Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Stakeholders - It takes a village to support a community-based organization

Your creative reuse center exists within a community. Having strong relationships with your community members is invaluable. The staff, volunteers, neighbors, sister reuse organizations, funders, participants in your programs, users of your services, retail shoppers, early adopters, environmental fans, arts fans, educators, and government officials all make up your village. They are otherwise known as stakeholders. They all have a stake in what you do: They help facilitate your development, are affected by your activities, and/or share the mission.

photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu
So, who specifically are your stakeholders? What are their needs and expectations? One of the first activities you and your advisory board will do is brainstorm an inventory of your stakeholders. You'll make a list of all the people who are invested in the success of your venture. Next, you'll prioritize your stakeholders.  Who on the list has the biggest stake in the development of your creative reuse center? Who has influence over its success? Staff, board, and volunteers are likely to be at the top of your priority list. So are funders and investors. 


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