Using Celebrity in Fundraising: Celebrity-Charity Crushes Are More Than Puppy Love

As part of Grant Savvy blog, I like to share my Celebrity-Charity crushes with readers. Not because I believe that celebrities have so much more to offer than the rest of us and deserve space on my blog, but because my “crushes” get what it means to bring awareness to a philanthropic cause.

I am in love with my crushes because they are involved with important causes that they are proud to commit time and money to support. I have no doubt that their lives are more exciting than mine and I'm sure they'll never know me, but I am enamored with what I know about their charity efforts. If a crush and I were ever trapped in an elevator, I’d be bending their ear about philanthropy, not their latest film role or album release. Nerd alert. Let Josh, Leo, Brad and Matt them be warned.

Celebrities don’t have much to do with grant writing, but endorsements have a whole lot to do with fundraising. While my celebrity-charity crushes are the ones you see in grocery store magazines and late night entertainment shows, I promise there are celebrities in your community who can drum up support too!

Local celebrities such as community leaders, board members, volunteers and even politicians can help get a cause and/or program recognized. Why do nonprofits hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies with local leaders with they begin work on a new building project? Why do you have an honorary chairman for your capital campaign? Even more importantly, how do you choose your board members?

You want to have partnerships with people who can garner publicity and lend their voice to your good work. Great leaders know that this their responsibility and like to have their name attached to causes with free press. If you have a good fit (think LAI), it should be a win-win.

As grant writers, we seek letters of support and endorsement to build our proposals. Why do we choose our endorsers? We choose them because they have some level of celebrity in their pocket. Whether it is with the community or beyond, their endorsement matters because people admire them. When a prominent community leader endorses your organization, people will pay attention.

It's no surprise that people with connections get things done ten times faster than people who don’t. Smart and admirable famous people know they can use their popularity to bring attention to unmet needs across the world. Why wouldn’t they use their fan base to raise money and improve social good all while polishing their image?! Fame is a powerful thing.

I wholeheartedly acknowledge that some celebrities attach themselves to causes for reverse benefits. Isn't it painfully obvious when a Hollywood star uses a good cause only to elevate their image? Unfortunately, this happens in every community. Take a look at volunteers, board members and community leaders you may know. Can you think of anyone who likes to tell people they are part of an organization, but they don't really do much to help out? It’s not celebrity-centric to be a moocher. Choose your endorsements wisely.

While I enjoy sharing my favorite celebrity-charity crushes and get a big smile every time they do something I think is wonderful, it’s not just for my own self-indulgence. I'm crushin' because I admire celebrities who make a difference for causes we both care about—they got my attention. Yes, I absolutely adore Josh Groban, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, but not just because they look pretty and sound nice. *swoon*

Be creative and think of ways to elevate your organization with the support of well-known community members. Donors want to know you have likeminded supporters and want to be part of causes that matter to people they trust...you never know what doors might open up with a few "famous" friends.

Celebrities cannot change the world, but celebrities can bring the world to change.

~Cheers!