If you are just beginning a small charity or if you are the lone employee of one, there may come a day when you are filling out a funding application and the following question arises: What is your organization’s mission? You may be tempted to think you know what you do well enough to just write something. After all, there is a deadline on this application. You do not have time to consult the board.

Having worked for a charity that after five years of growth was now facing re-writing just such a ‘mission,’ I can promise you…you do not have the time NOT to do it right. But what is right? Who should be involved in writing a mission statement?

One of the biggest problems with mission statements is that all too often the ‘wrong’ people write them. Even if not written by the founder or first employee, the alternative is often that the trustees go off somewhere for a day or weekend on a ‘missioning retreat.’ They toss around buzz words they have heard or use in business…like excellence. Then like Moses returning from the Mount they hand employees and users the ‘commandments.’ But without the active participation of everyone, those words are either irrelevant to the daily workings of the organization.

So if not the founder, a first employee or the board of trustees, who should write the mission statement for your small charity? The answer is simple…all of those plus a few others. Those ‘others’ can include:

1) Users – often hold key information about the value of the services you provide

2) Volunteers – if they love you enough to give their time then respect them enough to get their opinion

3) Community members/leaders – especially if you are a local charity, finding out how you fit into the larger community is an important component of your mission statement

4) Donors – admittedly this one is a bit touchier subject. You do not want certain donors to feel that their money gives them the right to tell you what to do (I have seen how badly that works out for some of the bigger boys). But you do want to hear from as many of the donors as you…especially about what they think makes you special.

Does the list look long? Does it seem a daunting process? It is, but it is also one that is vital to the continued health and growth of your small charity. It is an investment in time and effort you must make to be successful.

With over a quarter of a century of leadership and fundraising experience, Terri is passionate about helping small charities (those with less than 250K income) achieve big results. She is currently completing an e-course on leadership, management and fundraising for charities. By completing the course, charities will acquire all the basic tools and skills to improve their fundraising capacities, including trusts, major donors and corporate partnerships. To find out more about this e-course or to receive monthly newsletters, visit her blog BLISS-Charities.

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