Nonprofit Mission Statements: How to Write One (with Examples!)

Nonprofit mission statements are concise and clear declarations that define an organization’s purpose, values, and goals.

While they’re often found on marketing materials, they also serve to guide the nonprofit’s activities and mission, helping to shape the identity of the nonprofit as a whole.  

Why are nonprofit mission statements important?

Mission statements are often seen as an afterthought and a simple tagline to include on a nonprofit’s website or pamphlets. But nonprofit mission statements actually have a lot more importance and purpose than that.

A nonprofit mission statement serves to:

Provide clarity around the organization’s purpose: A well-defined mission statement serves as a guiding compass for the organization’s activities.

 Offer details about strategic direction: Mission statements help inform goals, objectives, and action plans.

Creates unity: A clear and compelling mission statement helps align the organization’s stakeholders around a shared vision and purpose.

Helps measure impact: The mission statement establishes the intended impact or outcomes the nonprofit seeks to achieve and is a reference point for measuring the organization’s success.

Create differentiation and identity: A unique and well-crafted mission statement sets a nonprofit apart from others working in the same field or addressing similar issues.

Foster engagement: A meaningful mission statement can be a source of motivation and inspiration for staff and volunteers. 

Showcase your mission statement with digital annual and impact reports  →

By defining and communicating their mission clearly, nonprofits can maximize their impact, build stronger relationships with supporters, and effectively work towards creating positive change in the communities they serve.

What’s the difference between a mission and a vision statement?

Mission statements and vision statements are often thought of as the same thing. However, they are uniquely different.

Mission Statement

The mission statement serves as a guiding compass for the organization’s current day-to-day operations and decision-making. It helps stakeholders understand the organization’s core objectives and the value it brings to its beneficiaries and the community.

Example: “Our mission is to provide access to quality education for underprivileged children in our community, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their full potential.”

Vision Statement

The vision statement typically reflects the organization’s long-term goals and aspirations, spanning several years or even decades into the future.

Example:“Our vision is to create a world where every child has access to quality education, where potential is nurtured, and dreams know no bounds.”

Though each is different, neither is less important than the other — together, these two statements provide a comprehensive framework for a nonprofit organization to succeed. 

  Both vision and mission statements are perfect digital report themes →

What makes a good nonprofit mission statement?

Crafting an effective nonprofit mission statement involves careful consideration. All great nonprofit mission statements should be:

Clear and concise: Mission statements should be understood by everyone and are ideally one or two sentences.

Purposeful and specific: The mission statement should clearly state the nonprofit’s primary mission.

Inspiring: A good mission statement inspires action through emotional language and strong verbs.

Outcome-focused: Craft your mission statement around your impact, not your work.

Value-aligned: The mission statement should reinforce the nonprofit’s core guiding principles.

Unique: A compelling mission statement sets the nonprofit apart from others.

Inclusive: A good mission statement engages all stakeholders, no matter who they are.

Relevant: The mission statement should be relevant to the current needs of the community the nonprofit serves. 

A great nonprofit mission statement should also be revisited periodically to ensure its ongoing relevance and alignment with the organization’s evolving goals and impact. 

What to avoid in your mission statement

  Jargon: In order to create a great nonprofit mission statement, be sure to avoid over-complex wording or industry jargon. Your mission statement will be read by the masses, so it’s important that everyone — no matter who they are — understands your goals. In fact, a mission statement should be written at a 6th-grade reading level (or even a 5th-grade reading level!).

Nonprofit-focused language: To inspire action and engage stakeholders, be sure to use language that focuses on the impact of a nonprofit’s activities, not the activities themselves.

  Vague language: When creating your nonprofit mission statement, avoid using generic, vague language which doesn’t serve to define your organization’s activities or goals.

  Setting unrealistic goals: While a nonprofit mission statement doesn’t need to include specific measurements (and probably shouldn’t!), it should be somewhat measurable. Instead of casting a wide net (“We’re aiming to end poverty forever”), be a bit specific (“Our goal is to end poverty in Rhode Island“).

  Cliches: Getting caught up in platitudes or overused cliches is easy. But it’s important to make sure that your nonprofit mission statement doesn’t include either of these things. To stand out in the industry, and build an authentic connection with stakeholders, create a mission statement that’s unique and one-of-a-kind. 

How to write a great nonprofit mission statement

Now that we understand what makes a great mission statement and what to avoid in one, let’s get down to the step-by-step guide to creating one.

1. Enlist the right stakeholders

A nonprofit mission statement should never be written alone. Gather the right people — volunteers, board members, donors, community partners, etc.— to offer thoughtful perspectives on your mission statement. By including diverse opinions, you’ll ensure that your mission statement accurately reflects all the people that your nonprofit interacts with and serves.

2. Consider your goals and objectives 

Before diving into the writing process, consider what your organization’s core goals are. To do so, try answering these questions to help get you on the right path:

• What’s our primary objective?
• Who do we help, and why?
• How are our goals different than other nonprofits?
• Why are our goals the ones we have?

3. Identify your audience

While your nonprofit mission statement should be engaging to a wide variety of audiences, it’s always helpful to craft your mission statement with a few demographics in mind, so you can ensure that your statement resonates. To help you determine your audience, consider questions like 

• Who are our major donors?
• Who are our most active volunteers?
• How old are our supporters? Where do they live? What do they care about?
• Who are our beneficiaries?

Speak to the right audience — no matter where they are — with nonprofit digital reports →

4. Consider your values

Every nonprofit organization has different core values. When incorporating your values into your mission statement, consider questions like:

• What message are we trying to convey about our organization?
• What do we want me to know that we stand for?
• How do our values compare to our commitment?
• Why do our values matter?

5. Say it out loud

Though this step sounds a bit silly, it’s very important. It’s easy to write down a mission statement, but another thing to speak about is loud in front of stakeholders. Practice saying your mission statement to friends and family members and assess how it resonates with you and your audience in real time. Then ask yourself:

• Does this feel true to who we are as an organization?
• Did I physically have trouble saying the words (is it overcomplicated)?
• How do other people react to the statement when I say it out loud?

6. Get feedback

In order for a nonprofit mission statement to be successful, it has to resonate with your audience. The only way to assess whether a mission statement is successfully engaging, accurately reflective of your organization, and compelling, ask for feedback and test it. This might include:

• Creating a focus group of key stakeholders that you trust to give you feedback and constructive criticism of the mission statement.
• Posting your mission statement on your website or including it in marketing materials to assess how people react to it.

7. Revise and repeat ️

The work of crafting a mission statement is virtually never over (unfortunately). As your nonprofit grows and evolves, and as the issues you’re trying to solve evolve too, it’s important to revise your mission statement as appropriate. Revisit and revise it to match who your organization is and who you currently serve.

What is an example of a nonprofit mission statement?

Need a bit more inspiration to craft your mission statement? Here are the top ten nonprofit mission statement examples and why we love them.

Feeding America

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

  Why it’s great: Feeding America’s mission statement is specific and compelling at the same time, plus it’s measurable, making their stakeholders feel encouraged to participate and confident about their goals.

UNICEF

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.”

 What it’s great: This nonprofit mission statement is bold, confident, and emotional at the same time, inspiring hope and action in readers.

Habitat for Humanity

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.”

 Why it’s great: Clear and precise, Habitat for Humanity doesn’t include any bells and whistles in their mission statement. Plus, it’s free of jargon or abstract language.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.”

 Why it’s great: WWF’s statement is one of the best because it’s incredibly relevant. “Pressing threats” are always changing, so this mission statement will stand the test of time.

Check our WWF’s mission statement in action in their annual report, built with Yearly →

Save the Children

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to give every child the best chance for a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life.”

 Why it’s great: This nonprofit mission statement is universal in its goals. Almost anyone — no matter who they are — would agree that children deserve happy, healthy lives, which gives this statement mass appeal.

Doctors Without Borders

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to provide medical care where it’s needed most, independent of race, religion, or politics.”

 Why it’s great: DWB’s inclusive language is perfect for appealing to all people, no matter who they are. It’s a unifying message that doesn’t exclude any group or individual.

American Red Cross

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

 Why it’s great: The Red Cross includes both mentions of their donors and volunteers in their mission statement which serves to show appreciation and gratitude.

Oxfam

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to tackle the root causes of poverty and create lasting solutions.”

 Why it’s great: Sweet, simple, and concise, this nonprofit mission statement is easy to understand and isn’t too clunky.

The Nature Conservancy

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.”

 Why it’s great: The inclusion of “on which all life depends” makes this nonprofit mission statement universal in its appeal and emotionally inspiring.

Amnesty International

 Mission statement: “Our mission is to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.”

 Why it’s great: Amnesty’s mission statement is as specific as it gets! In order to accurately depict their organization, this mission statement includes several aspects of their work.

Put your mission statement into action with Yearly

Regardless of your organization’s mission, digital reports are a great way to showcase your organization’s mission statement, goals, and impact with supporters. By using a digital report builder like Yearly, nonprofits can choose from several templates, use drag-and-drop editing to really impress donors, and receive more funding than ever before.

Create impact reports, endowment reports, and even personalized donor reports to spread the word about your mission.

 To get started, sign up for a free 14-day trial →

Josh Kligman is the CEO of Yearly, a platform for nonprofits to create their own digital reports. Josh has been working with nonprofits on annual reports, brands, and partnerships since 2011. He is helping nonprofits create more engaging, digital annual and impact reports with Yearly. Throughout his career, Josh has helped launch and run nonprofit brand campaigns and media partnerships nationally and locally, using television, radio, and the web to amplify the reach of campaigns and provide demonstrated value for nonprofit stakeholders. Josh received his B.A. from American University in Communications and his M.B.A. from American University in Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship.