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7 Strong Nonprofit Mission Statement Writing Tips

As you are dealing with a nonprofit organization, creating a poignant and reflective mission statement cannot be underestimated. Essentially, it can be considered as one of the most important aspects leading to your success and correct perception of your values, beliefs, and objectives. Regardless if you are following certain social or volunteering principles, it is vital to explain what you are striving for, which is always reflected in a successful mission statement. It should not be static, meaning that you should combine honesty and creativity. It should not sound just like another marketing advertisement text with mistakes since we are dealing with a nonprofit mission where strong ethics should always come first. 


The purpose here is to make your message heard, and it always depends on how you put it or, rather, how well it is written!


7 Mission Writing Tips For Nonprofits

1. Set Your Purpose First


Since it is only natural to try and achieve the best you can with a small number of words, you should set your priorities and think about what your mission does not represent. It is much easier to understand what you cannot do and why. Next, focus on what you can achieve and your available skills and resources. It will help the broad audience, donors, and various funding bodies see what you try to achieve and why it matters. It is also a good stage where you can study your nonprofit taxes and proceed with various calculations to determine whether your mission can handle them.

2. Consult Several Opinions


It is very easy to miss something obvious and critical as you compose your mission statement, which is why you should always consult every person on your team and even invite various experts if you have a possibility. Remember that your writing should sound ambitious, yet realistic. Do not strive for something you may not be able to achieve in practice. Do not process writing through the lens of your own perspective alone because every nonprofit includes a team of people that work together. Make every opinion count and consider talking to board members, leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders. It should act as a special sounding board. Ask people to talk and explain how they see your joint mission!

3. Research Your Subject Well


Regardless of what you would like to do as a nonprofit, you should always research similar projects and study available statistical data. Starting with your mission without any reliable background usually leads to failure, which is why you must take time and explore your subject. Talk to people in the field you would like to address and see how your innovative or classic methods can be reflected in your mission statement. If you cannot find any information online, you can approach SupremeDissertations and ask experts to make a synthesis of various research works dealing with your subject to help you see all cons and pros of your future plans. It will also help you avoid the most common mistakes!

4. Connect Your Mission Statement With Practical Applicability


In simple terms, it means that your mission statement should relate to what you have already achieved and speak clearly about your practical methods. If this part is ignored, your mission simply becomes an abstract with no clear ground or references to particular actions. You should explain "how" something can be achieved because we all already know the "what and why" parts. Always provide people with something that can earn their trust and help see your practical benefits.

5. Brainstorm Accessibility & Readability Aspects


Keep your mission statement to one sentence if you can, or use shorter sentences but make them up to three. Focus on your nonprofit's objectives, action, and the impact it has. Make things readable and avoid using complex words and expressions. Cut out all that is nonessential for your writing and always read it aloud. Finally, let several people express their thoughts as they hear or see them.

6. Correct Tone and Audience Targeting

Always focus on your audience because it should serve as an effective catapult for fundraising as you need to set your tone correctly and communicate your message. Talk to those who may be willing to help and keep your mission inspiring. Avoid jargon and being too specific. Your mission statement must be easy to remember as it pushes one to act for a positive change.

7. Accuracy, Grammar, and Style


Last but not least is keeping your grammar and style accurate. Your mission statement sentence (or several sentences) should be written in a clear style with consideration of English standards. The most important is to avoid duality or so-called double-meaning when your mission's agenda can be easily misunderstood or read wrongly. As a solution, you can consult TrustMyPaper and voice your concerns regarding grammar, style, and readability. You can always provide several ideas and let skilled specialists combine them for you. When your mission sounds accurate, it helps people to feel more confident!

Design Your Thoughts Correctly

As you compose your mission statement, it is vital to implement it in a special way that would allow your visitors and potential investors to see what it is and notice it right away. Some companies even write their mission slogans below their logos or make them a part of every promotional campaign that they make. Therefore, remember to read the basic checklist about web design aspects that you should know as a nonprofit representative. Make things accessible and comfortable for people with various needs, and provide structured information where the values of your mission statement are supported and explained. 


Such an approach will help you to combine clever and interactive graphics with the text bits that reflect your thoughts. Your information must be easy to find! It includes making various lists and links leading to certain projects, locations, funds raised for something, and so on. Make it a part of your mission, and it will always pay off in the end!


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Nonprofit Tips
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Nicole D. Garrison

Nicole D.Garrison is a content strategist, writer, and contributor at TrustMyPaper and a number of platforms for marketing specialists. She is a dedicated and experienced author who pays particular attention to quality research. At her free time, Nicole is a passionate runner and a curious beekeeper. Moreover, she runs her own blog LiveInspiredMagazine. How to Convince Management to Implement Content Marketing