Archives

CreateAthon Blog

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

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

VCU Students Catch Pro Bono On Film
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

On September 20, VCU’s CreateAthon on Campus team stopped by Red Thinking to witness their pro-bono magic in progress. Nick Marfing, a VCU CreateAthon student, shot this great video documenting the agency’s strategy for making the most of their 24-hour creative blitz to benefit local nonprofits.... Read More

Partners on a Mission: One Nonprofit Shares Their CreateAthon Experience
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

CARE of Southeastern Michigan is an agency that works with individuals, families, and employers to address a variety of mental health and community wellness issues, including family development, employee assistance programs, and substance abuse counseling and prevention. In 2012, as part of CreateAthon’s Brand Makeover social media contest, six nonprofit winners, including CARE,  were paired... Read More

Dawe Consulting Says Yes to CreateAthon, Again and Again
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

Dawe Consulting may not  be a huge global conglomerate, but for the nonprofits of Northeastern Pennsylvania, their hearts couldn’t be bigger. Plus, they’re an amazing example of how creatives come from diverse professional backgrounds. We’re not all working at ad agencies. As Julie Turner once blogged, anyone can host a CreateAthon.  Dawe proves it. Creative... Read More

Serving nonprofits: It's in their DNA
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

  DNA Creative Communications is passionate about their connection to the community of Greenville, SC. Giving back is second nature for these PR gurus, and CreateAthon isn’t their first pro bono rodeo. DNA’s Katie Ward tells us a little bit about the firm’s history of service to local nonprofits, and shares their excitement about hosting... Read More

The Pro Bono Marathon: Soon to be a Seasoned World Traveler
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

According to one of my favorite high school teachers, the difference between a good idea and a great idea is that great ideas inspire action. So, it’s really exciting to watch CreateAthon go coast-to-coast and around the world. From Canada to Fiji we have agencies hopping the CreateAthon bandwagon, and in Germany and France we... Read More