11.17.2006 - 11:01am ET

(CSRwire) Cleveland, Ohio - On Wednesday, November 15, BrownFlynn celebrated its ten-year anniversary and announced the winner of its non-profit competition - the Circle of 10 - at a reception held at Tri-C's Corporate College East. BrownFlynn crowned the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes winner of the Circle of 10 for its creative approach to engaging the next generation of donors. The Circle of 10 competition challenged local non-profits to proactively cultivate younger donors and develop strategies for addressing a changing fundraising climate.

"Statistics show that 80 million baby boomers will retire in less than five years. It is essential for nonprofits to prepare for this change in the donor landscape," said Barb Brown, principal and co-owner of BrownFlynn, referring to the need for appeal to a new generation of community investors. "The Circle of 10 was our way of addressing this trend while giving BrownFlynn the opportunity to practice what we preach--that businesses can do well while doing good."

At the celebratory reception, keynote speaker Julius Walls, CEO of Greyston Bakery, emphasized the need for socially responsible business practices. Greyston Bakery, an innovative example of a for-profit social enterprise, provides job opportunities for those deemed "hard to employ" in Yonkers, New York. With ex-felons and the formerly homeless in the bakery striving to improve their lives through meaningful employment, Greyston Bakery does more than just produce delicious brownies and treats. According to Walls, "We don't hire people so we can make brownies. We make brownies so we can hire people."

BrownFlynn's commitment to doing well by doing good was the impetus for its Circle of 10 competition. "When we dreamed the concept of the Circle of 10, we wanted to give back to the Cleveland community. Over the past ten months, our anniversary celebration has not only been a fulfilling business milestone, but it's been a celebration of the good work being done in our community by ten incredible non-profits," said Margie Flynn.

Each Circle of 10 finalist will receive $2,000 in pro bono service from SCK Design as well as a 2-minute video highlighting the organization, courtesy of Glazen Creative. To see the full list of Circle of 10 finalists, please visit www.brownflynn.com.

BrownFlynn is a community relationship management firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The consulting firm specializes in integrating strategic agendas with responsible practices and targeted communications that yield positive results.

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