About Our Digital Gift
Thank you for your interest in Our Digital Gift 2011. Our Digital Gift is an annual non-profit donation and industry collaboration founded by designer and developer Atom Groom. Each year, Atom will select a few graphic design and web development professionals to collaborate on the Digital Gift. Before selections are made, the non-profit will be selected first to ensure the talent behind the project is the right fit.
Each year, the goal of Our Digital Gift is to provide small non-profit organizations with the opportunity to have a brand package designed as well as a web site developed. We recognize that these small, core, non-profits cannot afford professional design and development services. We know the importance of having a professionally design brand and how it positively impacts your organization on many levels.
Aside from your brand development, identity system and website, we also focus our efforts on helping your team market the organization. We help you with writing strong content within your content management system and we help you develop a strong social media presence.
We feel very strongly about the positive impact that non-profits make in our communities locally, nationally and world wide. We know the importance of supporting these organizations and helping them succeed. It is our main focus to donate our time and talents to giving back to those that give so much.
History of Our Digital Gift
Our Digital Gift started in 2010 at a comedy club in Merrillville Indiana. The founder of Our Digital Gift was out with friends when during the last part of the show he listened to a heart felt message from comedian Amaru Lewis.
Amaru Lewis spent a portion of his life as a homeless man. His message was to end homelessness in the Unites States and his mission was to start The Homeless Comedy Tour. The Homeless Comedy Tour would be a group of comedians that will visit all fifty states in the United States and the profits would all be donated to homeless people throughout the country.
The last part of Amaru's statement is what hit Atom the hardest. "What we did in Haiti for the earthquake disaster is amazing, but seriously, we have a bigger problem in our country and we need to focus on it and take care of America's dirty secret : Homelessness." Atom took that statement very seriously as he donated his money and artwork to help the people of Haiti that year.
It was by a completely random chance and act of God that Amaru passed directly in front of Atom on his way out of the club, where Atom slipped Amaru business card and said "Call me, I can help you." The next day, Amaru called Atom.
Our Digital Gift didn't have its name then, but it was formed and the idea was born from that day forward. Atom reached out to his two friends and talented graphic designers Kevin Bruinsma and Joseph Gonzalez. The three agreed they would provide Amaru and The Homeless Comedy Tour with a set of logos and a website to bring the campaign together. The rest all came together from there and The Homeless Comedy Tour was given a breath of life with a professional brand, logo and website.
It was at this time that the realization of Our Digital Gift becoming and annual event and collaboration came to life. 2011 will be the second gift and we have re-shaped how the collaboration will work in a few respects, but the idea will remain the same: Give Back to those Who Give.