posted by Teresa

Jan 18, 2012 @ 7:00am

TEDx Columbia: A beautiful day

Sharing CreateAthon and the pro bono love

Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining 14 other speakers and performers at the inaugural TEDx Columbia event. What began for me as an Oh my God, how will I ever have time to prepare for this item on my never-ending list became a transformative experience second only to CreateAthon, my subject de jour.

While I was more than humbled to have the opportunity to spread the CreateAthon gospel on such a distinguished stage, I was more moved by the cumulative effect of the day. It crept inside me as these words bounced in and out of every conversation.

What if. Who knew. We can. You can. I did. I asked. Yes.

There also was a lot of talk during the day about Columbia and the undiscovered potential of our city as evidenced by the talent, intellect and passion of everyone assembled at TEDx Columbia. The mere fact that we “did TEDx” was viewed as a great achievement. Certainly it was.

I submit the greater outcome of the day, however, lies in a heightened awareness of the other. Look at what that other person is doing. Look at the terrible thing that happened to her, and what she did with it. Look at the risk he took.

TEDx gave us a day to put down our own ego-driven lens and peer through the lens of the other. To soak in our fellow man’s distinctive experiences, and to consider just how vital it is that we all see the world a little bit differently.

After all, if two of us are exactly the same, one of us is irrelevant (to quote Jay Coles).

I think the world’s a little more beautiful today, being reminded of that.

So many thanks to the incredible TEDx Columbia team and fellow speakers for inviting me to be part of this incredible experience, for working so hard to make it such a success, and for entering my life as new friends.

Comment (0)
posted by Apprentices

Nov 15, 2011 @ 5:37pm

CreateAthon: Flying High

To say that it’s been a big month for CreateAthon is an understatement. When CreateAthon officially became a 501(c)3 last month, we knew big things were coming. But, I don’t think anyone at Riggs Partners could honestly say they knew just how huge November would be.

We’re only halfway through the month and CreateAthon has already traveled to Washington, DC to help launch the A Billion + Change initiative. There they joined forces with companies like Starbucks, Capitol One, and Microsoft to promise to create $1 billion in pro bono services by 2013. To add to this already incredible month, AIGA highlighted CreateAthon in their Design for Good movement as a way to get involved in pro bono designing. The support from these two initiatives will do wonders in helping spread CreateAthon’s message.

Welcome to the team, Andrea!

Just when we didn’t think November could get any better, Peyton Rowe, CreateAthon’s Chief Evangelical Officer, brought Andrea Goulet Ford to our team. It has only been a few weeks since Andrea joined us, and she already has our heads spinning with her amazing ideas. With her help, CreateAthon is on the path to even greater success.

It’s exciting to see how much CreateAthon has grown this year. What’s even more exciting is seeing how many people want to help CreateAthon succeed. Today is only November 15 and I am overwhelmed by how much support our program has gained this month. I can’t wait to see what the rest of November has in store for us.

by Jody Piland

 

 

Comment (0)
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.

 

 

Comment (0)
posted by Teresa

Nov 03, 2011 @ 9:30am

CreateAthon Goes to Washington

Not once in the last 14 years did I ever dream of doing what I’m about to do: Go to Capitol Hill to talk about CreateAthon. It comes in the form of the launch event for A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize $1 billion of pro bono services by 2013.

This morning, I will attend a kick off breakfast in the Russell Senate Office Building hosted by Sen. Mark Warner, honorary chair of the initiative. Later on, I’ll participate in a panel discussion alongside leaders in corporate social responsibility from companies who are also involved in the program. I’ll be asked to share our experiences with CreateAthon as a model for how a small business can generate large-scale probono impact.

 

Teresa

So how does a Billion + Change work? Participating companies define a pledge amount toward the cause and report on their progress throughout the initiative. A majority of the companies involved are major corporations with significant CSR programs, like HP, Microsoft, IBM, Walmart, and Discovery Channel.

On behalf of CreateAthon, we’ve pledged to more than double the number of partner agencies, universities and professional organizations involved in the program. Our estimates tell us if we reach this goal, we will move from generating approximately $2.3 million in pro bono services each year to an annual impact of $5.6 million.

As if it couldn’t get any better, I’m joined today by none other than Peyton Rowe, Chief Evangelical Officer of CreateAthon. She’s just in from Richmond, and we are truly beside ourselves with the prospect of meeting so many folks who are committed to sharing professional talents for social good.

So know that today, the CreateAthon story will be told from the one place in America that was most meant to inspire servant leadership. Who knows? Maybe some good karma will rub off down the street.

 

Comment (4)
posted by Teresa

Oct 31, 2011 @ 10:39am

CreateAthon: Grown up and ready to go.

For 14 years we’ve labored through September nights, consuming ungodly amounts of coffee, Coke and cheese puffs in the name of CreateAthon. It hasn’t always been pretty, and it never is when you’re facing drastic shortages of time, money, manpower and supplies. Yet somehow the work always gets done, and every year we leave CreateAthon pondering the same question:

Why doesn’t everyone in our industry do CreateAthon?

The simple, truthful answer has to do with resources. If only we had the time to put more into CreateAthon. If only we had more money to spend on marketing it. If only we had the resources to hire someone to run the program, full-time, we could recruit more people into the program to do more good for more nonprofits.

For as long as we’ve faced this conundrum, we’ve known what we had to do to address it. So I’m thrilled to announce that CreateAthon has become a 501(c)3 in its own right, joining the ranks of the organizations we’ve proudly served over the years. As a 501(c)3, CreateAthon is now in a position to pursue funding opportunities that can help us build much-needed organizational capacity — with a goal of adding full-time personnel and other resources to help the program grow.

When this sheet of paper arrived in the mail the other day, there was a collective gasp, immediately followed by parental-caliber squeals normally reserved for a child’s college acceptance letter. Proof again that our little idea is growing up.

Comment (0)
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?

Comment (0)
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

Comment (0)
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.

Comment (0)
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.

Comment (2)
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.

Comment (0)