Franchised painting business CertaPro Painters shares how its system-wide campaign brings funding and awareness to breast cancer research—and a host of other causes near and dear to franchisees’ hearts
By Joelle Kidd
When a CertaPro Painters franchisee who had tragically lost his wife to breast cancer approached the brand about a possible one-year charitable campaign, the idea was met with enthusiasm from the franchisor, says Erica Eaby, senior marketing program manager for CertaPro Painters. Now in its fifth year, the Paint it Pink campaign has grown dramatically. “We’ve already seen 40 per cent growth in donations in just those four years, which is incredible and really speaks to the CertaPro culture and community, and what we can do when we band together and work towards one goal,” she says.
The annual campaign runs between October 1 and November 30 each year, a two-month span that includes Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Over these 60 days, the brand runs several drives: a step challenge that can be done on a local level, in the corporate office, and with organizational partners; a donation wherein every participating franchisee donates a dollar amount for every job completed during those months; and local donation drives within franchisees’ communities. “Between those three efforts, we’re driving to our overall goal,” says Eaby. “That way, anyone can donate and participate.”
Paint it Pink is the only charitable campaign that’s running system-wide rather than on a local level, Eaby notes, and with CertaPro Painters’ close to 500 locations across Canada and the U.S., the campaign is able to make a big push and a big impact. In 2023, the campaign goal was to raise a total of $155,000, and at time of print, it had already raised over $126,700. These donations fund work through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) in the U.S. and the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) in Canada.
Despite the success of the campaign’s donation drive, Eaby says that Paint it Pink comes out of a desire to spread awareness. “As important as the donations are—and we absolutely love to make them, whether to help research or support families during those times when they’re struggling through the breast cancer journey and battle—it really is about the awareness. It’s been so cool to see a lot of our franchisees and the tactics they’ve been using on a local level to increase that awareness.”
Over the years, she’s seen the impact of these efforts on the CertaPro Painters community, as well as local communities of franchise owners, she says. “We’ve heard so many stories, whether it’s from a franchise owner or maybe someone on their staff, or even someone on our corporate team, that have been impacted by breast cancer. So that awareness piece is really hitting home for all of us, because it does hit home. Our neighbours, our community, our friends, our family, are being impacted every single year.”
Local love, big impact
The power of a franchised business like CertaPro Painters is that, while contributing to larger brand initiative with the ability to make a huge difference, individual owners can make important connections within their local communities. Over the years, many business owners have partnered with their local CertaPro Painters franchise to literally paint a building pink for the duration of the campaign. “It started with a gazebo and has now grown into these local businesses joining,” says Eaby. “This year I know we’ve done a coffee shop and a car shop. It’s so cool to think that across the country, in both Canada and the U.S., there are pink buildings out there representing the campaign and driving that awareness.”
During those months, participating franchisees also swap their staff’s iconic gold uniforms for pink shirts. “I think that’s the coolest part of it; it’s not just joining a cause and […] set it and forget it. They’re actually getting very involved from the franchise owner down to their staff,” says Eaby.
Passionate franchisees care about their communities
For franchisee Mark Tunks, who owns the CertaPro Painters location in Oakville/Burlington, Ontario, the campaign is a yearly highlight. “We have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Paint it Pink campaign since its inception,” says Tunks. “The team feels that they are part of the greater good and of course look forward to hearing how much good could come out of the funds that we donate collectively in Canada and the U.S.”
“It’s beneficial to be part of a national campaign that everyone can rally around,” he adds. Tunks has always prioritized giving back through his business, both as part of this national campaign and through grassroots local efforts. “We have been the ‘Painter of Choice’ for a local non-profit housing group, we teamed up with Sherwin-Williams to paint a local mission, and of course we have participated in Paint it Pink [since] day one,” he says.
The campaign was especially close to heart for the franchise. “Our recently-retired office manager is a breast cancer survivor and we thank her for enthusiastically jumping in to spearhead the Canadian arm of the Paint it Pink campaign when it was in its infancy,” he says. “Thank you, Debbie Morris!”
According to Lindsey Champagne, director, communications & PR for CertaPro Painters, this team spirit and desire to get involved is essential to the company’s DNA. “I think that [charitable] initiatives and CSR [corporate social responsibility] initiatives come from our whole mission of ‘First, Serve Others,’” she says. CertaPro Painters is part of the family of FirstService Brands, one of North America’s largest property service providers, which prides itself on its strong focus on customer service.
A franchise culture of giving back
“I think these initiatives really help people to rally behind something,” says Champagne. “It fosters and creates a strong culture, and I think that people are really attracted to that. I’m a case study example of that myself—it was really attractive to me when I wanted to join and I saw that there were really strong missions and values within this company. And now that I’m inside, I see that they really are something that we live and breathe.”
CertaPro Painters has always had many charitable initiatives for its employees and owners to participate in, says Champagne. “We actually have a calendar of events where we all pick things that are meaningful to us, or they’re initiated from the corporate level and we can opt in. It’s everything from giving back to our local community doing clean-ups, doing food drives, and more.”
As someone who joined the organization fairly recently, Champagne says it’s been exciting to see a brand already engaged with charitable initiatives. “Every employee is encouraged to have a charitable cause that’s meaningful to them […] and CertaPro Painters will actually match donations through their give-back program.”
For franchisees, service to one’s community is a way to spread the love while staying connected on a local level and forging meaningful business relationships. “It’s a holistic approach to who we are and what we do,” says Champagne.
Looking ahead to the future, Champagne and Eaby say CertaPro Painters’ aim is to keep growing its charitable initiatives and looking for more ways to give back. When it comes to the Paint it Pink initiative, “every year we’d like to outdo the year before” in donations and awareness raised, says Champagne.
“Paint it Pink started very locally and has grown into this intense and amazing thing that we’re all working together on,” says Eaby.
