CHARITIES, NON-PROFITS AND ASSOCIATIONS IN FOCUS WITH SPEEDPRO’S JEFF BRICKER

DECEMBER 4, 2017| SpeedPro

At SpeedPro, we agree with the sentiment behind singer Andy Williams’ classic: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” We’re gathering with family for the holidays. We’re giving and receiving gifts. Some are preparing to take a much-anticipated vacation to warmer weather. Winter is a great time to be thankful.

While many of us look forward to this time of year, for organizations such as charities, non-profits and associations, the end of the year can be marked with apprehension and stress. The specter of not reaching fundraising and other important benchmarks can bring unrelenting tension.

That’s where people such as Jeff Bricker, owner of SpeedPro of Santa Rosa (CA), step in and fill a crucial void. Bricker joined on with SpeedPro, the nation’s leader in large-format graphics solutions for non-profits and associations, in 2013, after three decades as an environmental compliance manager with a major utility provider in California.

Owning a SpeedPro studio now helps fulfill one of Bricker’s long-time objectives – to be more involved with his community. “In my prior career, I traveled outside my community and rarely had the opportunity to make local connections and provide support through volunteerism,” says Bricker. “Now, as a corporate refugee and an everyday member of my community, I am enjoying the opportunity to give back and connect/reconnect with my roots.”

Bricker and his wife Cathy, who is president of the franchise and as Jeff states, “keeps the business afloat,” extend their services to several non-profits and charities in the heart of California’s wine country, approximately 60 miles north of San Francisco. “Non-profits that deal with children, women, animals (including Canine Companions) and serving the area’s underserved population is what we focus on,” says Bricker. “Annually, we pick a few, and offer a free 5’x2’ banner to 501(c)(3) organizations. I’ll follow up with a thank you note expressing my gratitude for their support to our community.”

The free banner provides Bricker an opportunity to show off what his SpeedPro studio can do for non-profits and associations. Once inside, they discover the depth of SpeedPro’s capabilities. Bricker says he provides a wide-range of services for the organizations, including facility signage, fleet graphics, trade show displays, wall murals and window graphics.

It’s the relationship building with organizations committed to serving and improving the Santa Rosa community that Bricker cherishes. Bricker recognizes that most non-profits are operating on very tight marketing budgets. He takes pride in working with them, finding solutions that are friendly to both parties’ bottom lines.

“By reducing my margin slightly and then showing the organization the deep discount provided, I endear myself to the charity’s staff personnel,” says Bricker.  “Fundraising is always a challenge for a non-profit. As an active member of the community, I am able to put the non-profit in touch with a number of friends and associates who are always looking for opportunities to monetarily support or sponsor activities hosted by the charity.”

Bricker also provides well-needed project management services to some of his non-profit clients by offering to contact their sponsors to obtain graphics for sponsor recognition. Besides removing the burden from the organizations’ plates, it provides an additional networking opportunity for Bricker and his SpeedPro studio to be in contact with marketing departments of organizations who have large budgets.

A key to Bricker’s success is maintaining a tight relationship with everyone within a charitable organization. “Executive directors and board members tend to move around a lot,” says Bricker. “It’s important to engage the non-profit’s staff to ensure client continuity.”

Bricker has familiarity with the workings of boards of non-profit organizations. He sits on the boards of several in the Santa Rosa area. However, it’s his standing with the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Foundation that is close not only to his heart, but the entire family.

“SRJC is a two-year community college that my wife and I, along with our three children, attended prior to moving onto four-year universities,” says Bricker.

Bricker is currently the vice-chair of the foundation, overseeing a $60 million endowment. In 2018, the college’s 100^thanniversary, Bricker will ascend to the position of chair. “Although the California community college system is the most affordable two-year higher education program in the U.S., it is the most expensive state to live in, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area,” Bricker says. “The foundation provides scholarships and grants to young adults who would not otherwise have the means to attend college.”

SRJC gave Bricker and his family the essential tools to succeed in life. That’s why he is passionate not only about the community college’s future, but all groups that strive to provide a pathway to empower those in the Santa Rosa community. Bricker is thankful for the opportunities owning a SpeedPro studio is providing.

“As a business owner, providing products and services to non-profits positions me in an environment with prominent business owners and community leaders,” says Bricker. “This has resulted in establishing relationships with businesses that I would not otherwise have access.”

There’s no particular season for Bricker to extend an olive branch to charitable organizations. It’s a purpose he’s committed to 365 days a year.

“We provide the highest quality products in a timely manner at below-market prices,” he says. “More importantly, we act as a strategic partner with our non-profit community, ensuring that they get the right message to the most people that provide the greatest support.”

To learn more about what SpeedPro can do for non-profits and associations, visit speedpro.com/non_profit_associations.