; they have diversity of income sources; volunteerism, professional human resources as a result good management; and having right measures for success evaluation. Volunteerism What amazed me during this internship is the phenomenon of American volunteerism. I have never met so many volunteers I have here in the USA. Many people and particularly business people donate many volunteer hours and it is great contribution to community and to the overall civil society. Definitely, volunteerism is an important national trait of Americans. Goodwill and networking In comparison to my country, most American nonprofits have collaborative relationships and benefit from networking. They perceive each other as partners rather than competitors. Certainly, it helps them do community work more efficiently and reach common results.

Outcomes upon the program Diversity of revenue sources One of the most important aspects in being sustainable for nonprofits is having reliable revenue sources. I noticed that most U.S nonprofit organizations rely on a variety of different funding sources such as corporate sponsorship, private donations, fees or dues and less on grants. Moreover, American nonprofits have strategic plans, budgets and balanced organizational structure that help them to be more sustainable and predictable. Significant role of non – profit sector in the USA My research impressed me regarding the role of nonprofits in the USA. According to data of Nonprofit Almanac 2007, compared to other sectors of the national economy, the nonprofit sector accounts for 5.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 8.3 percent of wages and salaries paid in the United States. Volunteer works generated 65 million USD per year.

Value of the program for my PhD study and professional growth Invaluable practical experience in American business – associations and non – profits in light of my PhD dissertation proposal – “Institutional interrelations among the Government, Business and Civic sector in Kyrgyzstan” Rich comparative analysis and data sources for PhD dissertation Exploiting gained knowledge and skills for my current job position – Coordinator of National Alliance of Business Associations in Kyrgyzstan Access to U.S. scientific magazines on non – profit sector within U.S. Chamber of Commerce in order to publish own articles

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