What is a Mission Statement?
What is a mission statement? It is the stated goal for the organization. The mission statement answers the who, what, when, where, why, and the how very briefly. An effective mission statement is usually not more than two sentences long. Things outlined in the mission statement are typically the things that set the foundation for the values and formulate the strategic objectives for the organization.
US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Center has an excellent article I highly recommend reading, “Developing a Mission Statement." While it is written for a for-profit business structure, the premise is the same for nonprofit businesses. Also, check out Idealist.org The Nonprofit FAQ article “What should our mission statement say." You’ll have to first read through the question, and then the answer contains a wealth of information regarding mission statement development. There’s a plethora of practical “how to” information in both articles.
Developing a mission statement may take some time as you want to be sure to really address the objectives of the organizations. Remember, the Board’s first mandate is to govern to the mission statement.
Adapted from "Mission statement possible" on the Nonprofit Connectors Blog.
