Metro Nova Creative is adding a creative twist to fundraising in downtown Fredericksburg: Business owner Dan Craddock announced that his team will surprise a different non-profit organization each quarter with unique designs on t-shirts, stickers, and merchandise.
Their first selection for 2025 is the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL). Fans can visit Metro Nova Creative’s online store each quarter of 2025 to see the latest designs for their new fundraising efforts, and to purchase the merchandise. The sales from the merchandise will go to the nonprofit to be used as needed.
Metro Nova is a creative agency that specializes in helping businesses and organizations develop their brand identity. The company recently announced its partnership with the Fredericksburg Area Museum (FAM) to redesign the logo as well as print and digital items for the museum. They also won a contract from the Stafford County Sheriff’s office in June 2024, and announced a partnership with the University of Mary Washington’s Athletics Department in August.
From logo and website design to printed materials, the agency offers branding services to larger businesses and to smaller entrepreneurs who might not otherwise be able to afford professional design work. “I’d be working with small business owners who didn’t have access to proper branding files or even know what vector files were,” Craddock recalls. “They’d say, ‘I got my logo off Google; I can’t afford a $30,000 branding package.’ And I thought—why shouldn’t these businesses have the same quality branding as big companies? That’s how Metro Nova started.”
Craddock, who has over 20 years of design experience, founded Metro Nova Creative 10 years ago. His company continues to serve small businesses with cost-effective branding packages while also working on large-scale projects, such as the FAM rebranding. The success of larger contracts allows Metro Nova to keep its services affordable for small businesses—a balance Craddock is passionate about maintaining.
Craddock said he noticed that in the pursuit of big contracts, the company lost touch with its original community-driven mission. To refocus, he launched a new initiative for 2025—each quarter, Metro Nova picks a local nonprofit or community organization and surprises them with a custom fundraising campaign.
The team at Metro Nova is close, with Craddock serving as Creative Director and his wife Caitlyn as Manager of Operations. They also have two designers, Josh and Leanna. The team embraced the new challenge.
“We wanted to get back to who we are—helping small businesses and supporting the community,” Craddock says. “Every quarter, we pick a local organization, create an artistic design inspired by their mission, and sell shirts and stickers to raise funds for them. But we don’t tell them in advance—it’s a surprise.”
One of the key elements of this initiative is the design itself. Rather than printing shirts or stickers of an organization’s logo, the Metro Nova team creates artwork they believe people will genuinely want to wear. “People don’t want to wear a billboard,” Craddock explains. “If it’s a cool design, they’ll wear it out and spark conversations about the cause.”
Metro Nova isn’t doing this alone. The initiative is powered by a network of local businesses, including Sure Shot Screen Printing (co-owned by Craddock and Brian McGuire) for t-shirts and Illusions Wraps for stickers. This partnership ensures that the fundraising campaigns remain local, sustainable, and cost-effective.
For those looking to support the quarterly fundraising initiatives, Metro Nova sells the shirts and stickers online, then produces them on-demand to minimize waste. As Craddock puts it, “At the end of the day, we’re people who want to make cool stuff—and if we can help the community at the same time, even better.”
CRRL serves the communities of Fredericksburg, Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, and Westmoreland County through its network of branches. The library system offers an array of services, including access to books, digital resources, educational programs, and community events. With its mission to provide opportunities for learning, growth, and connection, the CRRL has become a cornerstone for residents seeking knowledge and enrichment.
In addition to traditional library services, CRRL provides resources such as free Wi-Fi, public computers, and meeting spaces for local organizations. The library also hosts a variety of programs catering to diverse audiences, including children’s storytimes, technology training for adults, and book clubs for all ages.
