Your mission statement is the core of your organization – it's your ultimate guiding principle. If you’re stuck on how to start, we've compiled 17 of the best nonprofit mission statements to help you write one that captures the heart of what you do and why you do it.
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In the nonprofit world, very little is more important than crafting a compelling mission statement.
A great mission statement provides ethical and strategic guidance, rallies your staff and donors around a common goal, and clarifies your operations.
Here are 17 of the best nonprofit mission statements to help you create a persuasive mission statement.
Plus, we’ll share our free Mission and Vision Statement Worksheet to help you craft!
We face the extinction of one million species in our lifetimes. But there is still hope. The solution to the extinction crisis lies in the expansion of natural habitats in threatened wild places. We must enlarge and protect the spaces devoted to the natural world in order to save the amazing variety of life on our planet – called biodiversity.
Like many nonprofit organizations, Wild Tomorrow Fund combines its mission and vision statements into one on its website.
While separating the vision and mission statements usually brings more clarity, Wild Tomorrow Fund managed to combine them in a natural and smooth way.
Their vision is one of a world in which wildlife habitats are expanded and protected, and where existing reserves have the resources needed to keep their animals safe.
Although the video on their “mission” page talks about the “how” in a detailed manner, we strongly believe that including it within the statement makes it even more powerful. After all, watching a video is time-consuming. A compact mission statement is one that has the following elements in it:
Our mission is to ____(what)_____ for ___(who)______ by ___(how)______.”
Our mission is to improve the lives of refugees and the efficiency of humanitarian services by eliminating language barriers.
Their mission statement is short and sweet and follows the best mission statement writing practices. It’s clear what they’re aiming to do (improve lives and efficiency of humanitarian services), who they’re serving (refugees), and how they’re doing it (eliminating language barriers).
This mission statement is pretty good as it is. Maybe it would be helpful to understand better what particular language barriers they’re referring to, but ultimately this is a solid mission statement.
To transform the health and well-being of people in the world’s most impoverished communities through providing access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education.
The ultimate goal/desired impact is very clear: providing access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education for impoverished communities.
This mission statement is also concise, which is usually good when it comes to nonprofit mission statements.
Planet Water Foundation’s mission statement is quite impactful as is. It is concise while still communicating whom they serve, how they do what they do, and what the desired result is.
Perhaps they could improve it further by elaborating on which impoverished communities they focus on and how they provide access.
The “About Us” section of their website provides more information on who they support and how they do it. Still, this mission statement could be even more impactful if it was more specific.
BluePath provides autism service dogs, offering safety, companionship, and opportunities for independence.
BluePath has done a great job with this statement. This clearly illustrates why this work is being done, what they offer, and who they serve.
This is a very solid mission statement. One addition that might help is understanding how they provide service dogs. They have a special breeding program that allows them to serve more people over time.
Everyone for Veterans empowers veterans to lead healthy and fulfilled lives by providing them with resources, support, and comprehensive dental care.
This moving statement clearly illustrates their purpose and provides a detailed look at what Everyone for Veterans provides. Stating their services lead to “healthy and fulfilled lives” moves donors and volunteers to get involved.
Additional detail about the resources and services provided would paint a more complete picture of their activities. We love how specific “comprehensive dental care” is, and it would be great if the other two pieces of their mission were as descriptive.
For instance, what kind of support is offered? Financial support, emotional support, or community support? Getting specific here would better demonstrate the impact of this important organization.
To provide medicines and health supplies to those in need around the world so they might experience life to the fullest. MAP serves all people, regardless of religion, gender, race, nationality, or ethnic background.
This mission statement is short and sweet. It gives some clarity as to the organization’s main work: providing medicine and health supplies to all.
“Experiencing life to the fullest” seems a bit out of place in a mission statement, given its vagueness.
Our mission is to meet the basic needs of infants and young children whose families are in crisis. Every family in our community facing hardships receives immediate help because a child in need cannot wait.
Emergency Infant Services’ (EIS) mission statement hits the sweet spot between being to the point while also moving the reader.
Their goal and desired impact are very clearly stated (to meet the basic needs of infants and young children whose families are in crisis). We also love that they used the words “basic,” “immediate,” and “hardships” to add a sense of urgency to their cause.
We’d love to better understand how they help these individuals receive immediate help. While their services page does elaborate on the solutions they provide, it would be good to add some of this into their mission statement to make it clearer and more impactful.
Code for America works shoulder to shoulder with community organizations and government to build digital tools and services, change policies, and improve programs.
1. Partnership
We partner with government and community organizations with access to the resources and digital talent that can meaningfully impact some of the world’s toughest societal challenges.2. Empowerment
We create change that empowers government and community organizations with the tools and skills to change people’s lives, especially those most in need.3. Transformation
We connect and convene people from inside and outside government, and from all over the world to inspire each other, share successes, learn, build, and transform government systems.
The first sentence serves as an effective stand-alone mission statement. Even if it was read on its own, it would be clear enough: Code for America works shoulder to shoulder with community organizations and government (how) to build digital tools and services, change policies, and improve programs (what and who).
They also expand on that mission statement to add more detail for those interested in learning more.
Code for America does a great job with its “vision, mission, values, and operating principles” page. These are all clearly distinguished one from another, and even include short explanations for their audience (i.e. “Our vision: The world as we’d like to see it” and “Our mission: How we intend to make our vision real”).
They use an even shorter mission statement on their homepage (We’ve been working for more than a decade with governments and communities across the country to break down barriers and find real solutions).
The three statements following their main mission statement are at times vague. They could be more specific, seeing that they’re an elaboration of the main mission statement.
MISSION exists to inspire everyone who has stared down cancer to live a fuller life, with newfound strength and purpose.
There are no limits.
#FindYourMission
The use of compelling words (inspire, fuller, stare down, strength, purpose) inspires and evokes emotion. We especially appreciate this since nonprofit mission statements can sometimes sound “too cold” or “professional.”
MISSION also includes a tagline and a hashtag in its mission statement section. We haven’t seen much of this in the nonprofit sector, and we’re wondering if it could prove to be a best practice for inviting more engagement.
It’s not clear how MISSION inspires everyone who has stared down cancer to live a fuller life, with newfound strength and purpose. Including a clear “how” could take this mission statement to a whole new level!
We would love to see more about MISSION’s values, purpose, and vision on this page too!
QuestBridge connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with a thriving community and transformative educational, career, and life opportunities that help propel them to lives of fulfillment, meaning, and purpose.
This mission statement is very comprehensive. It leaves almost no questions unanswered.
We have an unambiguous understanding of who QuestBridge’s clients/beneficiaries are, what they’re hoping to accomplish, and a big part of how they do it.
There isn’t much we would add to this! It clearly communicates who they are helping (high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds), what they are doing to help them (by connecting them with a thriving community and opportunities) and why they are doing it (to propel them to fulfill and achieve their purpose in life).
One Degree empowers people to build healthy and fulfilling lives through equity-centered technology and deep community partnerships.
It’s succinct and clear, with the “how” and “who” clearly addressed. There’s a lot of compelling, emotional language like “empowers,” “fulfilling,” and “equity-centered.”
We’d love to learn more about how One Degree uses equity-centered technology to empower people. A few more specifics here would help clarify exactly what their mission is and how it functions.
To be fair, One Degree has an entire page dedicated to their Theory of Change, but we believe some of it could be included in their mission statement for a more immediate understanding of their work.
To ensure that all children in the UK receive specialist support to become healthy adults who lead complete and fulfilling lives. To provide and share inspiration and best practice with other providers across the education, health and private sectors. To develop and protect the brand, to protect the quality of the model and to take initiatives (including commercial initiatives) to raise funds.
This mission statement clearly indicates who Kids Inspire serves, how it serves them, and what it envisions, combining its mission and vision statement effectively.
While this mission gives great detail into who Kids Inspire serves and how they serve them, we think this would be even stronger if it was more concise and easy to remember. It would be easy to condense this mission statement without losing key information.
The Rare Cancer Research Foundation is dedicated to curing rare cancers through strategic investments and innovative collaborations that facilitate effective research and accelerate the deployment of promising therapies.
The desired impact/goal is crystal clear: curing rare cancers. This statement tells us clearly when the “mission” will be accomplished.
And “curing” sounds much more impactful than “reducing rates.” “Reducing rates” is certainly more achievable, but “curing” is definitely more inspirational.
It’s also very clear how The Rare Cancer Research Foundation is working to reach that goal.
This mission statement is quite hard to remember and difficult to take in all at once, with lots of adjectives sprinkled in. It might benefit from being simplified and shortened, using words that are easier to remember.
We support and empower victim-survivors and strive to prevent sexual violence through education, advocacy, and community action.
Talk about being crisp! We get PAVE and what they’re doing when reading this mission statement. Using words like “empower” and “strive” is great, as they inspire the reader.
The brevity is impactful. It’s also memorable. Anyone could remember this mission statement and tell others about it.
There isn’t much to say here! PAVE’s mission statement includes “who” they support and “how” – although it could be a bit more specific about “how” they strive to support victim-survivors. In all fairness, their homepage does have a section that explains how they are “effecting change,” as shown below.
Our mission is to provide metabolic oncology nutrition and food security to support the health and wellness of low-income seniors and other individuals with cancer or chronic illness.
A solid mission statement! We know who Organic Soup Kitchen seeks to work with, what they want to address, and how they do it.
A key part of what they do (production and delivery of nourishing, healthy soups) is not evident in their mission statement.
The key question left unanswered is, “How do they address food insecurity?”
Muso works to create a cure for delay because no one should die waiting for health care.
Muso’s mission statement is memorable and to the point, with a compelling premise.
We’d love to hear how! And who is Muso serving?
We can learn that when we visit this page detailing their model, but it would be great to bring some of this to the mission statement.
Project Ropa is a Los Angeles based nonprofit and certified social enterprise on a mission to reduce waste and restore dignity to those in need by providing clothing and hygiene essentials.
We love that they share their location with their mission! This is so important for location-specific organizations like Project Ropa. This statement also excels at sharing the two main mission focuses and how this organization will get there.
We don’t have much to suggest! This is a thorough statement. One area they might expand is to describe how they plan to reduce waste.
Mission and vision statements capture the essence of your nonprofit organization.
Sometimes, a nonprofit mission statement, vision statement, values, and goals can easily get mixed up.
Let’s explore how they’re different.
Your vision is the future you intend to create. It’s how you’re going to change the world.
Essentially, your vision is the destination.
A good vision statement answers the following questions:
Vision statements are usually prefaced with the phrases, “A world where…” or “We exist so that…”
Your mission is the journey towards your vision. It’s your core work.
A good mission statement answers the following questions:
In other words, your mission is a short, direct, and compelling way to state your theory of change or the core strategy for your organization.
It provides a link between your everyday goals and activities and what you hope to achieve in the long term.
A mission statement should be more tangible than a vision statement, have a shorter lifespan, and evolve more frequently.
Your values are the guiding principles for which you stand. They are the ideals you refuse to compromise as you conduct your mission in pursuit of your vision.
Nonprofit organizational values are the highest values that guide your organization’s actions, unite your employees, and define your brand.
They are ideally set as part of strategic planning when an organization is just being set up (alongside mission and vision statements).
Your goals are the handful of achievements towards which you will work over the next one to five years (you choose the timeframe).
Often, they are outlined in your business plan. They’re essential planning tools, as they provide the focus for your efforts and you can use them to measure results.
Set specific, realistic goals for your organization that will help you improve, grow, and accomplish your mission.
For a more in-depth look at how to write an awesome nonprofit mission statement, check out this blog post. In it, we share a five-step exercise to help you get started!
Let’s review a few essential tips to create a great mission statement.
Sometimes, nonprofits make their mission statements complex, but sometimes short and sweet really is the key.
Your mission statement is your nonprofit distilled to its essence. It’s like an elevator pitch: concise but comprehensive enough to be understood, and intriguing enough for readers to want to learn more.
The best and most compelling mission statements out there are crystal clear and concise.
Ideally, your nonprofit mission statement should answer the following:
Great mission statements also:
Feeling stuck? Organize all of your ideas with this comprehensive workbook.
Your mission is what you’re here for. It’s likely the reason why your team is there too, and why your supporters donate. Crafting the best possible mission statement is crucial for capturing why you do what you do!
Don’t forget that a great mission statement encapsulates why your nonprofit exists, who it serves, and how it serves them. It needs to be clear, concise, and compelling.
Consider designing your mission and vision page in a way that draws visitors in and makes it both easy and interesting to learn more about your work. Use photos and videos to tell your viewers the story of your nonprofit and add color to your mission statement.
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Raviraj heads the sales and marketing team at Donorbox. His growth-hacking abilities have helped Donorbox boost fundraising efforts for thousands of nonprofit organizations.
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