Communications Arts alumni Samantha Winkler, left, and Kristin Schmidt. (Submitted photo)
You may not have heard of Mentoring Positives, a Madison nonprofit that serves delinquent and at-risk youth throughout Dane County.
Kristin Schmidt (BA'11, Communication Arts) and Samantha Winkler (BA'11, Communication Arts and Spanish) are out to change that.
The two Communication Arts alums are leading a pro-bono marketing and communications campaign for Mentoring Positives as part of Ad 2 Madison, a local nonprofit professional development organization for marketing and communications professionals and students under age 32. Each year, Ad 2 Madison’s Public Service Committee — currently co-chaired by Schmidt and Winkler — works with an area nonprofit to create a professionally-crafted campaign to increase the organization’s exposure.
“I don't think people realize how many nonprofit organizations are out there that do great things every single day,” Winkler said. “We hear a lot about larger organizations, but those are the generally the ones who receive the most donations and can afford to market their cause.
“As members of Ad 2, the Public Service Committee is our way of giving back and helping some of these smaller nonprofits get their name out there and help their cause without using a huge budget.”
By day, Schmidt is a project coordinator at Madison-based marketing agency Kennedy Communications, while Winkler is the marketing coordinator for area bowling alleys Bowl-A-Vard, Prairie Lanes and Ten Pin Alley. Through their work with Mentoring Positives, though, their passion for marketing is spilling over into their free time.
“I have volunteered and been involved in community service my entire life,” Schmidt said. “This is going to sound cliché, but volunteering and doing community service make me happy.”
This story was featured in the Department of Communication Arts' winter 2012-13 alumni newsletter. For more department news, visit its website.