SMART Reading Program Receives $25,000 Grant from Grady Britton

Portland, OR (July 9, 2008) – Grady Britton has awarded its first ever $25,000 grant for professional services to the SMART reading program (Start Making A Reader Today). SMART was one of 15 Portland-area non-profit and charity organizations to apply for this grant through the agency’s Request For Proposals (RFP) process. Grady Britton, a Portland-based advertising and marketing agency, will help SMART re-engage its current constituents and attract new ones by creating a marketing campaign that communicates SMART’s updated brand identity. The non-profit’s new identity is designed to highlight the importance of childhood literacy and to encourage Portlanders to become volunteers. “We truly believe if people are more aware of the direct and indirect affects of literacy – both statewide and locally – they would do more to help, whether as a volunteer, donor or advocate,” said SMART Marketing/PR Manager Melissa Logan. “Grady Britton can help us reach a large audience of current and potential SMART supporters, who will ultimately help us create an Oregon where every child can read.” Thirty-eight percent of Oregon fourth graders – about 14,000 kids – cannot read at the basic level. “Basic” means a child is unable to understand what they read, or connect to it on some level. SMART works to remedy this through a community of volunteers who read one-on-one with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, as well as providing 14 new books to each participating child every year. Over the past 16 years, SMART has helped more than 100,000 Oregon kids become confident readers and productive citizens. Grady Britton will begin working with SMART in July. The agency will work with the non-profit to create a highly visible campaign, which may include TV, radio, and print advertising, online and interactive, direct mail and more. “We chose to work with SMART because we know how important it is to not only develop a new, cohesive brand, but to also make sure it reaches the right audience” said Grady Britton President Frank Grady. “In the past, we have partnered with many wonderful Portland organizations to offer our services pro bono. The RFP process was our opportunity to work with an organization we might not have connected with otherwise, and to find one with needs that match our expertise.” Any Portland-area 501(c)(3) organization was eligible to apply for the grant through Grady Britton’s Web site. Applicants included a variety of Portland-area organizations ranging from children’s charities to healthcare institutions to groups that work to help the homeless. The agency plans to award a $25,000 grant twice a year from this point forward. Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and public relations channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great. For more information, visit  www.gradybritton.com. Media Inquiries: Lindsay Buchele 503.228.4118 [email protected]