Is it really possible to produce high quality work in the span of a 24-hour marathon? Are you undermining your shop’s regular work when you produce pro bono on such a short timeline?

We answer with a resounding, “No!” But better yet, we’ve got 15 years of experience and other partners to back us up. And that brings us to reason number three in our series on why it’s time your agency signs up to be a CreateAthon partner.

Reason #3 CreateAthon’s 24-hour marathon model allows you to thoughtfully address your nonprofit partner’s marketing challenge.

 As Meghan Billings of the web development firm and CreateAthon partner, True Matter, puts it, “We’ve got 14 employees dedicating 24 hours to one project versus those same employees spreading their time across multiple projects in a normal 8-hour work day.  CreateAthon gives us the equivalent of 336 hours devoted to one project but shared by the entire team. That’s beyond enough time and brain power to build an amazing web site.”

 But the evidence in favor of CreateAthon being a great environment for producing high quality, pro bono work doesn’t stop at anecdotal musings. Often, after a strategy developed in CreateAthon is launched, it not only leads to positive results for the client, it also catches the attention of industry peers. Riggs Partners has even seen their work recognized with an ADDY or two, and we know we’re not alone in our CreateAthon success.

One project that really stands out is a CreateAthon project from 2007 put together for Palmetto Aids Life Support. This public health focused nonprofit provides free services to people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS and also works with their family members and loved ones.

The CreateAthon team was tasked with developing a strategy to encourage more people to get tested for HIV and AIDS. In 24 hours they developed a print campaign so compelling it not only increased testing participation, but also enabled Palmetto AIDS Life Support to qualify for a significant grant, allowing them to hire a full time coordinator for the testing program.

And we promise, this success story isn’t a fluke. Riggs Partners has many other stories. Other CreateAthon partners have success stories too. So why not join us this year? Help local nonprofits share their stories as you add to your own.