Once you have taken the time to make a Treasure Map^®, you can see that the more people you involve in the process, the more collective treasure you'll have.

This is a great exercise for involving everyone on your board in the Point of Entry^® process. Even the "I-hate-fundraising" folks on your board, staff or committees will actually enjoy it.

1. Gather together the group of key folks for your project. It may be your entire board, your development committee, a special event committee, your program staff—pretty much any group you want to brainstorm potential contacts with.
2. Tell them that the purpose of this exercise is to come up with people who would want to attend your Point of Entry Events. These will be people with a natural self-interest in learning more about your organization.

3. Hand out the Treasure Map instructions:

   The Treasure Map is a map/chart/web of all the individuals and groups your organization comes in contact with or might want to come in contact with on a regular basis. You don't have to go out of your way to find these people. We're talking about the landlord, the UPS delivery person, the staff, their families, the clients, the opponents and/or competition, the vendors, your personal friends and family, EVERYONE.

   It also displays what these individuals have an abundance of or what resources they possess.

   TO BEGIN:

   Put your organization in the middle.

   Surround your organization in any way you like with the other groups and organizations you naturally come in contact with, e.g. staff, volunteers, board.

   Now identify the resources that each group has in abundance (e.g. old furniture, money, art expertise).

   What are the self-interests of each group or individual? What's in it for them to be connected to you?

   Identify how the groups relate to each other and how their resources might relate.

   Then add in imaginary groups you'd like to have be there in the future and what resources and self-interests they would have. Ask: who else needs or wants what we can do?

   Questions to help you flesh out your Treasure Map:

   • Who is your real audience?
   • Who really cares about what you're doing?
   • Who are your obvious friends and foes (and in-between)?
   • Who cares, but you don't care that they care?
   • Who doesn't care that should care?
   • Who is an organization like yours supposed to have as an audience?
   • Who would you only dream of having as an audience/friend?

   Standing at the front of the room, using a white board or flip chart, lead the group through the process of creating the overall Treasure Map. Go through all the steps: diagram the groups, their resources, self-interests, how the groups relate to one another, fantasy groups, etc.

4. Now, ask each individual sitting in your group to make their own personal Treasure Map on a blank piece of paper at their seats. Have them start by putting themselves in the center. Have them go through all the steps, including the resources in abundance and the self-interests of each group on their map. Give them 5–10 minutes to do this.
5. Then come back together in the larger group and make a new collective Treasure Map of this group's contacts. Put "Board" in the center and work out from there. Have people call out some of the categories they put on their own personal maps: work associates, church group, book club, kid's school contacts, etc.
6. Now, ask them to make a list of the first 10 people they'd like to invite to a Point of Entry. Be sure to tell them to start with the easy people: their immediate friends and family. People who know they wouldn't waste their time. People whose advice they would value. People who won't say "no" to an invitation to an informational event. Remember, they can even tell their friends that they won't be asked for money at the Point of Entry.
7. Have the Chair of your Development Committee talk about the upcoming Point of Entry Events you have scheduled. Ask people how many guests they will each have attend.
8. End by reminding everyone that their job is not to ask their friends for money; just to invite them to come and find out about this wonderful organization that they believe so strongly in. Be sure to thank them for going through the Treasure Map exercise.
9. Let them know where to go from here. Who will be contacting them to follow up and be sure these folks get invited.