Assignment #4 - Non-profit Mission Statement
Design a brief mission statement that answers the following questions:
·
What do you want to do as a nonprofit? What is
your goal?
·
Who do you want to serve: local/global,
kids/adults etc.
·
How are you as a nonprofit, going to accomplish
this?
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Make Your Mission
Statement Stand Out by Following These Simple Tips
By, Joanne Fritz
There is a right way and a wrong way to write a nonprofit mission statement.
Nonprofit mission statements should not sound as if they were written by a
committee, nor should they be filled with jargon. Your nonprofit mission
statement should be written in the language your audience speaks and be capable
of inspiring it.
So, let's start with the basics.
What Is a Nonprofit Mission Statement?
Every nonprofit organization must have a mission statement. It describes the
purpose for which your organization exists.
Without a clear mission statement, your nonprofit may drift off course. With
one, you can measure every activity against it. It will keep you clear-headed
and out of trouble.
A great nonprofit mission statement is also a great branding tool. Use it to
promote your organization and to help convey the essence of what you are all
about.
Essentially, your mission is your goal--your reason for being.
Try answering the question, "Why did I start this organization?" The
answer will be your first try at writing your mission statement.
Pay attention to writing a clear, succinct, and inspiring mission statement. It
will pay off in the end and keep you from wasting time and resources on
non-essential activities.
The Benefits of a Well-Defined Nonprofit Mission Statement
•It focuses your energy and clarifies your purpose. When you try to write your
mission statement, you will find that you have to really define what you are
going to do. Many questions will come up that must be resolved. For instance,
who will you serve? Are you concerned about just your local area? Or the whole
state? Be careful to keep your mission narrowly focused to ensure that you
don't bite off more than you can chew.
•Write short and only what you need. The best mission statements are short and
state the obvious. Your statement's length and complexity depends on what your
organization wants to do, but keep it as brief as possible. You should be able
to use the statement frequently, so make it brief and succinct.
As Tony Ponderis of the Fund-Raising Forum says, the mission statement should
be . .
"...short enough to remember and easily communicate. Strong enough to
inspire."
Example:
Hot Cocoa 4 Haiti is a non-profit that aims to raise money, through the sale of hot cocoa. This money will be donated to specific nonprofit organizations who specialize and are actively working towards restoring and building Haiti’s water infrastructure, providing clean water to the people of Haiti.
