Thoma Thoma*

Thoma Thoma, a Little Rock communications agency, equates branding to a conversation. As a purveyor of design, public relations and media strategy, Thoma Thoma uses its own resources and expertise to direct the conversation toward some of the worthiest causes in Arkansas.
Since Melissa Thoma and her husband, Martin Thoma, founded the firm 22 years ago, they’ve expanded their philanthropic efforts while holding one tradition in place, that of donating $1,000 to a charity, then creating a holiday card in that charity’s honor. Nonprofit paying clients also receive a 25 percent discount from the agency, and Thoma Thoma annually devotes some 5 percent of its annual revenue — anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 — to a pro bono budget for Arkansas charities and nonprofits, a cumulative donation that the firm estimates at more than $1 million.
The pro bono donations mean different things for different causes. For the Race for the Cure in Little Rock, the firm designed promotional and advertising materials, a donation that led to Thoma Thoma becoming the race’s permanent publicity sponsor. For Wildwood Park for the Arts, the firm produces promotional materials for various festivals, as well as Web development and free public relations support. And for the past decade, Thoma Thoma has supported the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra with creative work and promotional materials for concerts and fundraisers. Other beneficiaries include Union Rescue Mission, Heifer International, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Arkansas Rice Depot, the THEA Foundation and the 20th Century Club’s Lodge.
The firm also requires that its director-level employees join boards for local nonprofits, with the company contributing any board dues, citing the value of having “skin in the game.” At present, Martin Thoma chairs the board of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Society, and Melissa Thoma serves as president of the Wildwood board.

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