The Community Tool Box is a big fan of participatory process. That means involving as many as possible of those who are affected by or have an interest in any project, initiative, intervention, or effort. We believe strongly that, in most cases, involving all of these folks will lead to a better process, greater community support and buy-in, more ideas on the table, a better understanding of the community context, and, ultimately, a more effective effort. In order to conduct a participatory process and gain all the advantages it brings, you have to figure out who the stakeholders are, which of them need to be involved at what level, and what issues they may bring with them. The same is equally true whether you’re building support for a new or ongoing effort, even if the process that led up to it wasn’t strictly participatory. Maximizing Community Stakeholders' Engagement is a video by Tom Wolff that works as a great supplement to this section; both offer thorough examinations of how to find and involve the right stakeholders and respond to their needs