Fast Company magazine suggests enlisting a celebrity spokesperson for your charitable cause. The article offers valuable and interesting advice…if you have a multi-million dollar budget and friends in high places. That isn’t to say small non-profits don’t have friends in high places, but if you’re feeling awfully far from Hollywood, consider local celebrities.
Who in your town or state is popular, known, considered a “big” person?
These could be influential business people, the likes of whom you find speaking at Rotary meetings and leading United Way campaigns. Or they could be “personalities” whom you might find on radio, TV or writing regularly for the newspaper.
When I was on the Advisory Council of the Northfield Boys & Girls Club, I asked Norwich University President Rich Schneider to donate “lunch with the President” to the annual Gala/Silent Auction. It was a really popular item!
Maybe your community has a mayor with whom your supporters would want to spend an hour. Or a local high school or college sports star that’s willing to coach a few kids. You could even get silly and align your cause with a well-known sports team mascot – if it fits with your brand.
This celebrity spokesperson could support your cause in advertisements, letters to donors, and at events. You could mutually agree upon the project, such as a fundraising campaign, and the timeline, such as a holiday season. And, of course, you would need to determine what kind of involvement both entities want. Are you asking them to endorse an annual appeal letter or join a very active working board? Those are very different requests, so tread lightly and collaboratively.
Is there a celebrity spokesperson in your community? Look local for assets and resources.
Photo credit: Gnaphron