联合国儿童基金会（U.N. Children’s Fund）等大型机构可以聘用国际名人，但对于希望扩大影响的较小的非营利组织来说，最好的机会是向当地的体育界英雄或在本社区知名度上升的表演艺术家寻求帮助。

费里斯观察慈善捐赠的趋势已有20多年，他说，流行文化界的名人尤其更经常加盟慈善事业。善于使用明星力量的非营利组织，会得到更多的来自明星粉丝的关注。

取得联系

如果你是某项慈善事业的志愿者或是某个非营利组织的成员，不妨考虑调动明星的力量。首先了解一下你的团队中是否有人与明星有交往关系。(向你认识的人寻求帮助最简单。) 如果你没有找到关系，可以通过明星的经纪人或管理人取得联系。例如，向一个运动队的管理机构询问某一运动员的代理人的联系信息，或者在某位摇滚明星的网站上寻找其经纪人的名字。

在请求公众人物帮助你的事业时，请注意以下几点：

你不是独一无二的

IMPACTS研究与发展(IMPACTS Research and Development)机构的柯琳·迪伦施耐德(Colleen Dilenschneider)说：“你的机构可能不是唯一一个以社会公益的名义请求明星付出时间和精力的组织。要让你的请求具有说服力。”

站在明星的角度考虑

迪伦施耐德说：“做到有备而来，即十分明确为什么你的使命与那位名人的使命相契合。” 要了解这位名人所关心的领域，然后在你们有共同关注的方面设计一项活动。

表明自身信誉

不要试图用你的组织的人气数量来打动明星。迪伦施耐德指出，你要明星加盟的原因就是因为他/她拥有大量的追随者，他/她才是人气所在。但是，你可能具有对明星来说非常重要的东西，即信誉。

充分利用

华盛顿的志愿者组织“城市年”(City Year)的负责人杰夫·佛朗哥(Jeff Franco)说，如果你找到了一位名人为一项活动揭幕，那么就可以用这位名人与你的组织成员的合影来为你的下一个活动作宣传。佛朗哥的非营利组织曾得到欧巴马总统和总统家人的一天服务参与。

ShareAmerica撰稿人斯蒂芬·考夫曼(Stephen Kaufman)参与本文撰写。

How to attract a celebrity to your cause

A celebrity endorsement can raise awareness of your favorite cause, setting it apart from others that compete for attention and donations. Star power “is really a form of advertising and marketing,” says James Ferris, director of the University of Southern California’s Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy.

While a big organization such as the U.N. Children’s Fund can recruit world-famous celebrities, smaller nonprofits seeking publicity are better off asking for help from a local sports hero or an up-and-coming performer in the community.

Ferris, who has observed trends in charitable giving over two decades, says that pop-culture celebrities, especially, are aligning themselves with causes more often. For the nonprofit that deftly uses star power, there is a big increase in attention from people who are fans of celebrity endorsers.

Make contact

If you are aligned with a cause as a volunteer or as a nonprofit employee, consider harnessing star power. First ask whether anyone in your group has a personal connection to a celebrity. (It’s easiest to ask for help from someone you know.) If you don’t find a connection, reach celebrities through their agents or managers. For instance, ask for the contact information of an athlete’s representative from a sports team’s front office, or look for the name of a rock star’s agent on the performer’s website.

Keep the following in mind when asking public figures to help your cause:

You are not unique

“Your organization is probably not the only one asking for a celebrity’s time and energy in the name of social good,” says Colleen Dilenschneider of IMPACTS Research and Development. “Make a compelling ask.”

Stand in the star’s shoes

“Come knowing exactly why your mission fits with the celebrity’s mission,” Dilenschneider says. Research his or her interests, and then design an event around an area where they overlap with yours.

Offer credibility

Don’t try to impress a celebrity with how many people your organization reaches. Dilenschneider points out the person you are approaching is the one with all the followers — that’s why you are contacting him or her. However, you may have something that can be extremely valuable to a celebrity: credibility.

Milk it

Jeff Franco, who heads the volunteer organization City Year in Washington, suggests that if you succeed in recruiting a notable figure to kick off an event, use photos of that person with members of your organization to promote your next event. Franco’s nonprofit received help with a day of service from President Obama and his family.

ShareAmerica writer Stephen Kaufman contributed to this article.