Which came first, the project or the fundraising?

One of the harder endeavors faced in a library is maintaining a balance between necessary projects and providing the funds to finance them. Ideally, discussions of funding and projects should go hand-in-hand, as each discussion is relevant to the other. However, this is not always the case. Donors may have preconceived notions about how they would like their generosity used. Similarly, a library's desire to raise capital may tempt it to accept gifts for projects that may not be part of their overall development plan. By including fund-raising at the beginning of a project, a library increases its chances of creating a successful action plan and balancing its financial and project priorities