Ladder small Henry David Thoreau was spot on: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

When I work alongside social sector organizations, this is where I start. For me, the foundation of any organization – nonprofit or for-profit – is its vision, mission and values. You can tell a lot about an organization when you read or experience these three fundamental statements.

We lovingly call these the “holy trinity” because they should drive everything from grant writing and strategic planning to storytelling and volunteer engagement. It is also crucial that staff and volunteers are inspired and guided by these statements. (As a fun side note, when I was in Italy, I learned that their “holy trinity” of cooking is onions, celery and carrots – soffritto – the base upon which all other flavors are built. I feel the same way about vision, mission and values.)

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Vision, Mission and Values

Yet so many get these statements incorrect. This summer marks the 92nd strategic plan I have completed in my 16 years as an independent consultant, and I have yet to find an organization that has gotten its vision-mission-value statements just right. So, we wanted to share our lessons learned with the hope that we can work together to upgrade our collective thinking.

Here are the most common mistakes we see:

Having one statement but not the others.
Confusing the purpose of the vision and mission statement, and ending up with two statements that generally say the same thing.
Failing to update statements as the organization evolves.
Using inconsistent versions across different platforms (e.g., the website has one version and the grant writer uses another).
Writing generic statements that could apply to any similar organization.
Drafting statements that are too long, jargon-filled or boring.
Focusing too heavily on donors or clients and losing relevance for the broader community.

Do any of these sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Few people want to spend hours wordsmithing a mission statement. But there are better ways to approach this work.

Tips for Getting Nonprofit Vision, Mission and Values Right

1. Refresh your knowledge of the differences between vision-mission-values statements (see slide with definitions):

Vision

Describes the organization’s desired future state of the world (without mentioning the organization itself)

It answers what the community will look like once the agency has accomplished its mission. The best vision statements are one-sentence statements that are aspirational, yet measurable, and answer “what does success look like?” The best ones should evoke a feeling of hope.

Mission

Describes the organization’s unique reason for existence and its priorities and methods for accomplishing the vision (“unique” meaning that it connects to your unique value proposition)

Mission statements should provide a link between the current state and the future state. The best mission statements are easy to memorize, action-oriented and understandable. The best ones should be a roadmap to your success.

Values

Describes the organization’s fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that drive its culture

The best core value statements are often power statements, so employees understand the organization’s DNA. The best ones should be easily put into action and build a unified team around a shared mental model.

2. Ask for input. Rate your current vision-mission-values statements at an in-person retreat or through a survey. Ask people to give feedback about what they like and don’t like about each one. We use a simple question on our survey tool as a starting point (e.g., “The current mission is: ________. Please rate your level of satisfaction with this mission.”) Statements below 80% satisfaction need significant upgrades; 80-100% may just need a polish.

3. Follow a proven process. If folks are dissatisfied, follow the instructions in our step-by-step blogs on vision/mission and values. We use these with our clients to great success, and it is often a fun, team-building experience.

4. Test for alignment. When you have statements you like, review them together. Do they tell a coherent story? Are they uniquely yours? Do they inspire? If yes, you’re on the right track.

A Note for Working with Consultants and Partners

If you hire a marketing and/or communications consultant to help you, please share this blog with them. They are likely trained on for-profit strategies that often don’t address the nuance needed in the social sector. When I share my tips, they are often relieved and energized by the challenge.

Why It’s Worth the Effort

When you get your holy trinity right and share it widely, I promise you many things in your organization will fall into place. You will inspire donors, stand out in grant applications and send a clear message to employees about what matters most in your culture.

With this solid foundation, “building castles” will be a much simpler and more meaningful experience. If you have recently upgraded your statements, please share them with us! We would also love to hear any tips or tricks you have found.

Is Your Nonprofit Guilty of Neglecting Vision, Mission and Values?