1. J. Fitzgerald Group solicits applications from local 501(c)(3) organizations.
2. A panel of judges selects up to five nonprofit organizations from the applications based on recommended criteria.
3. Selected communication projects will be completed during a 24-hour period.

CreateAthon® is geared toward local, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in dire need of creative services. Beginning in 2019, our focus will be exclusively on organizations that support children, the homeless and underprivileged. Governmental entities do not qualify.

No, due to an effort to help as many different organizations as possible.

• Adoption Star
• Aquarium of Niagara
• Buffalo GreenFund
• Child Care Resource Center
• Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, Inc.
• Compass House
• Cultural Alliance of Niagara
• Equi*Star Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center
• Family & Children’s Service of Niagara
• Family Promise of Western New York
• F Bites
• gcasa
• Gilda’s Club Western New York
• Hope For Two (Pregnant With Cancer Network)
• Inkululeko
• Institute on Aging
• International Child Advancement
• Investigative Post
• Journey’s End Refugee Services
• Kenan Centner
• Kevin Guest House
• Kids Escaping Drugs
• LawNY
• Leadership Niagara
• Literacy Volunteers Of Niagara County
• Lockport Meals On Wheels
• Lockport Public Arts Council
• Make A Wish Western New York
• Market Street Art Center
• Mason’s Mission
• Mental Health Association of Niagara County
• National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upstate NY Chapter, Buffalo
• Neighborhood Health Center
• Opportunities Unlimited Of Niagara
• Ovarian Cancer Project
• Palace Theatre
• Pink the Rink Party for Susan G. Komen
• St. John The Baptist Church
• Stella Niagara Education Park
• The B Team Buffalo
• The Dale Association
• United Way of Greater Niagara
• VIVE, Inc.
• Wheels With Wings
• WNY Challenger Sports League
• WNY Stem Hub
• Youth Mentoring Services of Niagara

Nonprofit organizations applying can request projects that may include the creation of logos, letterhead packages, brochures, advertisements, direct mail campaigns, posters, outdoor billboards, signage, banners and more.

Interested organizations may download an application by visiting www.jfitzgeraldgroup.com or by calling 716-433-7688.

Yes. This is encouraged to help us learn about your group.

We will have a call for entries for our 2019 Createathon sometime in May with a deadline in early June.

• Selections are announced in June
• Selected nonprofits’ paperwork is due in July
• CreateAthon® event will occur in either July or August 2019

Unfortunately, no. To be fair to those organizations that submitted their applications on time, the deadline is firm.

• Via email: contact@jfitzgeraldgroup.com
• Via postal mail/delivery service:
        J. Fitzgerald Group
        CreateAthon
        12 W. Main St.
        Lockport, NY 14094

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.

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.

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 you have been assigned (identified in your award letter) to get the piece(s) printed.

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

Yes. A disk of the projects with 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 MS 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 strongly suggest that you use the creations immediately and provide JFG with final files/placements as proof. In addition, we require that if you receive our pro-bono services that you will select us for any future marketing work where there may be a budget or grant available to pay for future services.

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 this year as a small business.