# Celebrities – who likes them?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/01/20/celebrities-who-likes-them/
- Published: 2008-01-20T14:46:01+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Skipping lightly through the fundraising press, interest group discussions and blogs
looking for something of real use to me, I have recently been struck by our (fundraisers)
often patronising attitude to celebrity involvement in charities.

Many of the really vibrant organisations I have worked with have in-bedded celebrity
culture into their major donor development, events, capital appeals, ordinary appeals,
catalogues and just about every other bit of fundraising. And these organisations
are fun to be with, work with and talk about afterwards. See also www.savethehildren.
org.uk, www.amnesty.org.uk (still doing the Secret Policeman’s Ball) and www.toturecare.
org.uk though I’m not sure how evident their pool of talent is from their site.

To do this however these organisations have long lists of appropriate patrons – 
not just one Royal stuck on the masthead. On the other hand many organisations that
I see failing to attract support haven’t even got their first patron in place; and
others may have long lists, but full of complete unknowns to all but their trustees.

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I see this as an area where many of us can make real quantifiable gains in income
and even extend the market for giving. I predict the steady seeping in of celebrities
as more organisations cotton to their ability to boost income.

 * **[New disabled young people's charity launches £160,000 'Stargaze' appeal](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/01/21/new-disabled-young-people039s-charity-launches-160000-039stargaze039-appeal/)**(
   21 January 2008)
 * **[Graham Norton parties for Parkinson's](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/01/22/graham-norton-parties-parkinson039s/)**(
   22 January 2008)
 * **[Vodafone Group Foundation to donate £12 million to sport and music over three years](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/01/28/vodafone-group-foundation-donate-12-million-sport-and-music-over-three-years/)**(
   28 January 2008)