CreateAthon^®

CreateAthon® was founded in 1998 by Riggs Partners, an advertising agency in Columbia, South Carolina. It received such overwhelming support from nonprofits, vendors and the business and civic community that Riggs expanded the CreateAthon® program to form a National CreateAthon® Network. Since its inception, Riggs has partnered in the coordinated CreateAthon® effort with more than over 100 advertising and marketing firms across the United States and Canada. Each firm has pledged to hold 24-hour creative marathons in their respective markets. Information about the national program is available at www.createathon.org.

Since we began participating in the CreateAthon in 2008, we have helped the following groups:

• Adoption Star
• Aquarium of Niagara
• Buffalo GreenFund
• Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, Inc.
• Compass House
• Cultural Alliance of Niagara
• EquiStar Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center
• F BITES
• Family & Children Services of Niagara
• Family Promise of Western New York
• GCASA
• Gilda’s Club
• Hope For Two
• Inkukuleko
• Institute on Aging
• International Child Advancement
• Investigative Post
• Journey’s End Refugee Services
• Kenan Center
• Kevin Guesthouse
• Kids Escaping Drugs
• LawNY
• Leadership Niagara
• Literacy Volunteers of Niagara County
• Lockport Historic Palace Theatre
• Lockport Meals On Wheels
• Lockport Public Arts Council
• Make-a-Wish WNY
• Mason’s Mission
• Market Street Art Center
• Mental Health Association of Niagara County
• National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Neighborhood Health Center
• Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara
• Ovarian Cancer Project
• Pink the Rink for Susan G. Komen
• S.E.R.V. Niagara
• Second Generation Theatre Company
• John The Baptist Church
• Stella Niagara Education Park
• The B Team
• The Buffalo Green Fund, Inc.
• The Dale Association
• United Way of Greater Niagara
• VIVE, Inc.
• Wheels With Wings
• WNY Challenger Sports League
• Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara

It’s common in our business to be deluged with requests for pro-bono work during the course of the year. CreateAthon® makes it possible for an agency and its partners to efficiently handle these requests while providing a multitude of benefits. The biggest benefit is the public awareness and funds raised by needy nonprofits through their utilization of the communications products and plans that are produced for them during CreateAthon®.

It also energizes agency staff because they are doing important work that makes a difference for nonprofits in need and the communities they serve.

The 2019 applications are due by 5 p.m. EST Monday, June 3.

We may be able to secure the donated services from area printers, but selected nonprofits may be required to set aside funding to cover a portion or all of the printing costs associated with its project request. Regardless, it is the responsibility of the selected nonprofit to contact the printer or other vendor assigned (identified in the award letter) to get the piece(s) printed.

We may be able to secure the donated support of print publications, local broadcast (TV/radio) media, outdoor billboard advertising and digital marketing platforms, but selected nonprofits may be required to set aside funding to cover a portion or all of the placement and production fees (including printing, voice or acting talent) associated with its project request. Regardless, it is the responsibility of the selected nonprofit to contact the assigned media outlet (identified in the award letter) to get the piece(s) placed.

Yes. Electronic versions of the projects and  all related files will be given to the respective nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits are free to use the projects for other materials produced outside of CreateAthon®.

No. The files will be set up in programs used by professional printers, including InDesign. The file formats and programs used are industry standard for professional design endeavors. Also, printers do not accept Microsoft Word files to print.

The selection process is designed to help nonprofit organizations that need it the most. As such, if your group is selected, you are potentially beating out dozens of other nonprofits who apply. For that reason, we require that selected organizations use the materials and collateral created.

No. The effort for CreateAthon® is considerable, and takes months to coordinate and execute. Thus, the combination of hours and donated materials for CreateAthon® is the extent of what we can donate to the community each year as a small business.