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CreateAthon Blog

CreateAthon: A CEO Reflects On Her Favorite Time of Year
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

 CreateAthon does more for me than it ever does for the nonprofits we help. It teaches me lessons. It humbles me. It makes me a better person. – Trish Cheatham, CEO, Think Tank In the late morning hours of Oct. 25, Think Tank CEO, Trish Cheatham,  sat down to blog about the successful completion of... Read More

CreateAthon 2013: One Night in 50 Tweets
  • Written by Julie Turner

Been wondering what went down in the wee small hours of CreateAthon while you snoozed the night away? With 14 pro bono marketing marathons happening simultaneously across the United States, things got quite interesting. Here’s how 24 hours of creating, planning, designing, writing, coding, and stress eating looked from the Twittersphere. [<a href=”//storify.com/KeelySaye/top-50-createathon-posts” target=”_blank”>View the... Read More

Saying Yes
  • Written by Teresa Coles

This morning, hundreds of people in the communicating arts woke up to the longest day of the year. Twenty-four hours of intense brainstorming, sketching, writing, shooting, editing, coding, eating, yawning, laughing and crying. Why would anyone put themselves through that? I’ve thought a lot about that in the 16 years since CreateAthon was born here... Read More

Making its mark: A look at Pro Bono Week's Brand Identity
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

As lovers of all things pro bono, the design team at Riggs Partners was thrilled when Taproot Foundation asked them to develop Pro Bono Week’s brand identity. Art Director, Ryon Edwards,  and Design Apprentice, Nate Puza, collaborated on a design that captures the essence of the movement: Proud. Spirited. Visionary. The energetic yellow-orange reflects the... Read More

Is social good your next business strategy?
  • Written by Julie Turner

Ben Rattray once dreamed of being Wall Street’s next Gordon Gekko. The enduring ambition sustained him through college and the dot-com boom, but everything changed the day he learned his brother was gay. As the realization of all his brother and family would face settled in, he realized he needed to take action to bring... Read More

#CreateAthon and #PBW13: Let's go viral.
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

Pro Bono Week is here, and we’re just days away from launching 14 simultaneous CreateAthons across the U.S. and Canada. Whether you’re a participant or just curious about the magic and mayhem behind our 24-hour blitz of skills-based volunteering, be sure to find us on your favorite social media network this week. Visit our Facebook... Read More

Need a professional test? Try CreateAthon.
  • Written by Julie Turner

It’s easy to say yes to giving 24 hours of your marketing whiz (and life) to benefit local nonprofits through CreateAthon. But once you’re an official volunteer, that’s when the squirrelly feelings can start creeping in. CreateAthon co-founder and long-time creative director Cathy Monetti has calmed 15 CreateAthons-worth of terrified writers and designers. Just take... Read More

It's almost here! Oct. 20-26 is Pro Bono Week!
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

Last year’s Global Pro Bono Summit gave rise to a new movement in skills-based volunteering. Inspired by the American Bar Association, Taproot Foundation invited summit attendees to join in a week-long global celebration of professionals  donating their skills to the nonprofit community. From IT assistance to Human Resources, many nonprofits simply don’t have the budget... Read More

CreateAthon is Coming: The Sales Factory's Survival Guide
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

The team at The Sales Factory of Greensboro, NC, will soon have 11 CreateAthon’s under their belt. In the past they’ve stayed up all night to offer nonprofits everything from identity branding to direct mail pieces.  This year is especially exciting because they’re bringing their newly opened San Francisco office into the fold.  So what... Read More

CreateAthon is Like a Brick Car
  • Written by Julie Turner

By day, Tim Floyd is graphic design and brand manager for Palmetto Health. But this talented art director and artist also knows a thing or two about being a successful CreateAthoner. For about five years running, Tim has donated 24 hours of his immense brainpower and talent to his friends at Riggs Partners, who founded CreateAthon in 1998.... Read More