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CreateAthon Blog

The Many Meanings of CreateAthon
  • Written by Julie Turner

The benefits of CreateAthon are quite clear for nonprofits. For creative professionals, however, the advantages of working for 24 hours straight can be shrouded by fear, anxiety and one very, very unforgiving deadline. It’s a challenge a handful of 2013 volunteers saw as an opportunity to stretch within the confines of everyday. Here’s how. What... Read More

Waggener Edstrom gives us a CreateAthon play-by-play
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

There seem to be a few universal truths about every CreateAthon experience. Participants agree, staying up for 24-hours is a little bit crazy. OK, it’s a lot of crazy. At 8 a.m. a client’s enthusiasm for your work can make you burst into tears even before you begin your presentation. But what happens at 4... 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

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

CreateAthon Takes Flight
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

This year CreateAthon celebrates its 16th anniversary. As marketers, we’re often told our ideas are the only thing we have. Best to hold them close. What if someone else can’t see your vision? If you lose control will you ever restore your idea to its roots? When it came to CreateAthon, however, Teresa Coles and... Read More

#2030NOW: Skills Based Volunteerism To Close The Technology Gap
  • Written by Jenni Brennison

 Mashable’s Social Good Summit is happening right now. For three days, the world’s most influential thinkers, activists, and techies will come together to share their ideas for using new media and technology to make the world a better place. Best of all, you don’t have to fly to New York to get a seat at... Read More