Stakeholder Mapping: Prioritizing Diverse Motivations [VAI Session 2]

You have the research foundation. Now we identify who you’re actually trying to influence and map their relationship to potential value propositions that the research enables. This session combines stakeholder analysis with practical outreach planning, so you'll leave with commitments and/or drafted invitations. What to ExpectStakeholder Mapping Exercise — Plot your key audiences on a motivation scale Prioritization — Identify which stakeholder relationships offer the highest impact potential for value articulation work Outreach Planning — Choose your delivery method and draft the invitation that gets your value proposition in front of priority stakeholders Draft Development — Whether it’s a meeting request email, campaign brief, or presentation outline, you’ll have your invitation ready to deploy Sessions are recorded but will not be shared outside of the group. Commitment Setting — Leave with specific names, timelines, and next steps for reaching out to stakeholders.  What to Bring5-10 stakeholder names — private individuals, foundations, policymakers, community leaders, board prospects, etc. You can spend 5 minutes or an hour on this — names you can think of off the top of your head or spend some time combing your CRM for list of stakeholders. Try to identify at least a few individuals/groups that you’ve not yet reached or have had less success with, in addition to reliable supporters and partners. Context on their perspectives — bring what you know about how each stakeholder currently views museum value and institutional impact as well as their interests and motivations more broadly (i.e., if they could waive a magic wand, what impact would they want to achieve regardless of whether a museum or cultural institution would be a reasonable tool for achieving that objective). There’s no expectation that you should be able to speak at great depth about their motivations — just be prepared to converse with fellow participants about what you know or believe about their goals. OutcomeYou leave with a prioritized stakeholder list, drafted outreach materials (emails, campaign plans, etc.), and specific commitments for who you’ll contact over the next 4 weeks. Goal: Transform stakeholder insights into concrete outreach plans with real deadlines and accountability. What we're working toward: Better message fit → faster yes/no → shorter fundraising and appeal cycles. Attendance and Registration• To attend, you must be registered for the Value Articulation Intensive. • If you're registered, you're on the attendee list and will receive a calendar invite. No RSVP is needed. • Not registered yet? Directors can learn more and register here. • Questions or missing invite? Email [email protected].