SignVine Builder Spotlight- Focus Digital Displays, LLC

Non-profit organizations play a powerful role in the community, therefore they need a powerful way to promote and share valuable messages- an outdoor message sign. However, an outdoor message sign is not always in the budget. That is where SignVine comes in.

Signvine is an online tool that utilizes Crowdfunding to raise money online from a large pool of people who can decide to donate a little or a lot for a specific project, like a message sign.

SignVine utilizes a team of independent sign companies called "builders" to execute their "mission". Not just any sign company qualifies.

One premier SignVine builder is Focus Digital Displays, Round Rock, TX. Formed in 2011 with honesty, integrity and humility as core values in establishing its foundation.

"These values, coupled with Digital sign communication made simple as our mission, and the dedication to knowledge, quality and service with the promise that every customer receives nothing less, has proven to be a recipe for continued growth,"Ben Blackburn, COO of Focus Digital Displays said, "At Focus Digital Displays, we do not sell just any digital display, but rather an effective and efficient sign solution tailored to needs and budget of our customers."

"I was introduced to the Digital Signage industry in 2006 and since have been drawn to finding ways to improve the end user experience as it relates to all aspects of purchasing and operating these highly effective communication tools,." Blackburn said," Focus Digital Displays has allowed me to fulfill a dream of creating a business that can truly help individuals and entities from all walks of life find ways to be successful in their communication needs."

Focus Digital Displays has taken great pride in the opportunity to give back to the community in a number of ways especially with the use of its LED display trailer.  These opportunities include providing the use of the trailer at no cost while improving awareness and communication adding to the success of a number of events.  Such events include the Lights of Love 5k benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas, Follow the Star benefiting Hill County Community Ministries Food Bank and the Austin Trail of Lights.

"Whether you are a business, church, school, or government office—we offer LED displays with the deepest color palates, vivid videos and crisp graphics that help you become a landmark in your community," Blackburn proudly stated, summarizing their business advantages.

Giving back to the community and helping those less fortunate are positive business attributes spotlighted during the Winter Holiday Season. However, for Focus Digital Displays, it's not a one day or one week commitment, but rather a year-round effort that separates this particular company from all the others in their community.

Congratulations and Thank You to Ben Blackburn and Focus Digital Displays.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the readers of this SignVine blog. Posts will resume in early 2015.

Contact Information for Focus Digital Displays, LLC:

Ben Blackburn, COO, Focus Digital Displays, LLC

503 E. Palm Valley Blvd. #105
Round Rock, TX 78664
T: 877-522-0839 x 1701

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This blog represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion, practices, or values of SignVine or any other organization or person. If you have feedback, please email me at: michael@signvine.org.

- Mike Prongue, SignVine, Campaign Director

Info From The Vine- Sinterklaas & Saint Nicholas

The annual Winter Holiday Season, the month of December mainly, is the time of the year when nonprofit groups see a significant increase in giving.  On average, approximately 40% of the year’s donations are received in December, but that percentage can range as high as 80% depending on the nonprofit. For example, Teach for America recorded 80.2% of its donations in December (2012).

If you apply the 40% multiplier to the $500,000,000 nonprofits receive annually, December’s impact is $200,000,000. December is important not only to the nation’s economy but to the personal economy of nonprofits!

However you slice the Winter/ Christmas/ Hanukkah seasonal pie,  its enormous. Would it not be nice to know where at least one of the Holidays originated- our current Christmas?

It seems like the origin had much to do with a fellow named Nikolaos of Myra, aka “Saint Nicholas”, 270-343 AD, living in what is now modern day Turkey.  There are several stories of his giving, from helping poor women in need of a dowry to assisting with getting people fed during a famine.  Saint Nicholas was also known as the “Lord of the Sea”- a Christianized Poseidon.  He was widely celebrated and revered.

The “Feast of Saint Nicholas” is held on December 6th, and on the eve of his feast day a candle would be lit and meat would be abstained from. He is also credited as being the source of the popular “orange” citrus fruit being linked with our Christmas celebration in many areas of the world.

Are you seeing a tenuous link here, blurred somewhat by 1700 years, or so?

Along comes the Dutch Sinterklaas, a “traditional figure based on Saint Nicholas” according to Wikipedia.  He, along with his trusty sidekick and companion Zwarte Piet helped distribute gifts to support the Saint Nicholas holiday, December 6th.

Sinterklaas is the sterner, more rigid, predecessor to the jolly, modern-day, Santa Claus figure.

But Sinterklaas was no loner. Instead of an elf or two, he had Zwarte Piet. Piet was the younger assistant to Sinterklaas and the more able-bodied of the Christmas duo.

Presumably Piet was invented to overcome any objection regarding an aged, overweight man, being able to do as much work as he was credited with in just one night. As an interesting aside, Piet was frequently depicted as a black Moor (from Spain) and sometimes the bag he carried was said to not only be used to deliver presents but to take away the bad children to the back-reaches of Spain.

If you really want to “dig in” then you can also find a link between Sinterklaas and Odin, a familiar and powerful God of the Germanic people.

The Reformation in the 16-17th century changed the gift giver from Sinterklaas and Piet to the Christ Child and moved the date to the modern day December 25th.

But in the 1770s the inhabitants of New York City, re-invented Sinterklaas and celebrated with feast day of “St. a Claus” as part of their Dutch history.

I think everyone reading this can take it from there.  Sinterklaas was transformed into Santa Claus and a myriad of events occurred over a 150+ year period to create the popular holiday that we now know! Oh by the way, Kris Kringle- Miracle on 34th Street, a 1947 American movie, played by the actor Edmund Gwenn, and that's it!

This blog represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion, practices, or values of SignVine or any other organization or person. If you have feedback, please email michael@si

Info From The Vine- The High School Scoreboard!

Whether it’s on the rural Montgomery, Alabama outskirts, the suburbs of Dallas, TX or in downtown Atlanta, GA, High School sporting events reveal the pride, the passion and the hope of communities. The heartbeat of the true America can be found here along with Mom, Apple Pie and the enduring spirit of its people. 

From the perfectly manicured turf of the High School Football Stadium to the glistening hardwoods of the Basketball Gymnasium floor, families share the drama, the achievement and the opportunity that athletic events deliver.  These events bring people together and unite families toward several common objectives:

•         Success
•      Community Unity
•         Pride, Passion, Achievement

Along with these athletic events, comes the need for a centralized information center- a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard to share information, promote the school and advertise sponsors.

School budgets are not designed for this type of considerable expense so booster clubs and supporters turn to other sources of private  funding- creative fundraising campaigns, advertising cooperative arrangements, and involved benefactors  or alumni to provide the funding to purchase these gorgeous and necessary electronic displays.

SignVine is an online crowdfunding organization specializing in helping deserving non-profits by creating a marketing campaign and promoting it online in a process called “crowdfunding”.  Utilizing the power of the local community and the High School’s supporters, necessary funding is raised to purchase the scoreboard. The scoreboard campaign lives on the SignVine website and is a 24/7 sentinel and promoterof the fundraising effort- always available to share the story and accept a donation

This blog represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion, practices, or values of SignVine or any other organization or person. If you have feedback, please email michael@signvine.org.