Here are a few mission statements from prominent nonprofit organizations:
- The mission of the American Heart Association is “To advance the health of all individuals and communities.”
- Make a Wish America: “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.”
- The American Red Cross “prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.” Sometimes people roll their eyes at mission statements and strategic rollout events with slogans and banners. It’s possible to overdo it, but it’s also important to reinforce and repeat fundamental organizational values. Many unproductive attitudes can infect a nonprofit that does not pay close attention to its culture, mission and values.
Alongside my team at Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits we’ve developed both a mission statement and a vision for the work that we are undertaking within the nonprofit community.
Our mission is to: Unlock and encourage excellence in nonprofit managers and leaders by providing timeless, easily accessible resources and tools.
Our vision is that: Ethical, effective nonprofit leaders move humanity forward.
We hope that in articulating our vision and mission we can be more intentional in our efforts, and that the individuals and organizations we connect with will have more clarity about our work and our goals.
- Does your organization offer both a vision and a mission statement?
- How can your vision and mission statements be revisited and possibly revised?