Mission Statements are crucial for organizations because they unify the group, provide a concise explanation of the group’s principles for potential members, and ensure that the intended purpose of the group will continue after the founding members have moved on. An effective mission statement will also inspire members and officers to work towards that common goal in new and exciting ways.
Effective mission statements are collaborative efforts; they should reflect how everyone feels about the goals of the organization. Depending on the size and structure of your organization, you might want to have brainstorming and drafting sessions with all members, a committee, or the executive board of officers.
The first step in drafting a mission statement is brainstorming ideas about what your organization does. Here are some questions that will be helpful in getting the thoughts flowing:
- Why do you think a mission is important?
- Why do you think our community needs one?
- What is our relevance on campus?
- If we didn’t exist on campus, would anyone miss us?
- What role do we play?
- Once we agree on a basic purpose for our community, how will a mission statement guide our governing body?
Once everyone’s ideas are on paper, the group can start critically analyzing those ideas. Is one idea more concise than another? Are any ideas more goal-orientated than purpose-orientated? Is one central idea predominately represented? By looking at these ideas, the group should be able to see patterns that can translate into a general purpose.
Once the most appropriate ideas have been selected, you can begin drafting the mission statement. An effective mission statement does the following:
- Explains the basic purpose of the organization
- Are phrased in the present tense (what the group currently does, not what it would like to do)
- Describes why the organization exists
- Is concise and to the point; does not waste words
- Uses descriptive verbs
In order to be effective and inspirational, a mission statement needs to be approved by every member of the organization. It is not necessary for everyone to agree on the exact wording, but everyone must approve the meaning behind the statement.
Examples of effective mission statements:
“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” – Google
“The Jeremiah program, a broad-based collaborative community initiative, assists low-income mothers and their children to help themselves complete their education and achieve economic self-sufficiency through empowerment skills, access to affordable housing, child development services, health care, support services and meaningful employment…” – The Jeremiah Program (Non-Profit Organization)
“[mission statement from group on campus]” –
Once your organization has approved the mission statement, it can be used in all aspects of your organization: goal-setting, event-planning, decision-making, recruitment, etc. A copy of the mission statement can be prominently displayed at meetings to inspire participants and remind the group of its purpose.
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