PRO BONO ADVENTURES OF ARMIN: WEEK 23

What do 32 happy marketing professionals do in the office for 24hours? Of course they do pro bono! This week I had the chance to see the power of pro bono unfold by participating in the CreateAthon . Developed by Riggs Partners , this 24 hour creative marathon worked with nonprofits to develop brochures, fundraising presentations, logos, brand platforms and more, for 9 nonprofits.

Exploring the process

The design and copyright experts started by exploring and examining the information provided about each organization and their respective needs. Then we kicked off a crazy brainstorming phase, reorganized our content, took pictures, shot videos and thought through what we would be able to accomplish that day. It was really after 12 hours (around 8pm) that the professionals finally settled in front of their computers and began working on the actual deliverables. Just around midnight there was a general check-in, where first drafts of the deliverables where presented. It turns out that creative people are really creative!!! After that, time just flew by and suddenly there was not much time left before the nonprofit leaders would be back to see what we had for them. With everyone focused (after drinking ridiculous amounts of coke and coffee) all the deliverables were finalized just in time. I was working on a team that developed a new logo, brochure and fundraising presentation for an organization called The Therapy Place. This nonprofit combines traditional and innovative methods to help children with motor delays. While presenting the results after 24 hours of intensive work, you could feel a lot of emotion in the room. Seeing a dedicated nonprofit leader – who is putting all her energy and time in serving the community – become overwhelmed when looking at our material was very touching. She loved it and can’t wait to start using the new material. This magic pro bono moment gave me goose bums and I will not forget it.

Not only did I learn how rewarding the CreateAthon experience is, but also a lot about the marketing profession and the kind of processes that are necessary to come up with great ideas and not get lost with all the input. I loved the event and it is exciting to know that it happened in 15 places across the US at the same time

Next week is my last week at Taproot, but my adventures will continue. In only 2 weeks, on October the 16th and 17th, Aaron will be speaking in Germany. For any readers in Munich and Berlin, please join us for the Young Leaders Lecture about how to make it matter in Germany.

Are you a skilled professional looking to make an impact in your community? Put your skills to good use today by aiding a nonprofit in need of your unique talents.

Armin Pialek is the first Fellow in a pilot joint venture between Taproot and the BMW Foundation. He is working to first bring pro bono to Germany, and then to replicate the model to engage Fellows to develop pro bono with Taproot and the BMW Foundation around the globe.