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Mission, Vision & Values: What exactly do these words mean and how do we define them for our organization? Urban Sprouts Advisory Board 1/13/09

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Overview: Mission, Vision, Values <ul><li>Mission Statement . Statement of purpose and business. </li></ul><ul><li>Vision Statement . An image of the future we seek to create. </li></ul><ul><li>Values Statement. Guiding concepts, beliefs, and principles. </li></ul>

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The Mission Statement <ul><li>Answers the questions: Why do we exist? What do we do? Whom do we serve? </li></ul><ul><li>One guiding set of ideas that is articulated, understood and supported by the organization. </li></ul><ul><li>Makes priorities clear and defines the breadth of activities. </li></ul><ul><li>Simple yet powerful and inspiring, makes sense to internal and external stakeholders. </li></ul><ul><li>Includes two elements: </li></ul><ul><li>Purpose . The END result. </li></ul><ul><li>Business . The MEANS we use to reach that end. </li></ul>

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Purpose + Business = Mission <ul><li>Purpose : Broad end result. The focus problem we are trying to solve. How the world will be changed if we solve that problem. </li></ul><ul><li>Business : Means to achieve that end. The ‘business’ we are in. The methods we use. What we do. </li></ul>To improve the health and wellbeing of our clients. We offer free, high quality health care. To achieve civil rights for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and the transgendered. Through litigation, education and public policy work. To eliminate cancer as a major health problem. We conduct research, education, and advocacy. To decrease homelessness. We build housing. Purpose — the End Business — the Means

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Creating the Purpose Statement <ul><li>Identify the focus problem. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Example : Youth who are homeless, inner-city dwellers, poor, or otherwise at-risk face major challenges to achieving physical and emotional well-being. Obstacles in their environment like violence, racism, sexism, poverty and lack of education make it harder to access services and also lead to higher rates of health problems. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Articulate ideal future impact if problem were to be solved. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Example : Youth have access to high-quality comprehensive health care designed to meet their needs. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Draft the purpose sentence. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Example : Improve the physical and emotional health of at-risk youth. </li></ul></ul>

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Put them together: Finished Mission Statement <ul><li>Examples : </li></ul><ul><li>Habitat for Humanity: Our mission is to create successful homeownership opportunities ( purpose ) for families with limited incomes ( for whom ) by building sustainable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods ( business ). </li></ul><ul><li>Through the power of storytelling, Streetside Stories values and cultivates young people’s voices ( business ), fostering educational equity and building community, literacy and arts skills ( purpose ). </li></ul><ul><li>The San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance (SFGSA) is San Francisco’s premiere Green Schoolyard advocacy organization, offering access to resources and educational support ( business ) for San Francisco public school communities ( for whom ) who are working to create outdoor learning environments on school grounds ( purpose ). </li></ul>

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The Vision Statement <ul><li>A guiding image of success—What will success look like? </li></ul><ul><li>The realization of the mission. </li></ul><ul><li>How the world will be improved if the organization achieves its purpose: what the future will be like. </li></ul><ul><li>Also guides priorities and the scope and scale of activities. </li></ul><ul><li>Grand enough to inspire, realistic enough that people start to believe that it can and will happen. </li></ul><ul><li>Examples : </li></ul><ul><li>All people in our state will have access to high quality education. </li></ul><ul><li>Oakland will be a city of healthy and well-educated people, safe and vital neighborhoods, a dynamic economy, and a vibrant quilt of cultures. </li></ul><ul><li>Technology is demystified and seen as a critical tool for people with disabilities. </li></ul><ul><li>San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance (SFGSA) envisions a future in which each schoolyard operates in concert with its neighborhood and local ecology. </li></ul>

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Drafting the Vision Statement <ul><li>External Vision : How will the world be changed? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>It is 10 or 20 years from now. What are the major media headlines saying about our focus problem? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What are our dreams for changing the world? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What will success for our organization look like? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What will the world be like on the day that we decide to close our doors because we have fulfilled our purpose? </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Internal Vision : What will our organization look like? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>It is 5 years from now. What are the most important services we provide? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What are our clients saying about us? What do they need from us? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What makes us unique? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What does our board look like? Our funding sources? Our staffing? Our scope and scale? Our partnership with other organizations and agencies? </li></ul></ul>

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The Values that Guide our Work <ul><li>Nonprofits are values-driven: our hearts guide our work, aligned with our heads. </li></ul><ul><li>Make sure that each of our individual values and motivations match those of the organization. </li></ul><ul><li>Practicing what we preach: Putting into practice every day the core values and commitments of our organization. </li></ul>Reflect diversity, not only in the people we serve but also in our staff, volunteers and board. If people can better understand other cultures, they are more accepting of differences. Diversity and cultural exchange We strive to be active listeners and give everyone a chance to speak in meetings. Partnerships build trust between parties and provide support for implementing change. Consensus-building, open communication Clients are actively involved in making their own decisions. Reproductive self-determination contributes to strong family relationships. Empowerment, client-centered approaches Every project engages in reflection and documentation of results on a weekly basis. Success for us is measurable results from our projects that improve the environment. Integrity, quality and excellence Behaviors and Guiding Principles We Believe . . . We Value . . .

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Drafting Values, Beliefs, Behaviors <ul><li>Brainstorm a list of Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors, together or separately </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What are some of the values, beliefs and/or guiding principles that do or should guide our board and staff’s interactions with each other and with constituencies? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What are the behaviors we should commit to doing in everyday practice in support of our values and beliefs? </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Come to agreement on language and terms </li></ul><ul><li>No right or wrong format, many options for length, full sentences or phrases, different parts written separately or together </li></ul>

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Next Steps <ul><li>All board and staff members give ideas individually. </li></ul><ul><li>Start today—start writing down ideas for purpose and business. </li></ul><ul><li>Over the next few weeks, each will contribute ideas for vision and values. </li></ul><ul><li>Compile via email and Central Desktop. </li></ul><ul><li>Two people will work together to draft mission, vision and values. </li></ul><ul><li>Circulate drafts among staff and board for input and revisions. </li></ul><ul><li>Board will approve final versions. </li></ul>

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Presentation based on: <ul><li>Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: </li></ul><ul><li>A Practical Guide & Workbook </li></ul><ul><li>By Michael Allision & Jude Kaye, </li></ul><ul><li>CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, </li></ul><ul><li>John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005. </li></ul>