Little Brothers--Friends of the Elderly is a non-profit, non-sectarian federation of agencies devoted to meeting the needs of the elderly poor, those poor not merely in worldly goods, but in love. The organization examined how it might more effectively spread its services and assure the establishment throughout the United States of programs with its philosophy. After determining that the organization had a mission to expand, the mission and philosophy statements were examined to assure that they expressed the goals of the organization. Next the structure that would be necessary for expansion was considered. Past experiences in setting up the four existing sites were reviewed, using a survey of volunteers, interviews with the individuals who had set up the sites, and census and other secondary data. Factors resulting from these efforts were operationalized and measured, thereby creating a financial program viability measure. Acceptance by the Area Agencies on Aging and United Way agencies in areas under consideration was assessed using letters asking whether agencies believed there was a need for Little Brother services. These screening procedures along with on-site evaluations will be used to determine locations of new sites. This example illustrates how an agency can use a research approach to planning for future program changes. (ABL)