As the complexity of conservation has become increasingly apparent to those working in the field, the conservation community has come to realize that it cannot work in isolation. Conservation must fully embrace and include people and institutions whose existence is dependent on the conservation of natural resources, and it must build bridges to other fields in order to reach conservation goals. In an effort to do this, conservation organizations have sought strategic partnerships to help achieve conservation goals. But what are the most strategic relationships we can build to achieve conservation? What are the most efficient ways of working together across the spectrum of organizations and institutions involved in conservation? What makes for the most effective alliances in conservation? These are the questions that the conservation community must address in order to meet the challenges that we presently face.