Stakeholders Advisory Board

A stakeholder is a person (or entity) who can affect and/or be affected by your organization—who, in other words, has a stake in your work. Stakeholders (such as volunteers, donors, and vendors) influence your ability to fulfill your mission; they are also the people (such as beneficiaries, partner organizations, and the community) who experience the consequences of your choices and actions. Stakeholders can be categorized as internal (those who work for or volunteer with your firm) or external (such as government agencies and the media). In project management, stakeholders are sometimes categorized as primary or secondary—that is, people who are affected directly or indirectly.