QUOTE : Working closely with recipients and understanding the needs of others requires a level of trust, credibility, and closeness that community leaders are best positioned to develop. <br /><br />Community leaders can serve as mentors, communicators, and friends who represent the values and priorities most important to the populations they support. <br /><br />At this level of giving, customizing aid to the specific needs of individuals becomes a natural byproduct of the types of relationships formed.