There’s nothing more powerful than equipping you and your founding fans with a remarkable nonprofit mission statement.
Your mission statement should act like a magnet – irresistible to anyone who might be interested in promoting or supporting your organization (or knows someone who can).
The benefits of a compelling nonprofit mission statement are many, including….
Writing a mission statement can be tough, but the result can provide a powerful foundation from which your nonprofit organization operates.
Never cut corners when it comes to your nonprofit mission statement. It’s well worth the time and energy you spend on it.
I’m sure you’re excited about your new venture, so it’s tempting to rattle on and on to anyone who will listen – but this serves neither you nor the listener.
So, here’s some best practices to help you start organizing your thoughts to craft compelling language for your mission statement…
Great vs Bad Nonprofit Mission Statements
Great Mission Statement….
Bad Mission Statement….
Uses your audience’s language
Uses industry jargon
Communicates your “Why”
Communicates your “What” & “How”
1 powerful sentence
Rambling paragraph
Specific & actionable
Vague generalities
Memorable
Forgettable
Now, after taking these tips into consideration, you should be getting clear around “Why” you do what you do, “Who” you help, “What” you do, and “How” you do it.
And now it’s time for the best part….
1 Sentence Nonprofit Mission Statement Formula
We’re going to take your brilliant ideas and apply them to a simple formula that spins the dynamic, so that anyone who is remotely interested in what you’re doing can’t help but say, “Wow, that’s pretty amazing! How do you do that?”
You’ve then earned interest, trust, and the right to tell them a little more.
When given the opportunity to tell a person or group about your organization for the first time, use the following 1 sentence nonprofit mission statement formula:
“We help ___________________ (the community you serve) by providing __________________(your nonprofit’s general activity or service) so they experience __________________(the result you aim to achieve).”
Want to go big and cast the vision about why this is important? Just add, “…so that __________ (describe how the world will look different)”.
When you articulate this with conviction, you can’t help but create intrigue and attraction to your cause.
So, give it a try! You’ll feel great once you’ve got this dialed in….and then you’ll get to watch people’s faces light up when you state your mission – which is priceless.
Enjoy!
Jacqui Long | Conjuror of Comms & Culture | Yippiekiyay
