Developing and Implementing a Mission

A non-profit organization operates in order to achieve its mission, or reason for being, as defined by its board of directors. The organization’s activities should be consistent with its stated purpose. Non-profit board members, volunteers, and employees should act in the interest of achieving the organization’s mission at all times while adhering to the values of quality, openness, integrity, responsibility, and accountability.

 

Vision and Mission

 

Vision is based on a future state of being that the organization is striving to achieve; for example, “Everyone will have a home”. A vision statement is understood by everyone in the organization and forms the basis for all decision making. Mission is the way in which the vision is realized; it is the reason why the organization exists. For example, “To provide safe, affordable housing.”

 

Every level of the organization must understand and share a collective vision. As an organization adopts a vision, it may have to undergo drastic changes in structure, plans, or management style. If the new vision has been carefully considered and shared at all levels of the organization, it will stabilize the organization despite initial change.

 

Before (re-)writing values and a mission statement, the organization should evaluate: 

• Whether the mission needs to be modified to reflect current community needs;       
• Whether the organization’s current programs should be revised or discontinued;
• Whether new services need to be developed in light of the existing or newly defined mission.

In relation to its mission, the organization should have defined procedures in place for evaluating its goals, objectives, and outcomes both qualitatively and quantitatively. These procedures should address the efficiency and cost effectiveness of reaching goals, objectives, and outcomes.

 

Items to consider when developing a mission statement:

• What is the organization’s vision of its future?
• What will distinguish the organization from similar organizations?
• How do the organization’s values relate to its vision?
• What results and/or benefits can the members or clients of the organization expect?

 

Values

 

Values are the fundamental principles and beliefs that form the foundation of an organization. These principles guide the organization’s behaviours, services, and programs.

 

In its relationships, dealings, and transactions a non-profit organization should act with integrity, openness, respect, and honesty. Through these values the organization should strive to earn and convey trust. The non-profit organization should retain public trust through efficient cost effectiveness and stewardship of resources.

 

Some common values adopted by non-profit organizations are:

• Respect;
• Serving the expressed needs of members or clients;
• High quality programs or services;
• Exemplifying the qualities of integrity, trust and competence;
• Enhancing quality of life through humanitarian activities.

Sample Code of Behaviour

• We are honest and frank in our communications
• We respect the individual differences of people in our organization
• We support innovation, creativity and risk taking
• We share our failures and celebrate our successes
• We are fair and honest in our dealings
• Each of us carries our share of the workload
• We confront problems and issues openly and directly