Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/creating-a-living-vision-and-mission-for-your-program/5024518/
When faced with budget cuts, do you have a defined set of values to guide your decisions?
Do new board members struggle to articulate your center’s mission and how it helps build toward your aspirations for all children and families in your community?
How can parents understand “what you are all about”?
Are potential funders able to easily know whether or not your agency is a good fit with their own vision and mission?
How do you know if staff share your organization’s values and beliefs and are dedicated to your unique mission?
These questions and many more can be answered by an agency’s statement of vision, mission and values. Vision statements are aspirational, they unite us in a common purpose and describe an ideal, big picture future. An organization’s mission defines its purpose and reason for being, describes who we are and what we do in service to help achieve the vision. Values or beliefs statements define the shared core principles that drive the agency’s culture and priorities. Together, these statements describe the agency’s identity—who you are, why you do what you do, and why it matters in the long run.
Through my strategic planning and board work ...