Nonprofit Kit For Dummies. Phillips Frances

of doing something about it.

      ❯❯ Easy to read: Your statement should be written in plain language so folks don’t need a set of footnotes to decipher it. Be sure to limit your use of adjectives and try to avoid jargon.

JARGON IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

      Jargon is a term for words that have specialized meaning within an industry or profession. When you’re communicating with colleagues, everyone knows the meaning of the specialized words you use. But when you’re writing for the general public – the people who are the target of your mission statement – you should use words that have a common meaning for everyone.

      For example, if you’re an educator, you’re probably familiar with the term scaffolding. In education, the word is used as shorthand to describe the process of using the skills a student already has to help him learn new skills. If you’re a housepainter, it means something entirely different.

      Think about the words you use to describe your mission and make sure everyone knows what they mean.

       Homing in on your purpose

      When thinking of your organization’s purpose, think of your desired end result. What would you like to see happen? What would the world (or your community) be like if your organization were to succeed?

      To say that you have to have a purpose seems almost too basic. Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Of course I have a purpose. Why do you think I bought this book? I want to start a nonprofit to [fill in the blank].” But we bring up this point because clarifying the purpose is basic to a mission statement. Why should your nonprofit exist?

      For example, you may know that you love cats and dogs and have always wanted to work with them, but that isn’t the same thing as identifying a nonprofit organization’s purpose. The mission statement for a fictitious humane society might be:

      Friends of Animals provides temporary shelter and medical care for homeless puppies, dogs, kittens, and cats until responsible, loving homes can be found.

      This sentence doesn’t describe the humane society’s facilities or how it recruits and trains volunteers, but it does clearly state which animals it serves and that it doesn’t intend to foster them as long as they live but rather to place them in good homes. And if someone came to Friends of Animals with a ferret, a pony, or a tarantula, its staff would know to refer that person to another shelter.

      

Knowing and understanding your organization’s purpose is essential to making important organizational decisions. It’s also a fundamental tool to use when asking for money, recruiting board members, hiring and motivating staff, and publicizing your activities.

       Specifying your beneficiaries

      If you’ve determined your purpose, you probably know the primary beneficiaries of your activities. Their needs – whether they’re kittens or refugees – make your mission compelling. Defining who will benefit from your nonprofit helps to focus your organizational activities and is an essential ingredient in your mission statement.