Voting is via Facebook now through 4/22. Luckily, you and your nine clones can all have a say, because State Farm is allowing you to vote TEN times daily! Cash in those votes and help EPIC design for Chicago’s social wellbeing!

Shout it from the rooftops! Every vote counts. Who knew your clicking finger was such an agent for change?

Designer Terra Hambly has taken a seat at the helm of our EPIC rally for the nonprofit Gateway to Learning. Gateway gives adults with developmental disabilities skills to contribute to their community while living fulfilling, meaningful lives. While they achieve this mission in many ways, their latest endeavor is to open a café that will enable their users to learn valuable job skills. Cool, right? The GTL EPIC team will be energizing the brand identity with a new style on par with their passion. Possible deliverables include a media kit and a refreshed mission statement and logo.

Under Terra’s leadership, the Gateway to Learning team includes Ryan Kenealy, Andy Kenney, Sarah Revitte, Amy Rumbarger, Kate Soczka and Kathy Vanderjack.

EPIC’s next rally season is underway. Kenny Lapins of Chi-town’s designkitchen is leading the charge for our 826CHI rally. The writing-focused nonprofit inspires teachers and students through workshops, field trips and tutoring sessions for more than 3,500 Chicago students. 826CHI doesn’t just inspire learning. It shapes the next generation of self-expressive language lovers. The EPIC team is hard at work, creating a unified brand experience that will include powerful messaging and a solid foundation for growth.

Under Kenny’s leadership, this EPIC team includes Jennifer Cox, Ben Jack, Richard LaRue, Joyce Lin, Doug McGoldrick, Todd Shikora and Dana Tegel.

Celebrating the Young Center team; kicking off our next two projects.

First, however, Young Center Executive Director Maria Woltjen gave EPIC one of its best party moments ever. To demonstrate EPIC’s impact, she held up the hand-made, poster-board presentation she and her team had been using to explain the organization to constituents. Now, we love poster board and glue sticks as much as the next crafter, but the Young Center deserves better.

Paper cut outs! Markers! It's the "before" in this "before and after" story.

Then the team shared the work they produced. Three words come to mind: Night. And. Day. Backed by air-tight strategic thinking, they created a brand and communications strategy, visual elements, website design, brand guidelines, portrait photography and, if you can believe it, more. In eight weeks, on a pro-bono basis, the team delivered a brand as incredible as the Young Center’s mission.

The work! Ginormous kudos to creative team members Elena Britton, Brent Brotine, Jenny Drucker, Brigid Eduarte, Lindsay Gallup, Johari Huggins, Miki Ishikawa, Alexis Jarr and Dave Mischler. Leadership by Conor and Robert. Event photography by Mona Luan.

You don’t want to miss this party. So if you haven’t yet purchased your ticket, these highlights should inspire you to click on over to our online ticketing site.

2012 EPIC FEST: WHAT TO EXPECT
* Golden brew by Finch’s Beer. Mmm good.
* Delicious noshes by Truffleberry Market.
* Live music by The Damn Choir (“lush and beautiful,” says the Trib) and “Best of XRT” singer/songwriter Nicholas Barron. Music starts at 7. 
* Retrospective of the 2012 work, created pro-bono by EPIC volunteers for Chicago nonprofits.
* Silent auction to swoon over: autographed Urlacher poster, Salomon skis, signed art, Girl and the Goat gift cert, wine package. (Bidding wars!)
* Damn engaging conversation. No, really. It’s a good crowd.

So forward this on. To your friends. Your colleagues. Your pilates instructor. And get your tickets online, people! (It’ll cost you more at the door.)

EPIC FEST: THE WHEN + WHERE
Thursday, Nov. 8, 6:30PM
Catalyst Ranch, 656 W. Randolph St. (Where’s that? Map below!)
Buy your tix here ($50 online; $60 at door, with discounts for volunteers/past clients)

Proceeds help ensure that EPIC, a 501c3 nonprofit led by volunteers, can continue serving the nonprofit community on a pro-bono basis. 

PARKING: Validated parking ($10) available at event for those who park in the indoor parking structure on the corner of Lake and DesPlaines Streets.

OUR SPONSORS
Thank you to our incredible sponsors. Your support gives EPIC the chance to connect the creative community with the opportunity to make change happen in Chicago’s social service community.

The EPIC Fest is here! Join us in celebrating EPIC’s creative teams–volunteer pros who served eight Chicago nonprofits in 2012–and help us ring in an EPIC milestone: Since our 2009 launch, we’ve created pro-bono marketing for 26 nonprofits. That’s two-to-the-six, people! Cause for celebration.

Like any good festival, this one features various stages, where team members will present the work they completed for their nonprofit client. And meet us back at the “main stage” to learn more about EPIC!

The party lineup includes cocktails, delicious eats, a live DJ and mixing and mingling. Our buzz-worthy silent auction returns this year, too, with drool-worthy auction items.

All EPIC Fest proceeds go toward helping EPIC serve more nonprofits in the coming year! BUY TIX.

Although our teams generously donate their time and talent, each eight-week “rally” costs approximately $4,600. That includes meeting and event expenses (out-of-pocket and in-kind), software/online applications and a small but mighty part-time staff.

So $25 is quite the steal—just a buck for every nonprofit we’ve served. Heck, if you like what we’re up to, why not give more?

It will help us help our clients thrive in an economy whose odds are—let’s face it—stacked against them. The marketing our teams create boost our clients’ ability to raise critically important awareness and dollars.

And these are incredible organizations, nonprofits like Compass to Care, dedicated to helping kids
with cancer; Fresh Moves, a mobile market that’s solving the food-desert problem; and The Illinois
Safe Schools Alliance, which is making schools safe for all students.

Not bad for two tens and a five-spot, eh?

So join our mission. Join our cause. Help us create results for organizations that make Chicago a better, more equitable city for children and families.

Donate $25 for 25!

EPIC is a 501c3 nonprofit; all donations are tax deductible.

Videographer, storyteller and friend of EPIC: Elena Rubin
Sounds provided by Earhole Studios (www.earholestudios.com)

When you register for for the Boston conference (it’s June 22 to 25), use this code: HEPIC. You’ll get a $100 discount on your individual, full-conference registration.* In turn, HOW will donate $50 to EPIC.

Can’t beat that with a bat.

Register here. HOW Design Conference is four days of creative inspiration, from-the-trenches advice on growing your career and lots more. In fact, EPIC Founder/Executive Director Erin Huizenga will be saying a few words about our mission before the conference keynote. Don’t miss her.

Then stop by our table. So’s we don’t get lonely.

* IMPORTANT: Our friends at HOW have let us know that the discount can’t be combined with other discount offers, like student and group rates. It also can’t be used in conjunction with The BIG Ticket registration option.