“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” This quote from Lewis Carroll’s book, Alice in Wonderland, holds a lot of truth in the business world. The story begins when Alice, out of sheer curiosity, chooses to follow an odd and white intriguing rabbit that is in an immense hurry.
How Clear Is Your Nonprofit’s Mission?
Don’t we all wish we had a mission that was as simple as following the white rabbit? In reality, following the mission statement of your nonprofit is not always black and white. Having a clearly defined mission can be instrumental in laying out your organization’s goals.
Do Your Stakeholders Share Your Vision?
More importantly, do they even know what it is?
Is everyone associated with your nonprofit on the same page? For a nonprofit to become or remain effective, a mission statement that clearly says where the directors want to go is key for any organization.
While the development of a mission statement is beyond the scope of this article, the Executive’s Directors Guide: The Guide for Successful Nonprofit Management says “the mission statement describes the overarching purpose to the organization.” The mission statement should explain “why we exist.”
Once developed, the mission statement should be communicated to all stakeholders of the nonprofit, including the board, staff, donors, volunteers and the general public. It should be continually re-communicated to keep the mission on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Ideas include: incorporating the statement into emails, contribution letters, newsletters, your website and reading it aloud at the start of every board meeting.
Your Mission Statement Is the GPS of Your Organization
A mission statement can be compared to a GPS system in your car or phone: it is the address of your final destination, and the goals and tasks are the roads that will take you there. The roads that you take are just as important as your destination, just as the goals set in your organization are just as important as the mission. One should not exist without the other.
Align Your Goals
When defining goals, they should be developed with the vision or desired outcome in mind. To paraphrase the opening quote: if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
Before a goal is executed, each goal should be assessed as to whether it accomplishes or furthers your nonprofit’s mission. It might be helpful to ask whether each goal:
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Is in line with why your nonprofit exists
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Helps those that your organization serves
Your Assignment
If your organization does not have a mission statement, write one, communicate it and live by it. Be passionate and courageous when communicating your mission.
Goals should be evaluated and re-evaluated to ensure that they take you one step closer to where you would like to go. Create your own white rabbit to follow, and ensure that others will want to follow it.
Great leadership results in great “follow-ship.” Set your mission and align it in the future without forgetting the purpose of your organization.
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