Harness the Commanding Presence of Celebrity

Naturally attracting celebrity supporters is yet another reason why, she adds, that it’s important for an organization to have a strong, recognizable brand that’s tied to its mission and to successfully communicate its mission and what it does.

“Then people will know how to find you, know what you stand for, know what you’re accomplishing, and that allows for their interest to be directed to you in the first place,” she says.

Organizations also can initiate conversations with celebrities that have expressed an interest publicly about an issue or cause.

Some tips Szarkowski shared in terms of selecting and working with celebrity ambassadors are:

1. Select a celebrity with a sincere interest in your organization.

2. Be strategic and respectful of their time by making the most of it. “Instead of going to the celebrity on five different occasions with five different things, try to bundle your asks and have a plan,” she says.

3. Honor what they’re interested in. Celebrities may have ideas that the organization has overlooked.

4. Enable them to leverage their personal and professional relationships in support of the mission.

Lisa Szarkowski can be reached via www.unicefusa.org