Category Archives: Nonprofits

Nonprofits

We have high regard for nonprofit organizations and the important work they do, and we consider it an honor to work in partnership with them.

posted by Teresa

Nov 07, 2011 @ 9:58am

Nonprofits Must Position Themselves for Pro Bono

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 services from American corporations by 2013. I sat on a panel alongside leaders from global corporations such as IBM, Dow Corning and HP who talked about their corporations’ pro bono and skills-based volunteering efforts. I was there to talk about CreateAthon® as an example of what a small company can do to build scale around its pro bono efforts.

Taproot’s founder and champion of all things pro bono, Aaron Hurst.

In the Taproot session that followed, there was much discussion around the fact that companies are sometimes reticent to develop pro bono programs for nonprofits because the nonprofits are not ready. That is to say, nonprofits may not have seriously considered or strategically planned for receiving pro bono counsel from professional organizations.

Why on earth would a nonprofit not be ready to accept pro bono services? Consider these stark but unfortunate truths:

The nonprofit has not developed a strategic plan of any kind. Professional service organizations will be wary of committing their employees’ valuable time to work for a nonprofit that has no idea of where it’s really heading or how it can possibly get there.

The nonprofit is not ready to execute the recommendations provided to them. Companies that provide pro bono consulting services to nonprofits offer highly sought-after, professional solutions, and nothing is more frustrating than to see smart planning sitting on a shelf. A nonprofit must have adequate resources —time, money, manpower — to carry out the counsel delivered to them.

The nonprofit is scared of letting “outside” consultants critique their work. Let’s face it: some people just don’t want to hear they have been doing it wrong or could do it better. Could it make them look bad in front of their boards? Heaven forbid.

The pro bono tide is rising, as evidenced by the commitment of A Billion + Change movement. Nonprofits will be wise to consider how they can strategically position their organization to be a worthwhile investment of time for companies that are actively seeking pro bono opportunities in their community and throughout the country. Don’t let tactical shortsightedness get in the way of what can be transformative progress for your organization.

 

 

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posted by Teresa

Nov 04, 2011 @ 5:07pm

A Billion + Opportunities for CreateAthon

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 we could barely form a sentence. The words simply would not come. You know when Teresa and Peyton are rendered speechless, something big has happened.

And large it was.

Teresa Coles, panelist at the Billion+ luncheon

We were asked at the end of the day to share an interesting takeaway. I’ll start with my response to that question, but I just can’t limit it to one. Instead, here are five takeaways that illuminated the day for me:

  1. There now exists a whole new professional sector of people who are trained and committed to seriously pursuing corporate social responsibility, not just managing donations. I think that’s amazing.
  2. The opportunity to experience the vibe that exists among these people. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, other than CreateAthon: open, selfless, joyful. “Let me know what I can do to help” ended every conversation.
  3. The willingness to readily connect with others. Never have I been approached by so many people who wanted to trade cards, connect online, stay in touch. There’s a sense that we can all benefit by upholding each other, and it’s readily embraced.
  4. The chance that pro bono can become a permanent fixture of corporate culture. Jean Case stated it repeatedly, and I had never thought about it in those terms. Imagine if pro bono service became a given in every company in America.
  5. The grace that filled every corner of the room, be that a handshake, a smile, a hug. The opportunity to meet and develop relationships with so many incredible people dedicated to doing incredible things will carry me for the days and weeks to come.

in pretty good company

My heart beats a little faster today with the promise of so many good things to come through A Billion + Change, as well as the opportunities for CreateAthon. I truly believe the new relationships that have been formed will impact our ability to help CreateAthon grow in leaps and bounds. Today, Peyton and I are off to tell the CreateAthon story to friends at the ONE Campaign. Just imagine where that conversation could go: CreateAthon International?

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posted by Kevin

Oct 24, 2011 @ 9:26am

Otherwise Occupied

I’m trying to understand Occupy Wall Street. It’s ambiguous desperation, and it’s fascinating and puzzling all at once.

We live a country built on compromise, with an economy based on negotiation. At present is only impasse. The political polarization is so vast that thousands are willing to congregate in mutual frustration to no end whatsoever.

Occupy Wall Street demonstrates the power of polarization.

Regardless of your political bent, we nonprofit marketers can learn from the politicians. Too many of today’s marketers are terrified to exclude anyone. They want their messages to have universal appeal. This is the highway to mediocrity.

Great marketing doesn’t appeal to the lowest common denominator. The best marketing creates both a tribe of devotees, and a group of outcasts. The outcasts don’t have to like you, your cause, or your marketing materials. Having loyalists, and some folks that don’t care much for your organization, is indeed a sign of success.

If your target audience is comprised of everyone, it’s time to reassess. Stand for something bold enough to draw a crowd, or your customers may well be otherwise occupied.

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posted by Cathy

Oct 19, 2011 @ 3:33pm

Celebrating The GOOD Night

This is not so much a blog post as it is a love letter—a love letter to the Power of Good. To Open Hearts. To Friendships, new and well-seasoned.

Three years ago, on what would turn out to be merely the cusp of a game-changing Recession, I got a phone call from David Kunz, executive director of The Cooperative Ministry. I did not know David at the time, but I heard something in his voice that prompted me (against all sense and reason), to take the request he made of me to my business partners.

“The Cooperative Ministry serves the working poor in this community,” he said,”and the economy has dealt us a double blow.” Financial support for TCM was way down at a time when more people than ever were desperate for the kind of help they provide.

Would you be willing to develop a television spot to run during the holidays? David had delicately asked.

But there was more to the story. The Cooperative Ministry had been gifted a performance of the Hootie and the Blowfish megahit “Hold My Hand,” sung by the incredible Benedict College Gospel Choir. Perhaps the song could be a powerful soundtrack for the spot, he offered.

Interesting, I thought. But still there were a thousand reasons to graciously decline.

(1) No Production Budget DOES NOT = Powerful TV.

(2) We were already in work overload, doing our best to support clients in a crippling economic downturn.

(3) We had an event in place to support nonprofits, and we had held it just two months prior to this phone call. CreateAthon allows us to focus our pro bono efforts into one concentrated time period—and we hadn’t quite wrapped up that work yet.

And yet I felt compelled to approach my partners with the possibility of helping The Cooperative Ministry. They really need us, and right now, I said. With no hesitation, there was a unanimous partner vote. Yes, they said.

It was not an easy assignment. We were committed to creating television, yes. But we also believed there was a larger story to share about the gifting of the song. We brought in volunteer creative teams to help craft what ultimately became a movement, With A Little Love. The team built a website. Keely Saye oversaw an inbound program. Ryan Cockrell produced a phenomenal video. Mad Monkey created TV magic:

Get Adobe Flash player

Many on the team also developed a heart connection with David Kunz; his phenomenal deputy, Courtney Thomas; and the starter of this movement, Hootie and the Blowfish drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld.  Each of those light-filled souls gave way more than they took, and they introduced us to other heart connections that have filled these three years with so many grace-filled moments the power of Doing Good simply cannot be denied.

So it is quite the understatement to say we were humbled when CreateAthon was honored by The Cooperative Ministry at their oh-so-swell gala, The GOOD Night. We thank them from way deep down for their generosity. And we thank every volunteer who has been a part of Riggs CreateAthon since its inception in 1998, as well as the nonprofits who have supported us and cheered us on all these years. We especially thank David Kunz, Courtney Thomas, and all the folks at The Cooperative Ministry who worked so hard to make The GOOD Night sparkle so brightly.

You have, do doubt, been a gift to us.

David Kunz and Courtney Thomas, celebrating The GOOD Night

CreateAthon Crew, in part

Teresa Coles and Cathy Monetti

Kerry Fulton and Ryon Edwards

Jay Coles and George Fulton

Teresa Coles, Pam Plowden and Kevin Smith. Now what's so funny?

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posted by Apprentices

Oct 05, 2011 @ 8:51am

Nothing but good and more good.

I have been lucky in life to be able to work on meaningful projects. I spent 2010 working on the successful lieutenant governors campaign in South Carolina, something that I am very proud of in my young life. The experience I gained on that campaign was incredible, and something I will never forget. It prepared me for many things in life, both good and bad. I witnessed candidates who truly wanted to help our great state, but I also personally learned you never know whom you can really trust. (Hence my favorite way to describe politics: it’s Mean Girls for adults).

The reason why I am explaining all of this is because I’m sitting here, three weeks after CreateAthon, trying to pinpoint what my greatest memory was. I’ve been staring at a blank computer screen trying to find the exact moments that have defined my experience and I’m starting to realize, I don’t think it’s possible. So much has gone into this, by so many that I don’t think it would be fair to the cause if I continued to try. In politics, there are so many ups and downs that it is easy to look back and point out the good. With CreateAthon, this isn’t possible. There is nothing but good and more good. There is a lot emotion attached to CreateAthon, but it’s all happiness and gratitude.

Riggs CreateAthon team 2011

National CreateAthon Week may have already passed, but it is not over for me. My job is to help it grow on the national level so that we can continue to bring in more agencies and nonprofits. I want this program to mean as much to our fellow and future agencies throughout North America, as it does to everyone here at Riggs Partners. Our 24 hours may have ended, but we still have three agencies left that are working hard to prepare for their CreateAthon. Be sure to cheer on Hypno Design, Flipside, and Trickey Jennus as they bring CreateAthon 2011 to an end and we’ll begin preparing for an incredible CreateAthon 2012.

– Jody Piland

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posted by Teresa

Sep 28, 2011 @ 11:00am

CreateAthon 2011 Work: A Look at Literacy

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 needed to bring the issue to the attention of community leaders in a way that would allow them to understand the truth, consequences and imperatives for action behind illiteracy.

So we set about the time-driven task of creating a brand platform for KCLA that could help the organization speak to the impact of illiteracy in very clear and certain terms. Punctuated by a rallying cry targeting community leaders in local business, civic and faith-based organizations.

An important objective was to align KCLA with the strategic work being done in the Midlands through Literacy 2030. Our work is designed to connect KCLA to this regional initiative, while giving them the opportunity to tell their story in a way that is indigenous to Kershaw County.

After 24+ sleep-deprived hours, we joyfully presented a new identity, brand handbook, and presentation targeting community leaders to Paula Scarborough, chairman of the KCLA board.  While we felt great about the work our team presented, it was the first tear down her cheek that put a night’s worth of madness into perspective and reminded us of the Great CreateAthon Promise:

Good will come of this.

completed brand handbook

KCLA CreateAthon team: Allison Caldwell, Teresa Coles, Kelly Davis, George Fulton, Michael Powelson, Peyton Rowe.

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posted by Julie

Sep 19, 2011 @ 5:19pm

The Unsung Heroes of CreateAthon

As we look in the rearview mirror at CreateAthon 2011, we are compelled to share the many minds and hearts that make all this magic possible. A lively band of volunteers. The schedulers. The planners. The creative brief writers. The production donors. The Tweeters.

the 2011 crazies.

CreateAthon has many heroes and we don’t want any to get lost in the shuffle.

Riggs Partners’ Tom Barr not only built an impressive schedule and project matrix that kept order in sleep-deprived madness; he was a workspace ninja. He shoehorned 33+ volunteers in a space that normally accommodates about half that, and everyone had a desk, chair, Internet, printer and server access. Not to mention a convenience store’s worth of snacks.

the one and only Tom Barr.

The lovely and talented folks at Emulsion Arts saw fit to document the entire experience for us in an amazing video we hope you’ve already seen. And even more jaw-dropping was that they took the CreateAthon modus operandi to heart. They filmed and edited the video during CreateAthon, presenting it to tears and squeals just moments after the last client left the WECO building.

Gettin' that shot.

Our friends at Crowson Stone printing have again kindly donated their services to print the collateral materials developed for CreateAthon clients. It’s simply not possible to thank them enough. They have provided this gift to CreateAthon for ten years. Combined with gifts of paper from Domtar and Wausau paper mills (made possible by Frances Grosse of Mac Papers), this donation makes actual production of CreateAthon materials possible.

With full hearts and tummies we also thank Moe’s Southwest Grill and Yesterday’s Restaurant and Tavern. Their healthy fare helps counteract the over consumption of a vast array of bad food choices made in 24 hours including cookies, doughnuts, Tootsie Roll Pops, sausage biscuits and every kind of potato chip known to man.

Two newcomer volunteers this year made gifts that went above donating their time and talent. Photographer Jeff Amberg donated a bank of imagery for one project. You guessed it: shot, retouched and donated during the day of CreateAthon. Mind Over Matter Films’ William Huang filmed and edited a five-minute video for one CreateAthon client. Miraculously, at some point in the wee small hours of the morning, William also secured an original score for the video from composer Vincent Parrish.

William Huang

As we reflect on the magic that happened and the people who made it all possible, we’re sure there are important folks we are leaving out. We hope you’ll forgive us. We’re extremely humbled and grateful for everyone who lends a hand to make CreateAthon the wonderful experience it is.

Thank you and see you again next year!

 

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posted by Guests

Sep 15, 2011 @ 4:47pm

All Work, But Not Always No Play

Well, CreateAthon 2011 has officially begun. Everyone is busy working on their computers or in meetings, creating incredible things in the short 24-hour deadline. Moe’s has been consumed and everyone has seemed to have had their recharge after about six hours in.

Unfortunately, I was unable to be here bright and early at 8 a.m., because I happen to be a student and had class. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Morgan Tucker and I am a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, majoring in Public Relations. This is my first time ever experiencing CreateAthon, and I am thrilled to be here!

Today, I am an outsider looking in. Not only is this my first time at CreateAthon, but also my first time in a work environment like this. I know this may seem hard to believe with my polished writing skills and high school diploma, but it’s true. Growing up, you always think that a job would be so much work and no fun at all. You thrive on the younger years, wanting more time to play and never grow up to become a boring adult. Today is very exciting to me, yet nerve-racking, because I am able to get a preview of what life post-college will look like. It’s never comfortable to take your next step in life. Your next step is always much tougher than the previous. College has been so much more difficult than high school, and it hasn’t been the least bit comfortable! I know what you’re thinking…poor college student. Trust me, I hear it from my parents all the time.

When I first arrived, everyone was hard at work. My job is to keep up with the social media for the day so I was busy doing that, when the most amazing thing happened…Peyton pulled out her Razor scooter! I quickly jumped up, grabbed my camera, and had to capture this moment.

This was such a refreshing sight to see! You can still have fun and work at the same time! Needless to say, this has given me some relief to my anxiety I have built up over the years.

CreateAthon has been a great experience so far, and I am excited to see what the rest of the day entails!

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posted by Apprentices

Sep 12, 2011 @ 3:32pm

CreateAthon 2011: The Roster.

2011 shirts designed by Maria Fabrizio.

We’ve been counting down for weeks, but it’s finally here: CreateAthon week. This Thursday, we’ll roll up our sleeves, ingest a little too much caffeine, and get creative for ten deserving nonprofits who inspired us this year. As you can see, CreateAthon season is a little like Christmas for some of us.

Here’s the 2011 roster of the nonprofit organizations we selected for CreateAthon this year.

Youth Corps

Vital Connections

Columbia MSA Talent Dividend

Congaree Land Trust

Walker Foundation/SC School for the Deaf and Blind

PASOs

Mental Illness Recovery Center (MIRCI)

Haiti Orphan Foundation

Kershaw County Literacy Association

Memory Matters

Wanna see the magic happen? Follow us on Twitter and stop by the blog. We’ll be dropping in to update during our 24 hours of creative goodness.

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posted by Cathy

Sep 06, 2011 @ 2:26pm

Time to Shine

When you’ve spent years in the creative business, you learn that most ideas – even the best of ideas – peak. Then, in order to keep them relevant, you reinvent. But once in a great while, you develop a gem of an idea with a life bigger than its time.

Fifteen years ago, Teresa Coles and I started CreateAthon simply out of a desire to give back. We joked that we worked in an industry with no redeeming social value – so we put our industry talents to work round the clock for local nonprofits. It was a good idea. It was ahead of its time. And we couldn’t have imagined how it would grow.

Of course, the world has shifted in the last fifteen years. Pretty dramatically, I’d say. From economic downturns to natural disasters to new digital connections, there’s a new attitude of we’re all in this together. The result? The role of nonprofits is more elevated than ever before, because we recognize the need to create good in our world.  The Millennials, the most civic-minded generation America has seen in a long time, are leading the way with their passion, commitment, and willingness to volunteer.

The advertising industry has shifted, too. I’ve watched digital communication repaint the landscapes we were accustomed to, clearing the way for a new spirit of collaboration. It’s an exciting time to work in this business. It’s even more exciting as I’m getting ready to roll up my sleeves for this year’s CreateAthon.

What’s remarkable is not that our little idea grew into a national CreateAthon network providing pro bono marketing to hundreds of deserving nonprofits across the U.S. What’s remarkable is that CreateAthon has become a movement.  In a world that’s embracing powerful movements to impact our communities for good, CreateAthon stands ready to grow faster than we’ve seen yet.

It’s time to shine, baby.

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