REACH FOR THE STARS
A sprinkling of celebrity stardust can give your fundraising efforts a real boost, reveals Nuala Calvi
G
etting a celebrity to lend star power to your fundraiser or event can really boost takings, not to
mention publicity. But capturing the attention of the rich and famous is notoriously difficult. If you try to contact them through
their agent, you’re unlikely to get a reply. ‘It’s hard to get around agents, because if it’s a free gig, they won’t get paid for it,’ says Kirsty Warwick, a charity PR and communications consultant, and former PTA chair.
22 AUTUMN 2024 School Fundraising
‘Yes, you can pay celebrities a fee, but on principle we never have done. Messaging them on Twitter can work, but without a personal connection, such as the celebrity living in or having lived in your area, it’s harder.’ Do some internet research to find
out which celebrities are local to you or have a local connection. Better still, find one with a personal interest in the subject of your particular fundraising campaign, such as literacy, art, music or sport.
‘It’s all about personal
connections – so focus on getting to know your local community, who lives there, building those links,’ says Kirsty. ‘It’s the same with charities – for example, with cancer charities we’d ask people with a connection to cancer, or with deaf charities, people with hearing loss. It’s about building those relationships.’ Don’t forget to work your existing
contacts. Is there anyone in your parent community who’s in the media or entertainment industries, or has a famous friend or family member? ‘We had a footballer attend our school fair who was a Chelsea and England star at the time,’ says Kirsty. ‘His brother’s kids went to the school, so he came along and signed a football for the raffle prize.’ And don’t forget, you have
something to offer in return – after all, what celebrity doesn’t like to be photographed doing a good deed?
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
