It’s easy to know what your nonprofit’s goals are. It can be very difficult to put them into words, in a way that not only explains what you do, but also sparks a movement.
A well-written Nonprofit Mission Statement can help you communicate better.
In this article, we’ll dive into How to Write a Strong Nonprofit Mission Statement and provide you with a template and examples of great nonprofit mission statements .
What is a mission statement?
First, let’s take a step back and understand what a mission statement is.
“A mission statement is a brief statement of why your nonprofit exists, what its overall purpose is, identifying the scope of your operations: what type of product or service you provide, who you primarily serve, and your geographic area of operation. It may include a brief statement of core issues such as the organization’s values or philosophies, the key competitive advantages of a nonprofit, or a desired future state—the “vision.”
Good nonprofit mission statements should be clear, whatsapp number list concise, helpful, and inspiring , as you’ll see in the examples below.
What is the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement?
vision statement focuses on tomorrow and what your nonprofit wants to become. A mission statement focuses on today and what your nonprofit does. While organizations commonly use mission and vision statements interchangeably, kylie smith it is important to have both. One does not work without the other, because having purpose and meaning are essential to any charity.
10 Steps to Writing a Strong Mission Statement for Your Nonprofit
Let’s start by writing a strong caseno data nonprofit mission statement. Follow the steps below and we’re sure you’ll create something great!
Don’t be too hard on yourself. All nonprofits have revisited their mission statement multiple times and rewritten it.
Just start and iterate.
10 Steps to Writing a Strong Mission Statement for Your Nonprofit
- Check out the examples of strong nonprofit mission statements below for inspiration.
- Make a list of mission statements you love
- Highlight which elements of the mission statements you like.
- Write at least 10 different mission statements for your nonprofit organization.
- Is your mission statement longer than 20 words? Try cutting it down to 15 words or less.
- Let it rest for a couple of hours/day(s)
- Review your mission statements and make changes.
- Get feedback from your team and others
- Back to the drawing board
- Ask a couple of professionals and the people you serve for advice