Читать книгу Nonprofit Kit For Dummies - Stan Hutton, Beverly A. Browning - Страница 97

You’ve brainstormed, drafted, and refined a short mission statement and a longer vision statement that clearly identify your organization’s present and future focus. Congratulations! Now that you’ve put considerable thought and time into this exercise, what will you do with it?

You’ll use your mission statement in practical ways, of course. For instance, you’ll likely

 Incorporate its description of the organization’s purpose in your articles of incorporation (see Chapter 5)

 Add it to brochures, your website, and other marketing materials (see Chapter 13)

 Use it to help complete IRS Form 990 — the tax statement you file in one form or another every year (see Chapter 6)

You’ll also use your vision statement as a guiding written light to keep your eyes on the organization’s future. For instance, you’ll likely use it to

 Establish the ideal state that the leaders of your nonprofit organization want to achieve.

 Inspire and remind members where you’re going as an organization.

 Keep new and existing staff and volunteers focused on what’s ahead.

 Motivate yourself and others to work hard today to plant the seeds for tomorrow.

Your mission and vision statements also resemble the pin that holds the needle of a compass. You use them to chart your organization’s direction. Here are some examples:

 When you have to make a decision about creating new programs or setting priorities, your mission statement should guide you in whether they’re appropriate for your organization. Remember to ask aloud to your stakeholders: “Will this decision help us achieve our vision statement?”

 When your board and staff sit down to create a new three-year plan, they first need to revisit and commit to the mission statement (the present) and vision statement (the future). All other discussions about setting goals and refining programs should be tested for appropriateness against these statements.

 When you need to cut your budget and eliminate programs or activities, the mission statement should guide you to protect those programs that are core to your organization’s purpose and vision.