Maryland non-profit Organizations can Apply now for Pro Bono Creative Services
CreateAThon, a national program benefitting non-profit organizations, is now available to a majority of Maryland. Through the program, non-profit organizations can apply for pro bono creative and marketing services. The application deadline is Monday, July 11. Purple Cat of Kent Island, MD, and Octo Design Group of Philadelphia are the Maryland sponsoring agencies.
(PRWEB) June 8, 2005 -- Applications are now available for CreateAThon 2005,
a national program providing free creative services to selected non-profit
organizations. This year marks the first time that a significant portion of
Maryland will be served. The application deadline is Monday, July 11, 2005, for
consideration.
The local CreateAThon® effort is led by Purple Cat, a Kent
Island public relations agency, and Octo Design Group, a Philadelphia graphic
design firm, who soon will be serving the Baltimore area.
“We are very
excited to be participating in this worthy project,” said Carol D’Agostino, the
owner of Purple Cat. “Having worked in public relations at non-profits for more
than 20 years, I know what it is like to not have the budget to do something
that the organization needs and wants. That’s why I founded Purple Cat and
that’s why this project is so meaningful to me,” she added.
Her partner
in CreateAThon 2005 concurs. “Carol and Octo Design have worked together on
numerous communications projects over nearly a decade,” said Wendy Verna, sole
owner and founder of Octo Design Group. “My professional goal has been to set up
an office in Baltimore, so when Carol told me about this opportunity I knew it
would be a great fit for us to coordinate together,” she added.
How
CreateAThon® works
An agency signs up as a local participant and selects a
specific market. They then solicit applications from 501(c)3 organizations from
and select a minimum of five projects (one per non-profit). These projects are
then completed free of charge with a large portion of the work processed during
a 24-hour creative blitz from 8 a.m. Thursday, September 15, 2005, through 8
a.m. Friday during national CreateAThon® Week.
Applications are
available by contacting Purple Cat at (410) 604-2319 or e-mail protected from
spam bots. Applications must be completed and returned by later than Monday,
July 11, 2005, for consideration.
Local agency sponsors
Now in its
14th year, Octo Design Group is a dedicated design firm that blends traditional
design with modern technology. Octo has the knack of getting to know its clients
as well as their industry, enabling the firm to design the necessary pieces to
make them stand out from their competition. In 2003, the firm was named one of
Philadelphia’s fastest growing companies by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
With more than a decade of success serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area,
Octo Design Group is now starting its next phase of operations in
Baltimore.
Founded by Carol D’Agostino of Stevensville, Md., Purple Cat
is a boutique public relations firm specializing in public relations services
for the “cost conscious.” Clients include both non-profit organizations and
businesses that have smaller marketing budgets, but need to gain visibility or
attract new markets. Services include writing and “pitching” stories, developing
and executing communications plans, as well as publications, copywriting, direct
mail and special events.
In addition to operating Purple Cat, D’Agostino
also writes Positively PR, a column for the Chesapeake Business Ledger, and is a
member of the Chesapeake Women’s Network.
CreateAthon
history
CreateAThon® was developed in 1998 by RIGGS, a full-service firm
headquartered in Columbia, S.C. In 2002, RIGGS expanded CreateAThon® to form a
national network. Since then more than 35 agencies have participated, conducting
CreateAThons® in 20 states and three Canadian provinces. The national program
has helped more than 535 non-profit organizations with more than 1,100 projects,
providing pro bono creative services with an estimated valued of $4.2
million.
For more information and an application, contact Purple Cat at
(410) 604-2319 or email e-mail protected from spam bots.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb248441.htm