If you don't know where you're going, it's kind of hard

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the cat.

Ah, the wisdom of Lewis Caroll. But who knew he could be such a valuable leader in the field of fundraising? Edith Falk ... apparently.

Falk, president of the Chicago-based philanthropic firm Campbell & Co., used that passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to caution attendees in her opening-day session, titled "Know Thyself: The Importance of Marketing Your Organization in a Campaign," that having a clear goal in mind -- and an equally clear game plan for getting there -- is essential when undertaking a major fundraising campaign.