First Time Visitors
Thank you for your interest in BNI California Central Valley. Welcome to BNI, the world's largest business referral organization! BNI has more than 125,000 members in 43 countries, nearly 1,000 of whom are in BNI chapters in California's Central Valley. Every member of BNI Central Valley acts as a part of the marketing team for the other members of their chapter, with the aim of securing qualified business referrals for each other.
The best way to find out about BNI is to visit a chapter. Visitors may attend chapter meetings twice ONLY (one chapter twice, or two chapters once each), before they will be asked to make a decision about joining. Visitors may NOT promote their business in a chapter where their business category is represented. It is not necessary to have an invitation to visit a chapter, however it is best to contact the president of the chapter prior to the visit.
Chapter Regional Maps. Select the links below to locate chapters in the Central Valley region. Please note some chapters meet at the same location. Use the map zoom feature to locate each of the chapter markers.
a. Central Valley - North (Truckee to Elk Grove)
b. Central Valley - South (Lodi to Merced)
It is important for visitors to be aware of the following:
- Only one person from any professional specialty is permitted to join each BNI chapter.
- An individual BNI member may represent only one business category.
- Members represent their primary occupation.
- Attendance is critical. Chapters conduct weekly business meetings of 90min duration, and all members commit to weekly attendance.
Joining a Chapter. An individual may be a member of one chapter only. Applications are available at chapter meetings, and members of the chapter will assist with their completion. The investment to join BNI consists of a registration fee, and annual participation fee. Click here for more information about the investment and where the money goes. A new member application is reviewed by the chapter's Membership Committee, and the prospective member notified of the application status as soon as possible. Please call the BNI Central Valley office at (916) 489-9302 for more information.
Individual chapters may also charge an additional fee to pay for the space in which their meetings take place. These charges are separate, and in addition to the investment to join BNI, and are at the discretion of individual chapter management teams.
New Chapters. You should note that some professions (particularly residential mortgage brokers, realtors, and financial advisors) may find it extremely difficult to find a chapter or forming group with an opening for their business category. If you are interested in starting your own chapter, please contact the BNI Central Valley office at (916) 489-9302 or send email. We will send information about the development of new chapters.
John & Eva Lisle, BNI California Central Valley Executive Directors
