UCP's (United Cerebral Palsy) Long Term Vision for Innovative Growth Supports Sustainability.

What if a nonprofit could not only sustain itself but thrive in an ever-changing financial landscape? Doug Bergman, President and CEO from the innovative organization known as United Cerebral Palsy or UCP, shares how they've accomplished just that. Starting from their roots in 1955 focused on children with cerebral palsy, Doug takes us through their dynamic journey to becoming a primary supporter for a broad range of developmental disabilities, particularly autism, which now makes up a significant portion of their client base. Hear about the Sacramento day programs that offer a nurturing community for adults, emphasizing the power of inclusivity and friendship.

Collaboration is the lifeblood of successful nonprofits, and Doug sheds light on the strategic partnerships that drive their mission forward. Learn about their relationship with Alta Regional Center and how innovative tools like their own Respitrack have paved the way for financial stability. Through these strategic alliances and resourceful approaches, Doug reveals a blueprint for other nonprofits aspiring for independence amidst evolving funding landscapes. Discover how personal connections and community engagement play a pivotal role in sustaining and expanding their impact.

In the quest for growth, Doug shares valuable strategies for nonprofit expansion, including the challenges and dreams of rejuvenating programs like Saddle Pals and potentially creating new opportunities for children through recreational centers. Explore the logistical and financial hurdles they face and Doug's insights on how he has built a team and process that is allowing for novelty and expanded opportunities. Celebrate the remarkable growth of the organization and its commitment to continuous improvement, all while fostering an environment of equity and sustainability. This episode is a testament to strategic leadership and the relentless pursuit of making a lasting difference in the community and for the clients and their families it serves. 

To learn more, visit the website www.ucpsacramento.org.

To reach Doug directly: dbergman@ucpsacto.org

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

(00:00) Evolution of a Legacy Nonprofit
UCP has evolved to serve diverse disabilities, with a focus on autism, offering day programs for 330 adults in a warm, inclusive community.

(11:20) Importance of Collaboration in Nonprofits
Collaboration, partnerships, community outreach, and innovative revenue generation are crucial for organizations working with developmental disabilities.

(21:51) Strategies for Nonprofit Expansion and Relaxation
Financial planning for growth, reinstating Saddle Pals program, establishing a recreational center, leveraging community connections, managing a large nonprofit.

(31:21) Unprecedented Growth in Disability Organizations
UCP has grown and impacted the community for 70+ years, with strategic leadership and a business-like approach to sustainability and equity.

Thank you so much for listening! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

Transcript

Doug Bergman: [00:00:00] Think about growth and sustainability. You really do. You, you can't think that it's status quo and it's always gonna be, status quo is not gonna, you, you can't live off a status quo in today's world, right? Today's business world, and we're nonprofits. It, it's a business. Jeff, at the end of the day, it, the only difference is we don't pay taxes.

You know, we're exempt from taxes. That's it. At the end of the day, and I've always said this to a lot of people, it's okay for a nonprofit to make money. At the end of the day, it's okay for 'em to make 10,000. It's okay for 'em to make a hundred thousand. It's okay for 'em. Make a half a million. That just gets fed right back into the organization for growth and sustainability.

Jeff Holden: Hi, I'm Jeff Holden. Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion is to highlight a nonprofit organization in each weekly episode, giving that organization [00:01:00] an opportunity to tell their story in their words, to better inform and educate the respective communities they serve, as well as provide one more tool for them to share their message to constituents and donors.

Our goal is to help build stronger communities through shared voices, and to both encourage and support the growth of local nonprofit organizations through podcasting. Thanks to our partners for their support in getting these stories Told smud, Sacramento Metropolitan Utility Districts Shine awards program benefiting nonprofits for energy efficiency.

CAPTRUST fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations and Western Health Advantage, a full service healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families. In this episode, the focus is on the journey of a legacy organization, which began in 1955, serving children with cerebral palsy. Where it has grown its mission to embrace a wider array of [00:02:00] developmental disabilities is nothing short of astounding.

As is the recognition that cerebral palsy isn't even the majority of disabilities now supported through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions. This organization has successfully navigated the challenges of funding and growth serving as a model for other nonprofits. United Cerebral Palsy and their leadership under President and CEO Doug Bergman recognized the importance of collaboration.

An agile approach to inclusivity and leadership that is driving its mission forward while recognizing the need for alternative sources of revenue as well. You'll hear how the business end of UCP is also responsible for a for-profit product, adding additional revenue directly to the bottom line, and how the vision of additional programs are already slated and in the works.

Doug Bergman, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Doug Bergman: [00:03:00] Thank you, Jeff for having me here today. I appreciate it. 

Jeff Holden: I am so excited to speak with you because the scope of the agency that you represent has changed so much. And full disclosure, I was a board member for eight years, a long, long time ago, right?

And these things that I see you doing today are just, just amazing. Starting from the very top. The organization is a legacy nonprofit. It's been around 70 years, correct. Plus, yes. And the name was United Cerebral Palsy and UCP. Right. But even that has changed now to where, what the scope of services is so much more than just cerebral palsy.

Would you tell us a little bit about that? 

Doug Bergman: Sure. Back in 1955 when this thing all started, there wasn't many options for children with developmental disabilities to go into any programs. Actually, there weren't any programs, basically, so their only option was to go into an [00:04:00] institution. A group of parents said, that's not gonna happen to our kids.

So they got together, the organization was formed is an, it's a national organization, but they have affiliates throughout the United States, so the Sacramento affiliate. Was formed in 1955 and that group of parents is the one that put that affiliate together. So they said, our children aren't going to an institution.

We're gonna make sure they get out in the community, make sure they go to school, make sure they go swimming, you know, everything that, of course our mom and dad would want their child to do. So through the years we continue to work with exclusively only individuals with cp, but then other developmental disabilities came into play as well too.

And that's where we, our, our outreach really kind of went out to the community and said, we can do more. And, you know, nobody should ever go through this by themselves. This is a community, a family effort we do at UCP, and it's very important, you know, we continue to embrace that through the years. And fast forwarding to 2025, only 10% of our clients a day have [00:05:00] cerebral palsy, and most of our clients today are autistic children and adults.

Jeff Holden: What roughly is the percentage. Autism. 'cause if I'm not mistaken, it's now the largest percentage Right. Of the community you serve. 

Doug Bergman: It is, yeah. So, and like I said, we serve about 51% of our clients today are autistic. Wow. And you know, it's gonna continue to grow. We still take care of people with developmental disabilities, Tourette syndrome, any kind of a disability.

You know, if they have that, they probably are getting a service from UCP today through our various programs that we have. But, but the organization, we want to continue to be agile and continue to grow and sustained and you know, that's the way we have to do that. 

Jeff Holden: Well, you certainly have seen what we all call that proverbial pivot point where you just keep pivoting to accept more and more intellectual disabilities.

Right? Of of which there are so many that seem to be. Occurring that maybe we haven't even heard of yet 

Doug Bergman: occurring, and we don't service. We don't have enough services today to meet the needs of everybody here in the Sacramento [00:06:00] QEs, let alone in the state of California. But we are working on trying to get to that point where we have those services available.

But Jeff, at the end of the day, really gets down to people, 

Jeff Holden: right? 

Doug Bergman: Finding labor to, to meet that demand and stuff. So it's, it's, it's, it's a challenge. But UC p's up for the challenge, and I think we've done a great job over the years to grow our programs and services. 

Jeff Holden: You are not unfamiliar, Doug. You've been there now.

20 years. I was, I was gonna say 19. I was gonna say nine. It'll be 20 years next, mark. So, but you've seen a lot over the course of that 20 years, right? You have a variety of programs and they are significant in so many different ways. Could you walk us through what the core programs are of the organization?

Doug Bergman: Sure. I, I think our day programs have been with us for many, many years. We have clients have been in our day programs for over 40 years. So we have a couple clients that are in their seventies. I think we have one client that's 83 that's been with us, and we're never gonna [00:07:00] give up on those individuals.

Right. And we want them to continue to, to be a part of the program. And, you know, they develop friendships, acquaintances. Sometimes boyfriends, girlfriends, sometimes that works out, sometimes different, right? Sometimes it doesn't work out right? Yeah. Like anybody else, they have arguments, don't talk to each other for days and stuff, but we just wanna be there for, for individuals that, uh, need help.

And, you know, that's, that's our cause and that's what we want, want to continue to do that. So our day program expansion, we have seven day programs a day in Sacramento. And we serve about 330 adults every day. They come in and outta the program, we provide a transportation forum, 'em to, to get to and from, 

Jeff Holden: and on the day program, I believe that's the program we went and saw.

Yes. And I, I was blown away, not only by the spectrum of people you were serving, but. By the way that the community interacted with us. Right. They were enjoyable. They were happy to see us. They were conversational to the extent that [00:08:00] they could be. Right. And some to the extreme on the conversational side.

Right. And we just had a blast walking through the various buildings from youth all the way up to, we didn't see your 82 or 83-year-old. He wasn't there. Yeah. I think they're in 

Doug Bergman: another program. But yes. But 

Jeff Holden: it, it was amazing. Just to talk with some of them and have them. Explain. Mm-hmm. What it means to them.

Mm-hmm. What the day program means to them, and how they have their chair right. And what they like about the instructors and the people supporting them in the various activities that they were doing. So it was really, really something. Congratulations on that. Yeah. Thank you. 

Client 1: I can't tell you what I like.

About my program. It's, it's good. I feel like this is my own chair right here. 

Client 2: I've been here for almost two years, uh, so far. And, uh, this has been, uh, been a, uh, truly experience for me and I want to keep on going for, uh, as long as I want to keep on going. 

Jeff Holden: What are some of the other [00:09:00] programs? So 

Doug Bergman: our biggest programs actually are our family respite program.

So we serve about 2000 families in that program. Wow. And that is just something that's grown. Quickly, but it's something again that was needed in the community. So a respite really entails that you have a child with a developmental disability. It doesn't matter what age, we would come into your home and give you a break, you and your significant other.

Or if you're a single parent, which unfortunately have a lot of single parents raising developmental, uh, disabled children and adults. But you can go to the movie, take a vacation, go to the grocery store. Take a nap. You know, if you've just tired and I wanna sleep for three hours, we'll come to your house and watch your, watch your child or adult for a period of time.

But it's just a, it's a respite for only, not only for the parents, but it's a respite for the client as well too. 'cause when you're a kid, an adult, you need a break from your parents on smile as well too, right? So it kind serves two things there as far as making sure people are getting the, the breaks that you know that they need in [00:10:00] at all levels.

So 

Jeff Holden: you said. 2000 people. You service 2000 

Doug Bergman: families. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And that's over a course of a year? 

Doug Bergman: No, no, no. We'll serve those 2000 families. We could serve 'em all in one month actually. Oh my gosh. So yeah, we've got enough. We've got about our size of our company, we've got about 1,050 employees and about 90%, 85 to 90% of those are, are respite workers.

Okay. So about a thousand, about 950 or so employees are, or respite workers that take care of those families. And 

Jeff Holden: would you say respite is the. Biggest program in terms of its activity for the organization? Completely. 

Doug Bergman: It's our biggest scope of program as far as the number of clients we serve. So as far as the community engagement, yes it is.

Okay. It would be our biggest program that we have in our community. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. So we've got the daycare and we've got resp. What are some of the others? 

Doug Bergman: So the other two staples of our organization is transportation. So we have about 70 buses that go out in the community every [00:11:00] day. A lot of people don't recognize those buses until they see something about UCP.

Then they see 'em all the time. But, right. I mean, I don't notice a lot of buses when I'm driving to and from work either. I kind of stay focused right in front of me what's going on on the road. But yeah, so our fleet is fantastic. And then we provide transportation not only to UCP, but other organizations.

Here in the Sacramento areas too, to make sure people get to and from their day programs or out in the community, whatever their needs are. So, uh, that's our goal, to make sure those, those needs are met as well. There. Then our recreation department, it's a kind of a, our newer depar, newer division I should say.

We've had that now for about three years, and that's growing very quickly as far as the number of clients, you know, coming into our recreation division. So we'll go, uh, bowling skating. Two weekends ago we took a group to Monterey and did scuba diving. So it was, they were thrilled. They couldn't believe it, and I didn't go.

But the report I got was just that, they were just, just bent. Loved it. [00:12:00] Imagine underwater, can't imagine and stuff. So, but yeah, never have done that in just floating. Of course, we have three or four instructors around them the entire time, so they're completely safe. And the recreation departments brought a couple of other ideas for me.

I've had to say no to one is skydiving, so I said, said no skydiving. And the other one is ax throwing. So they wanted to do ax throwing. I said, Nope, not on that one either. So, but they do come up with some pretty good ideas, but there's, there's a limit of what I feel comfortable. Sure. Allowing them to do.

Jeff Holden: If I'm not mistaken, I think I even saw somebody in the Sierra skiing on the website. 

Doug Bergman: Yeah, yeah, that's correct. So yeah, we take people up skiing and yeah, just all kinds of route. Naoma quite a bit doing rafting. And 

Jeff Holden: what an experience for somebody who would otherwise not have the ability to do it. No, they 

Doug Bergman: would not.

I don't know of any other program here. There's a, I guess there's a couple programs that does recreational activities, but I don't think that they extend. You know, that we do as far as scuba diving and crafting? I don't think so either. So, but yeah, so it's, it's a, the thrill for now it's 

Jeff Holden: extreme sports for our, uh, yeah.[00:13:00] 

Children and adults with right. Intellectual disabilities. Right. What a, what a great experience. You mentioned transportation. What about geography? Mm-hmm. What is the scope of transportation you provide? How far out do you go? 

Doug Bergman: Basically cover the five counties here in Sacramento. I'm not gonna go through all of 'em 'cause I'll probably forget one, but, but yeah, the five county area here in Greater Sacramento.

So, okay. We start as early as five 30 in, in the morning and get back, finish our day sometimes at six 30 or seven o'clock at night. So there's kind of a split shift. We have a morning shift and an afternoon shift. And, uh, those drivers, I might tell you, our drivers are just gold. They, they just, it's amazing the, the care and the work they put in to making sure our clients are are safe, getting off and on the buses, and of course why they're on their bus as well too.

So I applaud them for the work that they do. 

Jeff Holden: And I would imagine for the benefit of other organizations that are listening us having this conversation, that there is an opportunity. For you to expand some of that service mm-hmm. If somebody needs it. [00:14:00] Yep. And we'll get into that when we talk about funding.

'cause I'm sure it's a, a fee for service provision that you, you can use to Right. Help the, the organization collaboration. It's, it's obviously a huge buzzword right now. Mm-hmm. But many organizations have been doing it all along. And I know you have as well, who are some of the. Key collaborators that you work with, the other organizations and or entities in the city?

Doug Bergman: Well, our, our key one is our partner, Alta Regional Center. Mm-hmm. So they provide about 90% of our funding for our budget every year, which is huge. So we wanna make sure we obviously stay in good relationship and, and they've been wonderful to work with. They really have, and they're a great organization to, and California is lucky to have.

A regional center, a system here in California like we do, there's very few states that have something that we have here in California, so their regional center has been the big one. I think the other ones, Jeff, is just the, the community outreach that we continue to do. You know, we have our big humanitarian dinner every [00:15:00] year in June or May or June, and that's a big outreach program.

You know, we end up raising a lot of money that night, but it's really outreach, communication. To the Sacramento community as well too. And of course, personal donors as well too. I can't, we can't, I can't thank them enough for folks that are give to us personally or they're, they're part of our estate planning, you know, they've identified themselves as giving an estate plan to UCP once they pass and stuff, so, so there's just a combination of things that just work here in the community.

Grants work with a lot of grant organizations, you know, to fund fund money as well stuff too, so. 

Jeff Holden: And in terms of the dollars into the organization, what about the, uh, the soft collaboration, let's say it's maybe a pride Industries mm-hmm. Or organizations that also work with developmental disabilities.

Right. Who are, who are some of those, do you. Interface with or, or how do you work with some of those other organizations? 

Doug Bergman: You know, it kind of really depends on the need that we're looking. I mean, of course we [00:16:00] have great relationships with organizations like Pride and others here, boys and Girls Club and others.

But it just really kind of depends on the need of the organization at the particular time. 'cause needs come and go. You don't want, you have a need, you wanna try to solve it. Kind of move on to the next meeting at that point. So, but the community here in Sacramento is just, just fantastic as far as wanting to help.

And I think Jeff, it's, it's more important about the connections you have, especially with board members. I mean, we bring you our board member and we use your connections, you know, when you're on the board. And we have have three boards actually, so you know, between the three, we have about 30 board members.

Uh, there, it's a lot of board members to manage. It is, but they are just, just the resources that they provide in the community is just, just unbelievable. So, 

Jeff Holden: and, and you mentioned three board members or three boards. Mm-hmm. So you've got the organization board right, as we know it for the operation itself.

Right. And then I'm assuming a foundation board. Foundation board. Mm-hmm. And what would be the third? 

Doug Bergman: The third board is actually our [00:17:00] for-profit entity. We have under the UCP umbrella, the nonprofit umbrella. So. We have two functioning businesses under there. It's called Respite Track, so it's a software timekeeping payroll system that works exclusively with remote workers.

So that would be for our respite department. So we call it a respite track to track their time and attendance. And then, uh, we have an HR consulting business as well. 

Jeff Holden: So on the funding element, you actually have some fee for service for profit. Mm-hmm. That since it's a subsidiary of the organization. Yep.

And I want to ask you a little bit more about that because it's a big topic of conversation today, now that the federal budget's been passed. Mm-hmm. And we know what that's going to look like going forward. And it's gonna be incumbent on organizations to look for ways to generate additional revenue that is not reliant on some sort of federal grant.

Right. And in, we haven't seen the effect of the state dramatically yet, but I'm sure that's coming. Right. And we'll see that in the next year. Yep. Tell us a little bit about that. [00:18:00] 'cause you set this up early. I remember being on the board and you were talking about it back then saying, what if we could do a software Right.

That we could sell? Right. And here we are 20 years later. You've been selling it for some time. 

Doug Bergman: Yeah, we've been selling it now for about 10 years. We have, uh, 23 other organizations using the software internationally and nationally. And they love it. I mean, it's a way for them to reduce a lot of their waste as far as time and attendance and spending on, uh, payroll paper processing.

Mm-hmm. And that's what we were doing for years and it just, just didn't work. So that business now is generating about almost a half a million dollars a year in revenue. That's revenue that just sinks down to the bottom line and that revenue goes over to the organization, you know, to offset some other costs as 

Jeff Holden: well.

You just excited a whole lot of non-profit organizations going, okay, what can we do? 

Doug Bergman: So my, my advice to that is 

Jeff Holden: we'll be back to learn more about the services and support UCP provides the community right after a message from those who make our program possible. 

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Jeff Holden: I'm thrilled to have Western Health Advantage partnering with us as they do so much to support so many nonprofit agencies in our community. As a truly local health plan, you'll find individual and family options, employer options plans for CalPERS and Medicare Advantage.

From medical services to pharmacy health and wellness support, as well as behavioral healthcare. Western Health Advantage has a plan that fits what you need as an employer for profit or nonprofit business, individual or family. You can find [00:20:00] more@westernhealth.com. 

Scott Thomas: Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAPTRUST in our Sacramento office.

I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations annually. We survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges they see in today's environment. In our more recent survey, we heard concerns about proper board governance, mission aligned investment, and how to implement alternative investments.

If you would like a copy of the survey or to discuss your organization, look me up, scottThomas@captrust.com. 

Doug Bergman: Whatever you're doing really good today, try to turn it into an enterprise. We were really good at respite, but we didn't have the system in place to be great at respite. Mm-hmm. So we came up with the software and took three or three years to kind of develop it.

It took some capital money to develop it as well to, it wasn't free. You know, the organization had, uh, UCP actually put the capital money in to make this work. And it just has been amazing. And, you know, we have a [00:21:00] now a, a development team, you know, in Texas and we have a team in India that kind of keeps us software up to date.

And, you know, we've got customers, like I said, throughout the United States. We just actually signed on to US Navy and Army to use our respiratory. So that's a national contract that I think some days is gonna go pretty big internationally at some point. 

Jeff Holden: And for those who are wondering what those options are and what those opportunities are, there are other organizations doing fee for service.

Mm-hmm. Or profit as a subsidiary of the nonprofit entity, Doug, that is, that's awesome. Right. I'll put Doug's email in the show notes so you can reach out to him to ask. Yeah, 

Doug Bergman: it's, it's crazy how it, it just is, it just kind of all came together and it's a trust thing, and I'm not gonna lie to you. It took some time for it to build the business up.

It didn't happen overnight, it just kind of happened over 10 years, but. I, I think the next 10 years we're gonna double and triple and maybe quadruple the number we're doing today. 'cause I just think more people are aware of it and you hear [00:22:00] more people talking about it. So it's just something that's passionate.

You gotta be behind and, and just make sure it's a, it's quality 

Jeff Holden: and it's what you do well. Right. 

Doug Bergman: And it's what you do well. Yeah. And you, you gonna, the organization's continue to embrace it and, and, uh, be a part of your, really a part of your mission at the end of mm-hmm. Day. 

Jeff Holden: Well, and as we all look and struggle to say, okay, where do we replace that money that we don't have any longer?

What can we do? What does it look like? We all have to think differently. 

Doug Bergman: Right. 

Jeff Holden: We have to think differently and and it's not gonna come the way it came. 

Doug Bergman: Yeah. So you gotta think about growth and sustainability. You really do. You, you can't think that it's status quo and it's always gonna be, status quo is not gonna mm-hmm.

You, you can't live off a status quo in today's world. Right. Business world and you know, for nonprofits, it, it's a business. Jeff, at the end of the day, the only difference is we don't pay taxes. Right. You know, we're exempt from taxes. That's it. Everything else, it's, it's labor, it's workman's comp, it's benefits, it's employment, it's rents, you know, just [00:23:00] all those big ones, you know, we, we still gotta work through those on a budget.

At the end of the day, and I've always said this to a lot of people, it's okay for a nonprofit to make money. At the end of the day, it's okay for 'em to make 10,000. It's okay for 'em to make a hundred thousand. It's okay for 'em. Make a half a million That just gets fed right back into the organization for growth and sustainability.

And, 

Jeff Holden: and we have to remember that it to that extent. And, and you're not a small nonprofit, right? You are a 24, 20 $5 million. Nonprofit. That's a, that's a big business, relatively speaking. But we once weren't correct. We, 

Doug Bergman: we were, when I started in 2006, we were doing 4.5 million. If you have the vision and, and really the leadership and the team around you to make something happen, it, it, it can happen.

Mm-hmm. So, but you just gotta think business, more business than nonprofit, even though I don't wanna, I don't want anybody to think that, not to dis disparage the dispar aren't important and you know, they Right. But that's why we're doing this, is to continue. To bring more organ, make, bring more money into the [00:24:00] organization, more profit in a day so we can serve more clients the following year and the following year.

Jeff Holden: Well, there's no mission with no money, 

Doug Bergman: right? That's exactly right. You, you 

Jeff Holden: can't do it without income. Right. You, you've gotta have the resources. That's right. And the more we can stress this because we hear it, you know, oh, it's a nonprofit. You just took a vow of poverty. Right? No, no, no. It's a, you're right.

It's just, it's a tax different. That's it. That's it. Run it like a business and. You'll probably find more pleasure in it, number one, and you'll realize that you can sustain and grow capacity, right? Which is what everybody wants to do with their organizations 

Doug Bergman: to serve the community. You know, the field of a mission to serve the community for folks with that just aren't as fortunate as you and I are that need help.

Right. And we don't leave 'em 

Jeff Holden: alone. Totally agreed. Right? And when people realize that there's an opportunity for other ways to get into the organization, fee for service, right. Oh, I can support it that way. I, I can't afford to donate, but I have a need that they can service. Right. I'll use [00:25:00] that organization versus the other.

Right. Let's take a tangent here. Okay. 'cause we're right on it. This is a perfect place to do it, and I know what I wanna say and part of it too. Money. No object. So we have somebody who's got this blank check. She's dying to give it away to some organization. If the organization can present properly, what they would do with it.

You've got an unlimited situation, what would the organization look like? 

Doug Bergman: Well, I think a lot of nonprofits, including myself, you know, I've talked about it's okay to make money. I still have the mindset, you know, you gotta be frugal as possible. So even though we might have some excess cash at the end of the year, the first thing is the clients, right?

We wanna make sure the clients are getting the services they need. So I think all nonprofits would love to have our IT staff in the building. You know, we outsource ours. It'd be great to have a larger facility, you know, where we could bring maybe two or three day programs together to really make it feel like more of a campus style building or an opportunity, you know, for the students actually to interact even [00:26:00] more.

I, I think just having that money available for expansion was so important because you could. Put a plan in place and then two years later I need to grow again. I need more room, I need a bigger building. I need to add onto this building to have that kind of resources available. Mm-hmm. As far as excess money or unlimited money, you know, to do that.

I'd love to have unlimited money, but you know, part of that unlimited money still gonna get invested to the market and you know, so it can grow. Have some assets there. You always want to have some, some money available for that. Like an endowment of sorts. Yeah, exactly. Right. But it'd be nice to just, to have, Hey, I got an extra 10 million sitting out here, or 20 million sitting out here that, you know, I know what I'm gonna do that with that in the next three to five years.

So just, it, it, it feel really good just to know that that's there for the need mm-hmm. Of your organization and the need for the community when those needs come up. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. And you didn't say it, so I'm gonna trigger it. Sure. Saddle pals. Yes. [00:27:00] So I can see you're gonna buy this ranch mm-hmm. For all these riders.

Right. With part of that check. Right. Tell, tell us a little bit about that. 'cause I know it's one of the programs that you want to reinstate. Yeah. We redo. Yes. With the organization. Right. 

Doug Bergman: Yeah, that, that would be wonderful to be able to, you know, have 10 acres in, somewhere here in Sacramento. I know there's a lot of great therapeutic horseback riding programs in the outside.

Elk Grove and Lincoln, I believe have two, two really great ones. Mm-hmm. But I don't think, there's not a need in, there's, there's a need for one in Sacramento and there's not, there's not there today. So. I'd love to. The Sacramento Horseman's Association actually is, is starting to work with us. Excellent.

You know, for an opportunity there to, to start the program back up. But it's gonna be a pilot program, I'd say. And horses, I'll just tell you, Jeff, are expensive, you know, expensive to feed the board, just vets and stuff. And, and you know, you're gonna have to have several horses there and it's gonna be the right horse of course too.

It's gonna have somebody on their, on the, on the back. So, but. [00:28:00] Yeah, saddle Pals would be a fun expansion. I think the recreation program would be great to have a rec center where kids could come into the rec center and just be part there, be there part of the day, and then go out to an activity and almost be with us for seven or eight hours, like going to school like in the summer.

But they could come to the Rec summer Rec center in the summer and just hang out with us, or even after school. The parents need a break. They're still working. You know, they can come to the rec center and, you know, there would be little, little fee, you know, for that actually probably be no fee to them.

It'd be through the regional center. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Would help us 

Doug Bergman: with that. 

Jeff Holden: Almost like a, a respite on campus. Yeah, exactly. Right. Yeah. Which would be fantastic. Or an afterschool program so parents don't have to panic. Oh gosh, I gotta go get my kid, I gotta get outta work at three o'clock and Right. You know, the challenge is that they have.

Just managing 

Doug Bergman: right. We can pick 'em up at school, transport 'em to the rec center, then the parents can come pick 'em up after work and stuff. So the parents, you know, we don't even have to worry about after school. They just come to UCP Rec Center after school and almost like a daycare for them for a couple hours.

[00:29:00] So, very little cost. 

Jeff Holden: Well, we have, we have some vacant buildings and some vacant campuses around town. Somebody just has to recognize that vision and say, okay, I've got it right. There we go. Now we're back to reality. What does the situation look like? What is the greatest need that you've got today? 

Doug Bergman: Our greatest need today is our transportation department.

So we, we share a facility on flooring road with paratransit. Mm-hmm. And you know that we are continuing to grow and grow and we just need more space. Space for fuel or for buses fueling and for office space. So, you know, we're currently looking at a couple properties today and, uh, we might have found something that works.

We're not sure yet, but, you know, I can't disclose who owns the property today, but I'm. Again, this is just reaching out and talking to the community. I'm asking some board members, you know who this property owner is. It's actually a national organization. National company, and who are your contacts are?

'cause I wanna reach out to see, would you donate building? Mm-hmm. This company is doing billions of dollars and they want [00:30:00] millions for this building. I said to me, I think that's just. A rounding error for them for the building that we're looking at and stuff. So I'm, it never hurts to ask. 

Jeff Holden: No. And there's a tax benefit there.

That's great. And you're talking to about 1400 subscribers here. And I'll put something in the newsletter, right? So if anybody's aware of a facility Yes. That could be a potential opportunity. Yeah. We have what, roughly 3,500 people use service? Every, 

Doug Bergman: yeah, around 30. Well, 3,100. So yeah, 3,100. Okay. Every month.

Jeff Holden: Every month. What an amazing number. Right. Now a, a little bit on the light side. Okay. Just as we start to wrap. Alright. $25 million business is a big business. Right? And doing it as a, a nonprofit entity with all the challenges that you have that are different than. Most businesses just because of the constituents that you serve.

Right? What do you do when you get home? How do you relax? What's, what's, even though I kind of know, yeah, what does Doug do? 

Doug Bergman: Yeah, it's, I tell you over the years, it's something I've had to do a better job of relaxing when I [00:31:00] go home. 'cause it was in the earlier. 20 years ago, go, go business was kind of not as, not as demanding, I guess.

I didn't even know we were still building stuff and you know, went through a couple periods where, you know, I'd spent a lot of time on a couple different things. And so I think it's just getting home and just trying to just, just relax and, and not think, but. With our respite business, it's open 24 7, so you just never know when something may happen, you know, and we do have, unfortunately incidents where clients act out Sure.

When they don't mean to, but they could harm and they have harmed our respite workers in the past. And again, it's no fault on their own, you know, it's just we need to be a little bit more aware of their behavior. But, but I just like to get home in the evenings and, you know, maybe have a glass of wine or two, so, but.

Now our kids are having kids, so we've got six grandchildren now. 

Jeff Holden: Congratulations. 

Doug Bergman: So that's, it takes a little more time actually when I get a chance to hang out with the grandkids. That's great. It's, it's great. So, but just finding some time to [00:32:00] quiet time and quality time. I just making decisions all day at work.

You just kind of like to get home and just relax a little bit and have a great dinner with my wife. It's a pretty quick evening. You know, it just seems like it goes like that and, uh, the next morning's rolled around already. Yeah. I'm 

Jeff Holden: glad you said that. I think it's important. All of our leadership, we all absorb so much responsibility.

Yes. It's just who we are and we take it on and it's detrimental if we don't have a release. Right. And it's important. Our health is every bit as important as the health of the people around us, but if we're not healthy, we can't serve 'em. That's right. And you know, it's that o oxygen mask thing. Yeah. You first then the child.

Right. 'cause if you're not, well yeah. If you're not there, yeah. You can't help. Yep. What's the best way to learn about the organization? 

Doug Bergman: I'd say through our website, we've got a lot of links on there for parents who are looking for help. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, okay. So they can actually get Yes. And, and 

Doug Bergman: apply onsite. They can.

They can go to the link and we'll link 'em [00:33:00] to the regional center. So in perfect California, any new parent moving to California needs to go through our regional centers. There's 21 of throughout the state of California to, to bill to have services and for the state to pay for those services. Mm-hmm. But they have to go through a qualifying process.

And that's the first thing they have to do. And then once they go through that, then they'll have an opportunity to choose. They don't have to come to UCP, I'd love 'em to come to UCP, but there's other organizations they can choose for services based on their, their child or adult's needs. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Doug Bergman: Yeah. But everything's on the website and if there's no, if there don't questions, you can obviously call UCP and we'll, we'll figure out a time to.

Pretty good about picking up the phone, but if we're not, we, we will take a message and get back to '

Jeff Holden: em. Okay. And that website's, 

Doug Bergman: ECPs acto.org. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. And I'll put the, in the show notes as well so that anybody can look and find it if they can't remember if they happen to be driving as they're listening.

Sure. Doug. The, the necessary expansion of so many organizations focusing on intellectual and developmental disabilities, it's [00:34:00] staggering. It's, it's amazing what the need is. Mm-hmm. And the fact that we have an organization like UCP that's here that has served the community for 70 plus years. Right.

You've been there at least a quarter of it right now. You know, pushing into almost a third of it, right? Is presenting so much equity, so much knowledge, so much familiarity, taking it from five to almost $25 million. It's, it's amazing. That's as staggering as the need is, right? So congratulations to you.

Congratulations to the team that you've built that has allowed you to do the necessary things for sustainability, for capacity growth, and just looking and saying, what more can we do? Right? And, and running it like a business. Right. So, so thank you. Thanks for sharing it. Thanks. Welcome for taking the time today and, and I appreciate you.

Oh, 

Doug Bergman: thank you. Thank you for having me again. I appreciate it too. Happy to do so. Yes, thank you. 

Jeff Holden: Thank you for listening to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. I hope you [00:35:00] enjoyed the episode. If what you heard moved you, please reach out to that organization and do what you can to help. If you like and appreciate what we're doing to support local nonprofits, please give us a positive review.

Subscribe and share. If you're a nonprofit with an interest in participating in an episode. You can reach me at jeff@hearmeowstudio.com. Once again, we're grateful for the businesses who have made this program possible. CAPTRUST fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations. You can find them in Sacramento, Roseville and Folsom captrust.com.

SUD Shine Awards helping support our nonprofit community with grants for more efficient energy usage, smud.org/shine and Western Health Advantage, a full service healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families western [00:36:00] health.com.