Notice how this vision statement reflects the cultural essence of the organization’s purpose and direction.
Asking “Where are we going?” and “Why?”
If your nonprofit organization is small and at this point has only a founder and two or three board members, you can simply convene that small group and ask, “Where are we going and why?” Here are three statements you’re likely to hear back in this first round of asking the same question over and over:
“We’re going to change the world!”
“We’re going to become the largest nonprofit in our state!”
“We’re going to be debt-free!”
Don’t criticize or belittle your stakeholders. Do you know how many people live for today, and think for today, and never set goals or create a vision for the future? We would have to say that, likely, millions have fallen short of seeing themselves or their nonprofit organizations as sustainable for many years to come. This fear is a common one for new nonprofit founders. Their dreams start out with huge, grandiose ideas — only to have each one of them fizzle at the starting gate. Why? Lack of money, lack of planning, lack of foresight, and lack of appropriate stakeholders at the table on day one of forming their nonprofit organizations. This is why it’s important to invite the right people to join your board and lead the organization from a flatline status to a soaring status.
A MISSION LOST IN TRANSITION
You know when you hear about a new nonprofit starting up and you look for their website to find out what they do, you become lost in trying to figure what they actually do. Their extra-long mission statement is lost in transition — it’s rambling and unclear.
Here’s an example of a rambling vision statement from the Good Food Society:
In the future, the Good Food Society is well known throughout the region as a fledging nonprofit that grew to gigantic proportions and increased its service population from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. Our work was recognized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. We changed the eating habits of unhealthy world populations by introducing them to good food choices. Our organization is at the forefront of the worldwide health-and-wellness movement. We accomplished our goals, fulfilled our mission, and created a path for other health-and-wellness organizations to follow and replicate. We are the best of the best!
Okay, what’s wrong with this vision statement example? Almost everything.
| Vision Statement Checklist | |
| A projection of where your nonprofit organization will be in five years? | No: No year is specified. |
| Written in the future tense? | No: The words in bold font are in the past tense. |
| Directional? | No: The only direction here is backward thinking. |
| Audacious or bold? | Yes: Stating that “we are the best of the best” is a bold but questionable statement. (The “best of the best” at what?) |
Here’s the revised vision statement for the Good Food Society:
By 2026, the Good Food Society will be well known throughout the world. Our work will be recognized by the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We will change the eating habits of an unhealthy world population by introducing them to good food choices. Our organization will be at the forefront of the worldwide health-and-wellness movement. We will accomplish our goals, fulfill our mission, and create a path for other health-and-wellness organizations to follow and replicate. We will be the best of the best in changing eating habits and restoring health by way of better food choices.
Can you see the difference between the first and second vision statements? The revised statement may not be perfect, but it incorporates the organization’s values, its long-term goals, its targeted beneficiaries, and a general method of accomplishing the goals — all the ingredients of an effective vision statement.
Inviting Stakeholders to the Planning Table
Who are the stakeholders who should be at the planning table for your mission and vision statements? Well, consider who has a vested interest in the creation of your nonprofit organization and its ability to be successful in the community.
Governing board members: The reason we urge you to form your governing board during the incorporation process is that those folks need to be involved in every step of your nonprofit organization’s start-up process — including helping to craft the mission and vision statements.
Staff: If you bring on staff members early on, via donations or other monetary support, include them in development meetings for the mission and vision statements. The greatest way to attract buy-in to everything about the organization is to invite to the table for inclusion the people who have to carry out the mission and vision.
Volunteers: Embracing diversity begins with identifying volunteers who have stepped up when you had nothing except a dream. These are the dedicated group of individuals who asked how they could help and then rolled up their sleeves to help raise seed funding by manning yard sale tables and county fair exhibit booths. In all types of weather, these folks stood strong in handing out pamphlets and fliers to hundreds of attendees. Yes, bring them to the planning table. Solicit their input! Show them how much you trust their thoughts and service!
Community partners: Identify the organizations that opened their doors to you when you were asking for ideas about gaps in services. Remember the executive directors of the nonprofits who stepped up and offered meeting space, office supplies, copies of policies and procedures, and more. Yes, ask them to come to the planning table and participate in developing your mission and vision statements.
Representatives from the target population you plan to serve: How do you know about a need for your services in the community? Have you spoken to any of your targeted clients or organizations who already serve similar target populations?
Encouraging and embracing stakeholder input
Whether you’re working with a newly formed nonprofit or a long-running institution, everyone in your stakeholder’s group needs to agree on the mission and vision statements. We recommend holding a meeting to solicit their input. The biggest advantage to this kind of group activity is achieving full buy-in from everyone involved. After all, you want people to believe in and accept the organization’s mission and vision statements. If they don’t, they likely won’t stick around to help uphold that mission and help you achieve your long-term vision statement (or they won’t do a good job of upholding it while they’re there).
