Multimedia Site “Project C” Funds Local Nonprofits with PURF Help

31 January 2012
By Gina Edwards

One of the 53 students who received Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund
(PURF) awards this year, Annette Drapac, a senior studying interactive multimedia
in the School of Visual Communications, is working on “Project C,” a multimedia
website showcasing nonprofits in Athens through video, illustration, animation,
photography and the written word.

The site, which raises money for the nonprofits it features, launched May 31, 2011,
and has since won awards from Adobe and the College Photographer of the Year
competition.

“I took inspiration from other companies and social startups that
encouraged ‘creatives’ to use their skills on behalf of nonprofit organizations. I had
faith that the same could happen on a college campus,” Drapac said.

Visitors to the website can nominate and vote for a nonprofit’s story during a
designated voting period and donate funds to Project C. Monies are distributed
to each organization based on their voting percentage. In its first year, Project C
distributed $1,075 (donated by family, friends, OU faculty and staff, and Athens
community members) to help fund four Athens organizations: Habitat for Humanity,
Good Works, Jethro Project and Community Food Initiatives.

Making the project happen required a great amount of dedication from her fellow
student team members, who donated their time and money throughout the process.
Getting the organization off the ground proved challenging, but Drapac used the
mission of the organization to keep moving forward.

“We were working against many odds and variables, but failure was never an
option,” she said. “We were doing this for something greater than ourselves, and I let
that guide the path many days.”

The PURF funding Drapac and her team received will offset the cost of production
and promotional elements, such as higher quality video hosting space and
marketing materials.

“It is both humbling and uplifting having the support of the PURF award. To me, it
helps reconfirm the worth of this project for everyone who has seen it, and the value
of continuing it in 2012 and beyond.”

To learn more about Project C, or to nominate an organization for the 2012 round of funded nonprofits, visit the site at http://www.clickingcreateschange.com.