A compelling mission statement is essential for every nonprofit to clearly communicate its purpose, guide strategy, and inspire supporters. This comprehensive guide provides tips and examples for writing powerful nonprofit mission and vision statements.
Follow our strategies to craft inspiring mission statements that resonate with donors, volunteers, and the communities you serve.
An effective nonprofit mission statement concisely conveys:
Let's explore examples that illustrate these elements.
Study these real nonprofit mission statements examples that incorporate key messaging best practices:
"We're on a mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to every person in the world."
This perfectly sums up both the purpose (bring clean water) and target (every person) in one succinct, inspiring sentence.
"Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope."
Habitat conveys its values (God's love), work (bring people together to build), and purpose (provide homes and hope) powerfully.
"The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors."
This mission explains the cause (reduce suffering), method (volunteers and donors), and situations addressed (emergencies).
"Save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer."
The statement outlines two-part mission (meet needs, fund research) focused specifically on breast cancer victims.
"Expand educational opportunity for all children by developing a diverse cadre of outstanding future leaders committed to the pursuit of equity."
The focus on developing leaders commits to addressing education inequity at its root.
Let's break down exactly what makes these sample mission statements compelling using a template.
When writing mission statements, include:
Nonprofit Name
Mission statement conveying:
Follow this formula to ensure you incorporate all elements.
Alongside your mission statement, a vision statement communicates the ideal future state your nonprofit is working to create.
An effective vision statement paints a vivid picture of the future world your organization envisions, giving supporters a goal to rally behind.
Let's look at examples.
Wikimedia Foundation Vision: "Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge."
American Heart Association Vision: "To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives."
Boys and Girls Club Vision: “Provide a world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who walks through our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.”
These inspire people to imagine the better world the nonprofit aims to create. Use bold, vivid language that rally supporters around your cause.
Now that we’ve explored strong examples, apply these best practices when writing or revising your nonprofit’s mission and vision:
Keep them concise - Restrict yourself to 1-3 sentences maximum. Verbose missions lose impact.
Inspire others - Use vivid language that motivates people to support your cause.
Explain the “Why” - Help people grasp the urgent need or issue addressed.
Convey values - Share principles guiding your work to build trust.
Define goals - State what ultimate outcomes you are working to achieve.
Be specific - Go beyond generic statements by defining the who, what, and where.
Set boundaries - If needed, explain causes or groups you don’t serve.
Avoid jargon - Use simple terms anyone could understand.
Review often - Revisit statements at least annually to keep your mission focused.
Clear, inspiring mission statements unite volunteers, guide strategy, and attract donors. Use our tips and nonprofit examples to craft yours.
Here are answers to common nonprofit mission statement questions:
Ideally 2-3 sentences or 25 words maximum. The mission should be easy to quickly comprehend.
The mission statement typically comes first explaining the organization's purpose. The vision then outlines the desired future state.
No, some organizations opt to just have a mission statement. But paired together they provide added clarity.
Engage staff, board members, donors, partners, and even clients to get broad input on accurately capturing your mission.
At minimum, review both annually to confirm they still accurately reflect your purpose or if wording updates are needed.
Get focused by clearly articulating your nonprofit’s reason for being and the better future you envision. Our guide and examples make the process easy. Align your organization around an inspiring North Star!