Putting Stars to Work for Good Causes: Tips From Nonprofit Experts

By Caroline Preston

Much of Marshall Stowell’s job for the past three years has been organizing trips that enable supporters of his charity, Population Services International, to see firsthand how the organization seeks to stop the spread of AIDS and other diseases among young people in developing countries.

That is not an unusual job for a charity manager, except that in Mr. Stowell’s case, those supporters include celebrities such as Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, and Ludacris.

In addition to arranging trips, Mr. Stowell has worked to persuade celebrities to donate their time and prestige to his charity’s efforts to improve children’s health.

Mr. Stowell’s duties represent a growing trend in the nonprofit world, as more and more organizations give staff members formal responsibility for reaching out to Hollywood glitterati.

The American Red Cross, Oxfam, and Save the Children have created staff positions focused exclusively on cultivating and managing relationships with stars. At Population Services International, Mr. Stowell says, he spent at least a quarter of his time on celebrity work before he moved out of that job last month to become the charity’s chief spokesman.

It’s not just charities that are taking a more professional approach to the matter. Celebrities are choosing what causes to support “more strategically than they have in the past,” Mr. Stowell says. More stars want to be linked to one or two organizations and do not want to spread themselves too thin.

“They want to find something that’s somewhat proprietary and are interested in who else might be involved,” he says. “There’s a personal interest there but also a professional interest, as they are trying to build their own brand.”

Since not all charities can afford to appoint a specialist to cultivate celebrities, here are tips experts say can be used to strengthen ties to people who can attract attention to a cause:

Pick wisely. Look for celebrities who have a personal tie to a cause, or have demonstrated an interest in it. “You want to make sure there could be a natural synergy,” says Scott Lazerson, founder of the Interface Foundation, which connects celebrities with causes. “That starts with the charity educating itself about who might make a good fit.”

Don’t aim too high. Small organizations might want to consider recruiting local celebrities. “If you’re based in Madison, Wis., start with someone from there,” says Mr. Lazerson.

Commitment trumps fame. Andrew F. Cooper, associate director of the Center for International Governance Innovation and author of Celebrity Diplomacy, says that Bob Geldof, who started Live Aid to raise money for famine relief after his singing career had slowed, shows that “you don’t have to be at the pinnacle of your fame to be successful.” Kate Roberts, founder of Population Services International’s YouthAIDS program, agrees. “If the person has passion, it doesn’t matter if they’re super-famous or not,” she says.

Seek out opportunities. Richard Walden, president of Operation USA, which is based in Los Angeles County, says he trolls book signings, movie screenings, and other events if he thinks he may have a chance to run into a celebrity interested in the group’s work.

Vet the celebrity. Jane Berliner, who directs Save the Children’s artist ambassador program, says she likes to take potential celebrity supporters to the charity’s programs before they make a commitment. “Not everyone can be a perfect fit and we want to give them plenty of opportunity to know what we’re doing before they sign on,” she says.

Protect your organization’s name. Ms. Berliner says she has a simple test for deciding who to work with. “Make sure you need the person more than they need you,” she says. “You don’t want someone who is in it just for the good publicity.”

Tailor the work. Some celebrities may be interested in testifying before Congress or attaching their names to opinion articles. Others might be uncomfortable in that role. Groups such as the American Red Cross and Save the Children offer a number of ways for celebrities to get involved and ask for different levels of time commitment.

Consider a celebrity’s interests. Ms. Judd is particularly concerned with gender inequity and the plight of young women, so Mr. Stowell looks for opportunities to focus the actress’s work on that issue.

Provide guidance. All celebrity representatives, but particularly those who do advocacy work, need to be informed and up-to-date about the charity’s work. Save the Children’s Ms. Berliner says she takes celebrities to see programs and provides them with talking points.

Be strategic. A visit by a celebrity to a charity’s programs can draw news-media attention to social problems and build new relationships for the organization, but only if the visit is well planned. Mr. Stowell speaks with the charity’s employees in the country where he is planning a celebrity trip and learns what they want most out of the visit.

Tend to the details. Ms. Berliner creates a “VIP field trip checklist” that provides guidance on visa issues, security problems, language needs, lodging, and even remembering to bring bottles of water. Celebrities are generally accustomed to headache-free trips, yet inconveniences can be particularly hard to avoid in countries that lack paved roads and comfortable hotels. “The logistics are a huge challenge,” says Ms. Berliner.

Consider costs. Most charities say they do not pay celebrities for their time, although some, including Population Services International, will cover travel expenses.

Listen to the celebrity’s ideas. Ms. Berliner, of Save the Children, says that the actress Julianne Moore came up with the idea of sending Valentine’s Day cards by e-mail to raise money for the charity. The fund-raising idea generated more than $50,000, a big sum considering that Ms. Moore suggested the idea just a few weeks before the holiday. Next year, the charity plans to start promoting the idea earlier.

Take advantage of online media. In a study, A. Trevor Thrall, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan at Dearborn, found that celebrities do not necessarily prompt the mainstream news media to cover their causes.

He notes that journalists with traditional newspapers turn to charity presidents and scholars, not celebrities, for information. But he says that while an actor’s visit to a homeless shelter might not generate a news story on homelessness, it can make for a compelling YouTube video or blog that can drive readers to a charity’s Web site. When Ms. Judd traveled recently to Rwanda and Congo, she blogged about her experience. The charity also embedded on its Web site a Today show interview in which the actress discussed her trip.

Avoid burnout. Population Services International reserves Ms. Judd for higher-profile events, such as the Clinton Global Initiative. During her trips overseas, the actress tries to take at least one afternoon away from the charity’s programs. “Ashley is so involved it would be really easy to give her everything to do, but it’s really important that she doesn’t get burned out,” says Ms. Roberts.

Communicate clear results. When the American Red Cross does an e-mail campaign with the help of a celebrity, it asks the star’s representative to send messages to the celebrity’s fans and then tracks, when possible, how much money comes in response to those e-mail messages. The charity generally shares the results with the celebrity. When the response is disappointing, the charity’s staff members work with the celebrity’s representative to determine why.