Excerpt reprinted with author's permission from Well Connected: Releasing Power, Restoring Hope Through Kingdom Partnerships (Authentic Media/World Vision, 2006)

Every partnership has at least four different constituencies or "publics" to keep in mind.

• The primary audience—the people you're seeking to reach and serve.
• The partnership itself—its active, working participants.
• The senior staff in the administrative offices of the partner ministries that make up the partnership. They can bless or resist their colleagues' participation and access to resources.
• The people who give, advocate, pray, or invest their finances to provide the partnership's resources. Each of these constituencies has hopes, expectations, and unique communications needs.

Acknowledging and being responsive to these constituencies and their expectations builds hope and strengthens your partnership's success potential. Avoid disaster by engaging and meeting the needs of each of these groups—helping them understand their role and share in the success of the partnership.