Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 6th Edition

Chapter 4

Creating Your Mission Statement and Vision Statement

IN THIS CHAPTER

Identifying the key components of a strong mission statement

Creating an effective mission statement with the help of your board

Using your mission and vision statements to make organizational decisions

Every nonprofit needs well-crafted mission and vision statements. A good mission statement clearly and succinctly states a nonprofit’s reason for existence — including who benefits from its work — and how it works to fulfill that mission from day to day. A vision statement is a lengthier statement that looks to the future and describes what you want your nonprofit to achieve in the long run.

The process of developing your mission and vision statements is important. Don’t feel like you have to come up with these statements on your own. Instead, we recommend that you take some time to discuss your ideas with your governing board and encourage their input and feedback. Doing so can help you refine your ideas, test them with other people, and inspire those involved in the writing process.

Read on for more guidance about how to create simple yet compelling mission and vision statements.

Check out File 4-1 ...