Yearly Archives: 2011

CreateAthon Blog

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CreateAthon: Grown up and ready to go.
  • Written by Teresa Coles

For 14 years we’ve labored through September nights, consuming ungodly amounts of coffee, Coke and cheese puffs in the name of CreateAthon. It hasn’t always been pretty, and it never is when you’re facing drastic shortages of time, money, manpower and supplies. Yet somehow the work always gets done, and every year we leave CreateAthon pondering... Read More

CreateAthon 2011 Work: A Look at Literacy
  • Written by Teresa Coles

We all have the opportunity to learn, and the inability to read only affects a few people in the community. It’s really not my issue. Overcoming this all-too pervasive insight formed the basis of the brand strategy we developed for Kershaw County Literacy Association during CreateAthon. With a staggering 23% illiteracy rate in this area, KCLA... Read More

Nonprofits Must Position Themselves for Pro Bono
  • Written by Teresa Coles

I had the opportunity to attend a thought-provoking session in DC on Thursday hosted by Taproot Foundation, one of the nation’s strongest voices for pro bono service. It came on the heels of the launch event for a Billion + Change, a national movement to mobilize a billion dollars (now 2 billion) in pro bono... Read More

A Billion + Opportunities for CreateAthon
  • Written by Teresa Coles

Twenty-four hours have passed since Peyton Rowe and I attended the launch event for A Billion+ Change, the national campaign to mobilize pro bono services. To say we are still reeling from it all is the understatement of the year. All day long, we tried to talk about what was going on around us, and... Read More

CreateAthon Goes to Washington
  • Written by Teresa Coles

Not once in the last 14 years did I ever dream of doing what I’m about to do: Go to Capitol Hill to talk about CreateAthon. It comes in the form of the launch event for A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize $1 billion of pro bono services by 2013. This morning,... Read More

Design for Good
  • Written by Julie Turner

Good design can make companies. Apple and Target realized this, many years and billions of dollars ago. It’s been proven time and again. Design enhances consumer experiences and impacts emotional behavior. It breeds and even cements consumer loyalty. Design has scored many a commercial success. AIGA, the professional association for design, believes its membership can... Read More

Why CreateAthon?
  • Written by Peyton Rowe

Every once in a while, I forget why I love CreateAthon so much. I get caught up in the little difficulties of each day such as the long carpool line, that plate I dropped on the floor or the blown light bulb in the living room. Maybe I’m off my game. Maybe I’m tired. Maybe... Read More

Tearing Down Walls
  • Written by Kevin Archie

Last month, I had the privilege of participating in my first  CreateAthon, a 24-hour marathon of sorts where creatives come together and do promotional work on a pro bono basis for nonprofits in need. We began early in the morning with bright spirits, copious amounts of coffee, and enough energy and excitement to tear down... Read More

A creative gift
  • Written by Mary Walter, Spartanburg Area Conservancy

Two summers ago, my nonprofit received a fantastic service from Columbia area marketing and PR firms. I am director of a land conservation organization located in Spartanburg and we struggle financially just like most non-profits in today’s world. We simply did not have funds allocated for one of our most important needs: getting our word... Read More

A Priceless Act
  • Written by Jody Piland

The response from this year’s CreateAthon has been incredible. I knew this program was special; I’ve seen the numbers. In its 14 years of life, more than 75 agencies in North America and Puerto Rico have participated, more than 1,200 nonprofit organizations have been helped, and over 2,750 projects valued in excess of $12 million... Read More