The mission statement is a brief one or two sentence summary of the purpose and objectives of your agency.

The mission statement may be a broad definition of what the organization stands for or a more specific message identifying who is served and how. To draft the wording you may want to review the statements or objects you submitted as part of the incorporation process. The task of writing and later, re-wording, should be done with the whole board since the mission is central to the operation of the agency.

You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t have a mission, so you should aim to express that vision in a simple statement. Proudly displayed and reiterated, the statement serves as a reminder to staff, volunteers and learners within the agency. It will keep all expectations focussed and inform later policies. For example, if you develop a statement indicating that your primary purpose is to deliver literacy services, then your board need not place high priority on the development of policies on research and advocacy.

It will also present an instant profile of your agency to people outside the organization. Consider how you respond when you are provided with another organization’s mission statement or slogan. Does it offer meaningful clarification about what the agency does and who it serves? Does it sound sincere? Is it in plain language?

The mission statement should be reviewed annually as part of the overall evaluation of the agency to determine whether you still uphold the original vision or whether you are off target. It is not uncommon for the mission statement to be closely tied to and supported by the organization’s goals or a list of guiding principles. Often they are written up and presented together.