Our founder cut his teeth working for advertising agencies in Los Angeles. From a single ad to a full multi-media advertising campaign–we love creating a headline and message that is fun, unique and talks to your market.

Thinking Cap has been providing association management services for non-profit organizations since 2000. Services typically include day to day management from answering phone/emails, budgeting and finances, to board meeting preparation. We also plan events for associations such as continuing education workshops and conventions, and membership luncheons and award dinners. A Thinking Cap staff member will represent the organization as its General Manager or Executive Director depending on budgets and needs.

Associations also get the added expertise of Thinking Cap’s marketing and design expertise. These services can be included or separate from our monthly service fees. Present and past clients include Washington State Psychological Association, East Spokane Business Association, and Inland Northwest Business Alliance.

We produce advertising and corporate communications copy for print ads, TV and radio commercials, brochures, and press releases. We work with fantastic award-winning copywriters–and we’re not half bad writers ourselves.

Our first client was a magazine, so long documents such as books, catalogs, directories, newsletters and magazines are second nature to us. We have created an annual 65+ page business directory for Inland Northwest Business Alliance, course catalogs and hardbound books.

We design with a marketing point of view, a quality we inherited from our advertising background. Graphic design projects include logos, stationery packages, brochures, posters, banners, arena and airport dioramas, building and corporate signage–if we haven’t listed the design project you’re looking for–ask us–we’ve probably worked on one in the past. View our portfolio here.

Our talented designer is also a fantastic illustrator who draws by hand with pen and ink then adding color and finishing using techniques with digital software. Photo collage compositions are also a snap! View our portfolio here.

Website design has become second nature to our print design. We build all of our websites with WordPress and call in a programmer to help when needed. WordPress makes websites affordable for a majority of our clients. View our web projects here.

We handle all aspects of your project to deliver it on time and on budget. We create timelines and due dates; purchase printing and coordinate your project with them; manage web programmers and other creative contractors such as photographers, illustrators and video production companies.

We take the mystery out of where your advertising should be placed. If you don’t have an advertising media budget, we can develop one for you. We will reserve your ad space and make sure your art files are sent to the media publication on time.

The advantage of using Thinking Cap to buy your media is that we will check that each ad runs on the right date and the print quality is acceptable. If the print quality or run date is not correct we advocate for a media “make good” for you. Instead of multiple invoices from multiple media publications, you’ll receive one invoice from us with a listing of your monthly ad insertions, ad size and cost.

View Our Portfolio

Virtual Office

Thinking Cap started as a single-person home-based business in 1998 by its founder. The company moved downtown and organically developed a trusting and open environment for employees, vendors, and clients to work and collaborate. In 2020, the company learned what it takes to become a virtual office during the COVID-19 pandemic using virtual meeting platforms to meet and continue to connect as a team. We have decided to continue to be a virtual office as we all adjust to a new normal working lifestyle that allows all to balance their work and home life. It’s nice to know that we have come full circle from our humble home based beginnings. We now meet clients who want to meet in person at their location or in public library meeting rooms.

Services & Client Categories

Thinking Cap provides marketing and branding services for print and digital media. In  recent years we have also begun providing association management and continuing education event planning.

Marketing and branding services include logo development, single and campaign advertising campaigns for print and web, brochures, flyers, digital illustration, and copywriting.

Association management services includes the day-to-day management of small non-profit organizations, marketing and branding, and continuing education workshop planning

Over the past 20 years, the company has served a mix of non-profit, for-profit, public utility, and government clients. Non-profit clients range from arts and entertainment, women’s health and HIV/chronic diseases, civil rights, workforce development, and membership associations.

For-profit clients include construction companies, attorneys, restaurants, and consumer food products

Government and public utility clients include state agencies and energy utilities.

Certifications

For corporations and government agencies with supplier diversity programs and initiatives, or other creative sources looking to partner with a minority business, Thinking Cap is certified as a minority business enterprise and an LGBT business enterprise through the Washington State Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises.

We are available to partner with other certified and non-certified companies to work on corporate and government contracts.

NAICS and Commodity codes:

NAICS:

  • 541810 Advertising Agencies
  • 541430 Graphic Design
  • 541511 Web page design and programming

WA State Commodity Codes:

  • 918-07 Advertising Consulting
  • 915-22 Communications & Media Related Services
  • 915-48 Graphic Arts Services
  • 918-76 Marketing Consulting
  • 915-96 Web Page Design, Management & Maintenance Services

Mission, Vision, and Values

A majority of our work has been for non-profit organizations with a focus on those organizations that serve LGBTQ and multi-ethnic and multicultural communities. We enjoy working with non-profit organizations whose values, mission, and vision match ours. This allows us to help our clients make our world a better place to live. However, we are just as comfortable working with for-profit companies and public agencies that share our same values and vision.

Vision

Our vision is to provide our employees the opportunity to make a meaningful and thriving living, working with clients that share our values.

Mission

Thinking Cap’s mission is to help our clients achieve their mission through inspired marketing and branding solutions, and provide account services uniquely and creatively.

Values

Thinking Cap’s Values are based on four T’s represented in our logomark.

Trust – We provide a safe environment for employees and clients to be their authentic selves.

Talent – We encourage our employees to use their creativity and professionalism.

Treasure – We highly value the contributions and dedication that each person puts into their work.

Thought – We take the time to thoroughly understand a project before we begin.