A nonprofit Vision statement is a critical component of your organization's success. It communicates your organization's long-term aspirations, goals, and objectives. Your Vision statement is an important tool that will help you align your team, motivate your staff, and inspire your supporters. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about writing a compelling nonprofit Vision statement.
What is a nonprofit Vision statement?
A nonprofit Vision statement is an inspiring declaration of the future you want your organization to achieve. It outlines the organization's long-term goals, aspirations, and objectives. The Vision is intended to guide your nonprofit's direction, inspire and motivate your team, and communicate to your stakeholders the impact you want to make in the world.
It should be a detailed narrative of what your organization’s future state looks like. Although length is not a factor, it needs to be clear, and easy to understand.
Why it’s different from Mission
Mission and Vision are often mixed up, and although they work together, they are distinctly different. Your Mission statement outlines your organization's purpose, what you do, and who you serve. Your Vision statement, on the other hand, outlines your long-term aspirations.
Your Mission statement is more focused on the present and describes the work you are doing right now. It should be concise and easy to understand. Your Vision statement is more focused on the future and describes the impact you want to make in the world. It should be inspiring, ambitious, and motivating.
Mission is the WHY: Why does your nonprofit exist? What mission are you trying to fulfill?
Vision is WHERE: What does it look like, smell like, and feel like where you’re headed? The Vision is the place to specify what your ideal version of success looks like in the future. Where is your organization, and your progress toward your Mission, in 10, 15 or even 25 years?
The Strategic Plan is HOW: Working backward from your Vision, what needs to happen to take steps in that direction? The specific actions you take is how you’ll get there.
What does a “good” Vision statement look like?
Creating a compelling Vision only needs a few core components to be effective:
A great nonprofit Vision should be inspiring and motivating to both the organization's stakeholders and the wider community it serves.
No: We will end left- vs right-handed discrimination by 2025.
Yes: Our ability to fulfill our mission continues to grow and we are welcoming new supporters on a regular basis.
It’s intentionally vague and extremely specific: Can you describe the experience someone has when your organization makes strides toward your mission? Can you vividly imagine what success looks like? Without pinning yourself into the specifics of a location or a number or any other detail that is limiting.
No: We always raise more than $20,000 at any event we put on.
Yes: Events are carefully planned and when they make sense, we always try to budget well so we can continue to make a significant fundraising impact.
It’s strategically sound: Can you realistically get there? Even if it’s ambitious, if you took the steps to get there, could you? You’d be surprised what people are capable of when something inspiring is pulling everyone toward action.
No: We are celebrating getting a random $1 million donation.
Yes: Now, even big fundraising goals feel completely possible, thanks to the new connections and networks we’ve built over the last years in the philanthropy space.
It’s shared: Have you galvanized your team around these statements? Have you incorporated them into the backbone of how you work, your operations, and your values?
It’s not too short. Use all the words you need to fully describe your Vision for the future. It’s OK to go deep: What core values are you exercising? What do your facilities look like? Who are your donors and supporters and how are they engaging with your organization?
Examples
"One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education."
This is the Vision statement of Teach for America. Although this statement is concise, it’s very clear. Is it achievable? Perhaps. Is it inspiring? Absolutely. Is it extremely specific? Yes. Is it shared? Not really – it's not front and center on their website or their Impact page.
We share the Zingerman’s Experience
Selling food that makes you happy
Giving service that makes you smile
In passionate pursuit of our mission
Showing love and care in all our actions
To enrich as many lives as we possibly can.
This is the Vision statement of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. Not quite nonprofit, but definitely “'for-purpose”. Their Vision is quite long – multiple pages – but the small excerpt above serves to wrap it all up and give everyone something bite-sized to remember.
How to write a nonprofit vision statement
Writing can be challenging, but it can also be a critical step in clarifying what you truly believe in as an organization.
Gather your team. Before you start writing, gather your team together. This is an excellent opportunity to share ideas, brainstorm, and discuss your organization's long-term goals and aspirations.
Ask for input from stakeholders. board members, staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries. By involving these key players, you can create a shared vision that reflects the values and aspirations of your organization.
Get help. It’s not easy to do this work, and a professional company Vision facilitator can make all the difference. A paid guide can mean the difference between everyone bringing their authentic selves ready to do this deep work, or just another meeting everyone is trying to get through.
Identify your core values. Your core values are the fundamental beliefs that guide your organization's behavior and decision-making. They are the foundation upon which you will build your vision statement. Identify your core values and ensure they align with your organization's mission.
Think big. Your vision statement should be ambitious, inspiring, and motivating. It should describe the impact you want to make in the world, not just what you want to achieve as an organization.
Don’t be afraid to go long. Your vision statement should be detailed, descriptive and sensory-stimulating. Feel free to really include everything, knowing that you’ll refine it before you lock it in.
Develop the Roadmap. The steps your organization takes each day, week and month toward the Vision are mappable. Ideally, the weekly fundamentals are binary – you either complete those fundamentals each week or you don’t.
How to integrate your Vision into your nonprofit
Your Vision is only as good as it is used. Weaving into regular operations is the way to remind everyone what you’re working toward together.
Communicate it. Read it to your team and stakeholders. A shortened version can be part of your communications, including emails, newsletters, and social media.
Incorporate it into meetings. Put it on the opening set of slides for your deck template so you can reinforce it at meetings and important gatherings. It can help align your team, motivate your staff, and inspire your supporters.
Train your staff. Make sure your staff understands your Vision statement and how it relates to their work. Ask them in your 1:1s to discuss it and how to represent it and reinforce it with their reports.
Share it with your donors. Show your donors the impact they are making in the world and why they are supporting your organization. Share it with them regularly, and show them how their contributions are helping you achieve your long-term goals.
Incorporate it into your marketing. Your Vision statement could be a key part of your marketing efforts. Incorporate it into your website, social media, and other marketing materials to help communicate your organization's long-term goals and aspirations.
Use it or lose it
You should also use your Vision statement as a guidepost for decision-making, program planning, and resource allocation. Keep your Vision statement front and center in all of your organizational activities to remind everyone that you are working towards a shared future state of success.
Celebrate success
Use your Vision statement to share stories of impact and success. Highlight the ways in which your organization is making a difference and inspiring change in your community. By sharing your success stories, you can inspire others to support your mission and help you achieve your vision.
Writing a nonprofit Vision statement can be a process, but it's an essential step in clarifying your organization's long-term goals, aspirations, and objectives. Remember to involve your team in the process, identify your core values, think big, keep it strategically sound, and communicate it regularly to your team and stakeholders. With a compelling image of the future, you can align your team, motivate your staff, and inspire your supporters to help you achieve your long-term goals and make a lasting impact in the world.
Need help with this process? Contact me today.
