While attending a recent workshop on “How to involve celebrities in your organization,” I was surprised by a story shared with the group by a local TV station news anchor.

The anchor told how an organization had asked him to be the keynote speaker at a fundraising dinner they were hosting. Upon arriving at the event there was no one to meet him, which meant he had to park 10 blocks away and walk back to the venue in the rain. Once inside, the anchor was approached by a staff person from the organization who complained to him about him being late and that they had to delay the start of the event. The gentleman did not say anything at that point, but delivered the speech he had promised. At the end of the evening he was presented with two things: a bill for his dinner and a pledge card for the cause that he had just spoke on behalf of.

The organization not only had burned a bridge with this local celebrity, but they will find it difficult to get any other celebrities to work with them in the future. The news anchor used this story to illustrate his point: Getting celebrities involved in your organization is not that different from recruiting any other volunteer or donor. You must cultivate them and treat them with kindness.

There are two primary ways to get your foot in the door to start the cultivation process.

First, approach the celebrity through someone who knows them and knows your organization. Celebrities are asked to support a great number of causes because of their visibility in the community. Just like everyone else, they are much more likely to consider requests when they come from someone they know and respect. If you do not have a direct contact, an alternative method is to develop a dialog with the community relations department of the organization the celebrity represents. Most organizations, like TV stations and professional sports teams, want to be involved in their local communities. With literally hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities presented to them, the key is that they want to get involved with the right causes. Once you have established creditability with the organization, they are much more likely to give you access to their celebrities.

Having a celebrity support your cause takes time and planning. Prior to cultivating them, you need to determine the “why” and what type of relationship you want. Is this a one time appearance at an event, or do you want them to support your efforts on an ongoing basis? What exactly are your expectations of the celebrity and what are your desired outcomes from having them involved? Most importantly, you need to be prepared to state your “case for support” and how that celebrity’s involvement will further your case. If you know the answers to these questions going in, it will make your cultivation process more effective.

Here are a few hints for when you are approaching a celebrity spokesperson.

Start slowly. Your first conversation with the celebrity should be telling them about your organization and what you do for the community. After you get a sense that the individual identifies with your cause, you can begin to tell how their involvement could have an impact and what it is that you are asking them to do.

Make sure the role you want them to play is realistic and one they are comfortable with. Do not assume that a basketball star that plays in front of thousands of fans every night will be comfortable giving a keynote speech to your top 100 donors.

When you get beyond the initial meetings and the celebrity agrees to become involved with you, there are a few things you can do to foster the relationship.

Honor their time by making sure you stay on schedule for events they are involved in. Introduce them to other key people from the community who support your organization. Do the “extras” to make them feel special when they attend your events. Follow up notes and calls to say thank you go a long way toward making the celebrity feel good about their choice to support your organization.

There are many strategies that can be used to have celebrities support your cause. In the end, if you use common sense and approach it like you would any other cultivation opportunity, the winners will be both your organization and the celebrities you invite to support you.