A tractor can be used to pull or push something. It is a mighty piece of equipment. For your organization, your MISSION is your tractor pushing your organization to be all it can be and reach its worthy goals. Your tractor may be pushing food to hungry members of your community, providing clean water to third-world-nations, or giving teddy bears to children in hospitals.
A robust mission ties together your reason for existing, the qualities that make your non-profit different from others, and your fundraising purpose. These things united build the foundation of your efforts to reach your mission.
Set Your Purpose
Why do you exist? What good will you do for others? Who are the recipients of your goodness? Let people know your purpose so they can get behind it and donate to its mission. Individuals who believe in your mission will contribute to your fundraising goals.
Share your Success
As your organization works its magic and marches toward its mission, display your successes and outcomes of your projects. People like to see where their donations go and what they do for others.
You can show the impact of contributions in a few ways:
Statistically measure your successes; put them into numbers. For example, “This past year we placed 40% more service dogs with veterans than we did last year”. “The $35,000 from the auction fundraiser provided enough shoes for 12 thousand children in the southwest section of the state.”
Today’s nonprofit organizations are using project success to create performance bonuses for staff.
Publish an email that presents data and measurements of the effects of your projects.
Let donors, including corporations and foundations, know the impact of your activities.
Stakeholders are considering financial statistics when they evaluate the worthiness of your organization and its progress in achieving its mission.
Mission Statements with a Bang
It is nice to have a mission statement that states your organization’s goals and aspirations. These things are part of a common mission statement. However, to really rally your supporters you need to add pizzazz to your mission statement. You do not want just a “common” mission statement.
Here are some points to strengthen your mission statement:
Be powerful and to the point: Use a variety of sentence lengths. Be precise. Describe your unique mission and its activities. Do not let details muddy the information.
Address a need. Talk to people’s hearts.
Express why your organization is the best at doing what it does and that it fills a need in the world. Mentioning needy children, veterans’ services, impoverished neighbors, hungry people in third-world countries -- helping ease the pain of these conditions and similar situations differentiates your organization.
Express how there would be a void in the world/community if your organization did not exist.
Convey how your organization differs from other organizations in your sector.
State how important donor dollars are and what these funds support.
Make the mission statement memorable -- be unique and indelible, simple and clear.
When you properly craft your mission statement, it will impact and influence others. Benefactors will rally to your cause and support your charity. Tell who you are and show where your dollars go. Your mission statement should be consistent between your written mission statement, 990, website, and any external literature on the organization. This makes sure that you telling the same story to everyone.
And, don’t worry if your mission statement needs a little tweaking. It is okay to revise or rewrite. Polishing your tractor may make it run stronger, bolder, and on high-octane!
If you have questions about your mission statement, get in touch with our blog. We have ideas to share and solutions to management and organizational questions. If you have questions about any other not-for-profit industry topics, contact our not-for-profit team leader at trent@tbfosteraccounting.com.
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