Carole Stein heard the younger women who visited the NCJW Boutique saying it was kind of dull, and she wanted to do something about it.

As a nonprofit sharing space in the Julian Center’s Northside Thrifty Threads shop, Stein had neither the money nor the expertise to spice up the space.

Then she heard about CreateAthon, a national program to do free advertising and marketing work for nonprofits. Vision3 has done 23 projects for 15 nonprofits worth about $200,000 since it began participating in CreateAthon two years ago.

This is the experience of just one 19-person agency holding its own during the recession, but it’s indicative of the help others give to local nonprofits. It’s the business community at its finest.

“When we looked at the picture boards of the work they’d done for us, it was just magic,” Stein said.

Remaking the boutique, which carries higher-end second-hand goods, has doubled sales, she said. Higher sales mean more money to split with the Julian Center, which aids victims of domestic abuse. The other half of the proceeds supports programs at the local chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women.

That kind of result is what keeps Vision3 involved with CreateAthon, a 24-hour burst of creativity that reminds participants of cramming in college. “It’s a great way for the staff to bond,” said Eric Davis, who calls himself the Multimedia Wizard. He co-founded the agency in January 2003 with Jeff Hopler, also known as the Art Czar.

“There’s nothing like walking around Lockerbie at 2, 3 or 4 in the morning after you’ve been up 20 hours,” said Jake Leeman, a so-called pixel wizard with the firm. “But it’s really fun and interesting work.”

Vision3, the only local agency involved with CreateAthon, is taking applications for the next burst of nonprofit creative energy. The deadline is July 20, and information is available at www.v3createathon.com.

CreateAthon began a dozen years ago at the RIGGS agency in Columbia, S.C. More than 40 agencies have participated since then, doing more than 2,000 projects for nonprofits. The total value of work done: $8.4 million.

Vision3 got involved when a former writer went to work for RIGGS. “He said we should check it out,” Davis said. “We jumped in the following year.”

The agency picks several nonprofits, and then the principals do the initial work to define the project. At 8 a.m. Aug. 27, the 17 other staff members get their first crack at the projects. For the next 24 frantic hours, they work up proposals.

The clients arrive at 8 a.m. Aug. 28 to see the results. “It’s a great way for us to do pro bono work because it’s very focused,” Leeman said. “It’s the kind of work that could get pushed aside otherwise, so we like this.”

With the plan in hand, NCJW Boutique was able to solicit donations from other professionals, essentially doubling the boutique’s revenue for nothing.

Now that’s creative.