Membership Associate Patrick Rabiecki has recently found himself lost in the virtual world and will need to Follow the Center Brick Road to get home. Never one to let an opportunity go to waste, Patrick is making a road trip out of it! You’re invited to follow him as Patrick makes pit stops along the way, exploring opportunities, sharing useful resources and chatting with key nonprofit experts.

Follow the Center Brick Road on our social media from July 18 through August 12 and get an insider’s look at the Center’s most popular benefits, connect with our helpful and knowledgeable staff, and meet some of your nonprofit peers. Patrick will also post blog entries here about his journey, as well as virtually visit some of our members to learn about their missions.* There might even be some surprise stops along the way!

Whether you’re an existing or prospective member, you’ll discover new ways the Center can help your nonprofit thrive.

*If you’re interested in having your organization added as a stop, contact Patrick Rabiecki for more info.

The journey begins!

WEEK ONE

Before starting his virtual road trip, Patrick caught up with Center COO Taylor Strange to talk about his first stop. Listen in on their chat!

As Patrick headed down the Center Brick Road, he made three stops the first week. Stop number one was with Center Industry Expert Aronson. Listen in …

From there he popped into the COO Cohort meeting, but didn’t stay long as they were busy working on critical updates to HR manuals. Next he caught up with Maria Santelli, Executive Director at the Center on Conscience & War. CCW first joined the Center in 2011. Founded in 1940, their mission is to advocate for the rights of conscience, oppose military conscription, and serve all conscientious objectors to war.


WEEK TWO

This week Patrick Follows the Center Brick Road to the Training Hub where he chats with the creative architect who makes it all happen. Meet Sean Sweeney, Director of Education and Special Programs. He has been managing all of the Center’s training programs since 2014.

On Wednesday, July 27, Patrick hopped in his virtual car to attend a Center webinar: How to Support Your Staff. Attendees were learning from Emma Kieran, an expert from Peak Consulting, how to develop a culture in which coaching, communication and feedback are the cornerstones.

Then on Thursday, July 28, he drove his actual car to a Center member event. Maryland Nonprofits celebrated their 30th Anniversary at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

  


WEEK THREE

Let’s get healthy! This week Patrick decided to visit with our benefits guru. Elisha Hardy helps our members—and their staffs—get the most out of VitalHealth’s comprehensive insurance coverage.

 

Patrick also left his virtual car this week to get some real steps in for the VitalHealth Givhero challenge. He joined Elisha and Aziza Rush, VitalHealth Customer Operations Coordinator, on their Walk to the Monument, and despite the uncooperative weather, so did Diamond Miles and Sidonia Lindo from The h3 Project.

 

Back in his virtual car, Patrick Followed the Center Brick Road to Center Member Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Chatting with Sinem Reed, Vice President of Operations, he learned that GEO is a community of funders committed to transforming philanthropic culture and practice by connecting members to the resources and relationships needed to support thriving nonprofits and communities.

Then, because the Center’s health insurance benefits are so important to our members, Patrick decided to stop by to see our other VitalHealth team member. Meet Aziza Rush.


WEEK FOUR

On his final week, Patrick takes a virtual ride through member saving opportunities. On his first stop, he visits Sean Sweeney again and learns about the Center’s newly formed partnership with Nonprofit Village. Sean also shares some of the many ways the Village helps nonprofits stretch their budgets. Listen in…

For his second stop, Patrick catches up to Teri Beckman with High Impact Growth Oriented Leaders. A Center Industry Expert, HIGOL helps leaders make successful operational and revenue enhancing pivots during this time of change and uncertainty. Teri is also one of our faculty members.

During his visit, Teri and Patrick talk about critical lane changes and discuss her upcoming webinar: Your 50% Growth Plan: Aligning Your Vision, Team and Board for Dramatic Revenue Growth in the Next 12 Months. Honk (click the picture below) if you want to learn more!

 

Patrick called on Jean-Claude Fresnel with Lenserf & Co. for his third visit this week to discuss the Center’s Discounts and Rewards benefit. Lenserf is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) dedicated to developing innovative partnerships and creating customized and cost-effective benefit solutions. Jean-Claude shares a variety of ways Center members can save (discounts on shopping, fun or dining anyone?).

 

At the end of his road trip, Patrick hung up his virtual keys and attended a happy hour hosted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington, DC. YNPNdc is a community of forward-thinking and inspired nonprofit professionals that offers networking, professional development, mentorship, advocacy opportunities, and plenty more. New and prospective members from different sectors got to know each other over some drinks and definitely had a happy hour or two!