Mediaworks offering $25,000 labor grant

Since 1995, local communications firm Mediaworks has offered marketing solutions and public relations services to local businesses in Bloomington. This year, the people at Mediaworks wanted to do something special for Bloomington area nonprofits.

Mediaworks is accepting applications for the opportunity to offer $25,000 worth of its communications services to local nonprofits and arts-related organizations.

Over the past 15 years, Mediaworks has worked with a number of Bloomington organizations, including Bloom magazine, Bloomington Area Arts Council, the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association, Habitat for Humanity and the Tulip Trace Girl Scout Council.

Mediaworks has done pro-bono work in the past, but it has found a new way to give back to the community.

“This is the first time we have offered work in this way,” said Michael Budd, director of sales at Mediaworks. “We have offered free services to nonprofit organizations in the past, but this is the first time we have structured it in a $25,000 grant.”

Mediaworks structured its pro bono work this way to allow for more organization and to give more focus to a smaller number of organizations.

“It will offer nonprofits a way to better utilize our help,” Michael Budd said, “so both organizations can get more out of our assistance, and they can be better prepared for a future projects.”

Through asking nonprofit organizations to partially develop their own plan for submission, Cheryl Budd, founder and creative director of Mediaworks, said she hopes it can more effectively help those organizations that need help on a more focused level.

“We believe the process will make it more efficient, and we will be able to be quicker and even more organized,” Cheryl Budd said.

Mediaworks has already helped many local nonprofits such as Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, which had the opportunity to have its ads worked on professionally.

“We do not normally have space in our budget to pay for professional services, and Mediaworks has been really great to work with us on the ads in Bloom,” said Brooke Gentile, executive director of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.

Nonprofit or arts-based organizations that wish to apply for one of the grants of service must submit a proposal to Mediaworks by March 31. The proposal should include the background of the organization and the role it plays in the community, a clear description of the project to be promoted and why it is important, a summary of what Mediaworks can do to assist in the project, a clear description of what the organization can contribute to the project, beginning and completion dates of the project, the name of the project director and contact information.

The winners of the grants will be chosen based on the impact the organization will have on the community, the clarity of their marketing goals and the necessary roles Mediaworks will play in the project. The winners of the grants will be announced April 15.

The pro bono work offered through this program will be split up among a number of different organizations to maximize the benefits local nonprofits will receive.

“We have been very fortunate in the past year,” Michael Budd said. “Through offering this grant process, we are glad we can give back to Bloomington.”