In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many nonprofits across the country need immediate professional help in addressing rapidly evolving, and often complex, communications needs. CreateAthon® is issuing a call to arms for marketing professionals – within corporate marketing departments, agencies and professional organizations – to get involved by virtually donating their time and talents to help nonprofits remain sustainable.
One of the most long-standing pro bono marketing programs in the country, CreateAthon is a 24-hour marathon during which marketing professionals and university students develop strategic and creative marketing deliverables for nonprofits that could otherwise not afford them. The program was founded by Riggs Partners in 1998 and has attracted more than 100 agencies, corporate marketing departments, professional organizations and universities as partners. Altogether, CreateAthon partners have served more than 1,700 nonprofit organizations in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and Romania, delivering more than 4,000 pro bono marketing projects at a value of more than $25 million.
“Now more than ever, nonprofits need our expertise and help,” said Teresa Coles, CreateAthon co-founder and president of Riggs Partners. “They’re facing impossible choices – about funding, how to secure the technology to work remotely, caring for their communities, how to communicate with their varied constituencies. The conversation has moved from sustainability for many nonprofits to survivability. As a communications industry, we can have significant impact right now by putting our expertise to work for good. CreateAthon is calling on all corporate marketing departments and marketing organizations across the country to join us in making an immediate difference for local nonprofits.”
There is no fee to join the CreateAthon partner community, and the network has recent, successful models regarding how to hold a virtual creative marathon. Here are examples of how CreateAthon partners are helping nonprofits during COVID-19.