There are many ways to raise money for a cause, one of which is by holding a celebrity autograph auction. These autograph auctions are usually made up of items signed by celebrities that are auctioned off either live or online via a service like eBay. Getting celebrities to send your organization these items is quite simple, but it requires using the right words, persistence, and patience. Here are some tips:
The Right Words:
Explain your cause and ask for what you want...nicely. Letter writing is an art form. Scribbling three lines in pencil on notebook paper won't do the trick. The more professional the appearance the better; typed on letterhead is best.
The Rotary Club of Ennis, Texas used Contact Any Celebrity to get items from celebrities for an auction to raise money for various children's charities. Their typed letter stated exactly what they were doing and why. The letter also listed the organization's contact information clearly. Some representatives may need to verify that you are a true non-profit organization.
The letter then stated exactly what they were requesting: "We most humbly request your assistance in our efforts by requesting a personal item from you for the auction; if it's signed, that will help even more." The Rotary Club tells us the response has been great, and they are still in the process of receiving and organizing items.
So far autographed photos have come in from Troy Aikman, John Travolta, Rusty Wallace, The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Richard Petty, Laura Davies, Dustin Hoffman, Gerald Ford, Jennifer Lopez, Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Arnold Palmer, Susan Sarandon, and an autographed cap sent from Lee Trevino.
Persistence:
You may have to ask more then once. Sending your first letter to explain what you're doing and why is a must. Sending a second letter as a reminder is optional, but a good idea since celebrities receive so much mail.
One Contact Any Celebrity user sent out two letters. The first, which was only two paragraphs long, really explained her cause and what she was looking for. It also set a deadline for when items needed to be received. After a few weeks, she sent out another letter explaining the deadline had been extended and outlined the support she had already received from other celebrities. This resulted in her receiving even more items!
Patience:
Celebrities don't always respond within your expected timeframe, so it's a good idea to get started well in advance of your event. Some of Contact Any Celebrity's users have received responses as far out as one year after the initial letter.
Amy Pratt from Plymouth, Indiana wrote to more than 50 celebrities asking for autographs for a personal collection. "The photos came rolling in after a few weeks," she tells us. "The last one we got took over a year, but it's a surprise each time [a new autograph] pops up." Amy received autographs and personal notes from Ben Stiller, John Travolta, Joe Theisman, Brooke Shields, Michael Jordan, Gale Sayers, and Nolan Ryan to name a few.
Another amazing success came from Carolyn Penharlow from Vienna, Virginia who held an auction for her son's school. "I sent out almost 300 letters following the instructions on the Web site. I was astonished at the response. It was fun to go to the school mailbox everyday. Everyone would ask what I got that day!"
Penharlow's school received signed books from Henry Winkler, CDs from George Winston, and many signed photos from stars like Liz Taylor, Cindy Crawford, and Dustin Hoffman. "We raisd over $15,000 altogether and were thrilled," she says.
Jordan McAuley is the author of The Celebrity Black Book and the Founder of http://www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com located in West Hollywood, California. His exclusive online database provides accurate celebrity contact information including the best mailing address, agent, manager, publicist, production company, and charitable cause for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide to fans, businesses, authors, nonprofits, and the media.
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