Teaching Paper: Stakeholder Identification and Engagement

Effective stakeholder identification and engagement are fundamental to non-profit success. This teaching paper provides a structured framework for mapping stakeholders by influence, interest, and organizational relationships. Combining theory with real-world tools, it demonstrates how non-profits can use interviews, surveys, data analysis, and community engagement to identify key actors and design strategies for long-term collaboration. A case study of a community health initiative illustrates how mapping fosters legitimacy, funding, and sustainable impact.