What is an organization's Purpose, Vision and Mission?

The most foundational language for guiding your impact

Why does your team get out of bed in the morning to be a part of your nonprofit or civic organization? What motivates donors, friends and community members to support you and not someone else? What gives your organization’s work meaning? That would be purpose.

Defining your nonprofit's purpose: the "why"

A?purpose statement?is your “why.” With a 100-year expiration date, your organization's purpose clarifies why your organization exists beyond financial gain or prestige. It digs into what you collectively believe in and are resolved to accomplish together. It is the lofty but still accessible dream that keeps your team excited to do the work and makes it compelling for others to talk about and partner with you.

What does your purpose influence? The answer is “everything,” but it can be uniquely motivating for internal culture and generally leads the rest of your core messaging. This statement will likely feel general, high-level and emotionally charged.

Take a look at Nike’s:

Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.?

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.

For those of us who are more literal, direct thinkers, a purpose statement can feel fluffy. The reason Nike’s purpose works—and why many social impact companies’ purpose statements fall flat—is because they reinforce it with action. They follow through, from their inspirational and inclusive marketing campaigns to their Houses of Innovation around the world. The more you commit to your purpose and weave it into your work, the stronger it becomes.

For a great example of a nonprofit purpose statement, look no further than Feeding America’s:?

A hunger-free America.

It’s clear. It’s direct. It is so simple, it is only four words long. It may be broad, but it is easy to see how this propels their work. They don’t merely want to reduce hunger. They exist to eliminate it in the US. This purpose statement makes it easy to take action and measure their impact at every level.

Illustrating your vision: the "what does it look like"

Picture this: it’s fifty or so years in the future. Your organization has seen its highs and lows, but the team has come out stronger for it every time. You have a thriving culture and people trip over themselves to work for you. Your impact on your community is significant. You can confidently say you have changed the world for the better. You have fulfilled that all-important purpose. So… what does that actually look like?

There’s a reason that a?vision statement?can be one of the hardest pieces to get right. Your vision illustrates the impact you’re attempting to make in the world. It speaks to what the world looks, feels and acts like when you’ve done the work you exist to do successfully. If you’re not used to thinking visually, or you’re rooted in the day-to-day and less so in those future goals, the vision can even seem unnecessary. When done right, though, a great vision statement is unmatched in its power.

Where purpose points you in a specific direction, vision is the light at the end of the tunnel. It is the end goal that can inspire you even in the hardest moments. Purpose answers the question, “Why do I get out of bed in the morning?” Vision answers the question, “What is this all for?”

One powerful example comes from Habitat for Humanity:

A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Once again, it is broad. It doesn’t necessarily pinpoint a direction—there’s no mention of building structures. Instead, it describes what the world will look like if they achieve their purpose. This vision doesn’t directly tell the team why they show up or what they functionally do; it tells them what they are working towards together. Again, this piece can feel nebulous, but it’s hard to have a successful journey without a destination in mind. That’s the value of a vision statement.

Mapping your mission: the "how"

A?mission statement?is probably the piece you are most familiar with. Even the smallest organizations tend to have a solid mission in mind, though not all mission statements are created equal.

Where purpose and vision answer the “why” and “what for,” your mission defines “how.” Consider your mission a roadmap for achieving your greater vision and staying true to your purpose. Your mission can have a shorter-term view of your organization—in the ballpark of 3 to 10 years—meaning it is more likely to change over time.

Though a good mission statement is clearer and more direct than your purpose or vision, it is still aspirational and shouldn’t cover all the nitty-gritty details. That’s a highly common mistake that can lead to teams feeling limited and audiences left out. Your mission statement should define what you, uniquely, can do to fulfill the ambitious goals you set. It should be clear what industry or cause you care about and serve as a helpful framework.

Since Feeding America’s purpose is “a hunger-free America,” their mission explains how they accomplish this:

“Our mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and to engage our country in the fight to end hunger.”

It’s specific: they have food banks nationwide. Yet, it leaves room for growth by saying “engage our country in the fight.” Engaging the country is vague on purpose. It encompasses a lot of the work they do besides just running food banks: they conduct research to gather the facts and data on hunger, they do advocacy work at the federal level, they create blog content and much more.

A good mission statement should be simple enough that it rolls off the tongue, recognizable to avoid confusion, clear in its actions yet aspirational in feeling. When it works, it provides key balance to the purpose and vision by rooting your organization’s future in your present-day behaviors.

Purpose, vision and mission combined

These three pieces are central to a nonprofit's core messaging and are what lend you credibility to an audience, assist your strategic planning and keep you in alignment with the change you wish to see in your world.

Going through the process of drafting or refreshing core messaging can provide some much-needed clarity to your entire organization. Even if your purpose is so close to home that it’s more felt than spoken or written, crafting words to describe the heart of your organization can change your work for the better. It provides a baseline level of confidence and meaning at work, whether they started the team or joined five minutes ago. Most of all, it keeps you close to the “why” of your organization—and reminds you why it matters.

Black Sheep has been crafting social impact-focused core messaging for years. We can help you evaluate how you currently position your work and support you as you refresh and activate. Interested? Check us out.