Module 4.4: Communicating to stakeholders

Communicating to stakeholders

In this module, you’ll learn how to confidently share your project’s purpose and message to potential sponsors, funders and supporters to gain support.

Introduction video

Key stakeholders

We developed your target participant(s) in Module 4.1, and now we want to unpack your wider stakeholder network. This network is where you can find support, funding, promotion and traction in your communities.

Types of stakeholders

Identifying the different levels of stakeholders in your network will help you plan your communication and program more impactfully.

1. Your Primary Stakeholders include the people who will actively participate in your project, i.e. your ‘Target Participants.’ They generally directly benefit from the activities you’re delivering.
2. Your Secondary Stakeholders include the people or groups who provide support to help make your initiative possible, whether by providing resources, encouraging involvement, or supporting the project in other ways.
3. Your Tertiary Stakeholders include individuals or groups who are indirectly impacted by your project. While they may not be actively involved or provide direct support, they may experience long-term effects, positive or negative, through changes in their community, environment, or broader systems connected to your work.

Note: You may also include Heart Foundation as a Secondary Stakeholder to ensure you remember they have certain requirements of you.

Mapping your stakeholders

It is useful to map out stakeholders for your project to help understand your network.

Using the stakeholder mapping tool linked below, we want you to consider the following:

• Who are your Primary Stakeholders?
• Who are your Secondary Stakeholders?
• Who are your Tertiary Stakeholders?

List your key stakeholders and begin mapping who’s involved in your project.

Click to download the Stakeholder List worksheet (PDF)

Along with identifying who your stakeholders are, we will also try to map their values, alignment and connection to your project. This is what we will look at now.

Stakeholder values

Understanding your key stakeholder values can help shape how you communicate and pitch your project. We will focus on our Secondary Stakeholders as they are valuable connections that could provide support to your project.

In your Stakeholder Values tool linked below, use the table to think about your Secondary Stakeholders, and their values, alignment and connection to your project.

Click to download the Stakeholder Values worksheet (PDF)

Values

If your Secondary Stakeholder is a business or organisation with a website, you can often find out about their values in their ‘About Us’ section. Otherwise, a conversation is often the best way to understand your stakeholders.

Alignment

Some Secondary Stakeholders, such as councils or organisations like the Heart Foundation, will have certain focus areas or strategies that may align with your project. It is important to understand these if you are pitching for support.

Connection

Lastly, we want you to map the link that this Secondary Stakeholder has to your project.

Below is an example of what your Secondary Stakeholder mapping could look like, using an example of a project looking at increasing bicycle use in their local council area.

Identifying your potential supporters

Using your list of Secondary Stakeholders, prioritise your list of whom you want to connect with, considering how likely they are to provide support and what support they could offer.

This can help you identify who you may reach out to first to seek support for your project.

Communicating to your stakeholders

Your communication may change depending on your stakeholder type and values. For example, you may talk to a local recreation centre where you might host an activity quite different to pitching for future funding to a local council.

Knowing the values and alignment of your project can help tailor your communication effectively and position your project as aligning with their key values and focus areas.

We will now look at how to refine your pitch to help you build support for your project.

Why work on a pitch?

Ever heard of an Elevator Pitch? It is the concept of being able to sell your project to someone stuck in a lift with you - in the time it takes to get to your floor. Developing and practising your pitch can help you:

1. Be able to communicate your project clearly and concisely

2. Have more confidence in networking

3. Be more compelling when asking for support

4. Secure support and increase participation

Even though 'Elevator Pitch' is a marketing term, the idea is helpful: it’s all about speaking clearly, confidently, and with purpose.

Some key tips to keep in mind when crafting your pitch:

1. Be clear about what you are asking of your stakeholder
2. Link to what motivates your stakeholder
3. Highlight your project’s impact, mission and plans for the future
4. Use simple language,
5. Keep it short and sweet

Note: A great pitch will be clear and easy to understand while building a compelling story that people can connect to.

Refining your message

Revisiting the work you did to articulate your purpose in Module 4.1 - Project Fundamentals, we will use this to help craft your pitch. Once you have mastered your pitch, you can adapt it to different audiences.

A simple formula that can help you start crafting your pitch is:

Problem > Solution > Impact > Call to Action

1. Problem

This is where you can provide a few sentences on what problem your project is trying to address, aka your ‘why.’

2. Solution

This is where you can show how your project is solving the problem you have articulated.

3. Impact

This is where you can talk to the aspirations you have on the impact your project could have.

4. Call to Action

This is where you show your audience how they fit into your narrative. It may be asking for funding, support in promoting your project, help with resources, or something else.

Adapting your pitch for different audiences

Your call to action can be the main section that you can tailor to your audience. Depending on the stakeholder that you are talking to and their values, you may shift your focus to how they can help.

You may also shift your pitch to use keywords you know will resonate with that audience.

Crafting your pitch

Now it’s time to bring everything together. In the activity linked below, you’ll turn your purpose, project details, and stakeholder insights into a simple, powerful pitch you can confidently share.

Whether you're talking to a potential funder, local council, or community group, having a clear pitch helps you communicate your project with impact and build real support.

This activity will guide you through two steps:

1. Craft your main pitch using a simple formula to explain your project clearly.
2. Personalise your pitch to different audiences, based on their interests and how they can support your work.

Use this worksheet to write and practise your pitch. Practice your pitch with different audiences to refine and build confidence!

Click to download the Craft and Practise Your Pitch worksheet (PDF)