Harness the Commanding Presence of Celebrity

“She continued to visit there, she continued to speak out about it. She’s been doing blogs for us and reporting back on what she’s seeing,” Szarkowski says.

“She’s been out speaking to schools and religious groups and really bringing this issue to light for people in a way that they can understand and take action. So, in that case, it’s incredible to have someone who can do that because when we were just pitching it on our own and trying to get attention for it without a celebrity, it wasn’t getting very far. She’s been able to do extraordinary things as a result for the people of Darfur,” she adds.

But UNICEF uses celebrities for more than the media attention they garner. Ambassadors might testify on Capitol Hill, visit with children in foreign countries, lobby foreign governments and their leaders, call donors to acknowledge generous donations or speak with board members about an issue.

The bottom line when bringing on celebrity advocates is to find someone who is passionate about your mission and cause. It shouldn’t just be about having a celebrity for an event. Select celebrity advocates that will be able to articulate the mission of your organization and be credible and sincere about the work that you’re doing.

Szarkowski says the U.S. Fund for UNICEF has found that the best celebrity ambassadors are those that come to the organization on their own because they’ve done research on it or have an affinity for its mission.

“I think that’s really a great starting point rather than pursuing people who may or may not have time or may or may not be interested,” she says.

Before bringing a celebrity on as an ambassador, the organization has a conversation with him or her in which it shares information about its mission and the role of an ambassador. Szarkowski says celebrities often will support the organization quietly — serving as chairperson for a campaign or making a speech at an event — before taking on the role of ambassador.