Founded by Riggs Partners in Columbia, South Carolina in 1997, CreateAthon is one of the marketing industry's leading pro bono programs. As CreateAthon partners, marketing agencies, universities, corporations and professional clubs donate their time and talent by holding 24-hour marathons during which professionals and students develop marketing strategies and creative materials that can help nonprofit organizations meet specific marketing objectives. Deliverables take the form of branding initiatives; marketing, public relations and fundraising plans; creative materials in print, digital, and broadcast formats; and more.
Since its founding, CreateAthon has grown from a single-market event in Columbia, SC to a 501(c)(3) organization based in Richmond, VA that has attracted more than 99 marketing agencies, universities, corporations and professional clubs as official CreateAthon partners. This year, 26 CreateAthon partners will hold pro bono marathons in their respective markets. Cumulatively, CreateAthon has helped more than 1,600 nonprofit organizations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom by delivering approximately 3,500 pro bono marketing projects with a market value of $16.7 million.
CreateAthon partners select their own local clients from an application process that is open to nonprofit organizations in the partner's CreateAthon market. The CreateAthon partners and the nonprofits they will serve during Pro Bono Week include:
Columbia, SC – Riggs Partners (founders)
- Columbia Urban League, Inc.
- DREAMCON (Digital Reality Education, Arts, and Media Convention)
- Friends of African-American Art and Culture (FAAAC)
- One Columbia for Arts and History
- Sustaining our Seniors of South Carolina, Inc.
- The Arts Empowerment Project (TAEP)
- WXRY/The Independent Media Foundation, Ltd.
- YMCA Y-Guides & Trailblazers, Three Rivers Foundation
Greensboro, NC – Sales Factory + Woodbine
- Aycock Drumline and Dance Team Booster Club
- Carolina ALS Ride for Life
- Career Academy of GSO
- Caroline's Promise
- Casa Azul of GSO
- Connected in Hope
- Court Watch of NC
- Dance Project, Inc.
- GSO Children's Museum
- GSO Downtown Residents' Association
- GSO United Soccer Association
- Handy Capable Network
- Hopscotch Adoptions Inc.
- Horse Friends Therapeutic Riding
- Junior League of GSO (Bargain Box)
- Mary's House
- Mental Health Association in GSO
- Our Children's Community School
- Partners in Ending Homelessness
- Peacehaven Community Farm
- Reading Connections, Inc.
- republic of daNCe
- Seven Homes
- The Ricky Proehl P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation
- The Sparrow's House of Yadkin, Inc.
- Triad Community Kitchen
- Unity's Women's Desk
- The Volunteer Center
- Young Life
Greenville, SC – DNA Creative Communications
- Little Steps
Mount Pleasant, SC – Trio-Solutions
- Berkeley Citizens Inc.
- Engaging Creative Minds
- ITN Charleston Trident
- L.E.A.R.N.
- Lowcountry Orphan Relief
Nashville, TN – redpepper
- The McNeilly Center
- RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner-cities)
- Renewal House
- Agape Animal Rescue
Richardson, TX – MODassic Marketing
- The Healing Branch
- Texas Ramp Project
- Lovepacs
Williamsburg, VA – Proximo Marketing
- Feed a Friend
- First Night of Williamsburg, Inc.
- Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center
- Bacon Street
- Proclaiming Grace Outreach
- The Woman's Club of Williamsburg
- NATASHA House
Bellevue, WA – Waggener Edstrom Communications
- Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue SMART Girls program
- The GoodTimes Project
- IGNITE: Inspiring Girls Now In Technology Evolution
- Seattle Shakespeare Company
- Team Survivor Northwest
Kitchener, Ontario – Two Blonde Chicks, Inc. and Conestoga College
- The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region
- Langs
- Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North Dumfries
- Lisaard House
- Wilmot Family Resource Centre Inc.
- House of Friendship
- KidSport
Other CreateAthon partners include:
- American Advertising Federation (AAF), Roanoke, VA
- Altria, Richmond, VA
- EGC Group, Melville, NY
- FleishmanHillard, Toronto, ON
- Flipside Creative, Vancouver, BC
- Orchid Communications, St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Isles
- Paragon Design Group, Hudson, NC
- Red Thinking, South Riding, VA
- Think Tank PR and Marketing, Glen Carbon, IL
- verynice, Los Angeles, CA
- WhiteSpace Creative, Akron, OH
- Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY
- Furman University, Greenville, SC
- Kent State University, Kent, OH
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA
For more information on the program, please visit www.createathon.org.
