Defining Your Mission
Defining Your Mission
Section titled “Defining Your Mission”Every community needs a reason to exist that’s compelling enough to make people show up repeatedly. “Networking” isn’t a mission. “Mutual improvement for community leaders in our city” is.
The Mission Statement Formula
Section titled “The Mission Statement Formula”A good community mission statement answers three questions:
- Who is this for? — Be specific about your audience
- What do they gain? — What problem does the community solve?
- How is it different? — What makes this group worth joining over alternatives?
Examples
Section titled “Examples”| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| ”A community for leaders" | "A monthly gathering for nonprofit directors in Portland to share operational challenges and solutions" |
| "Tech professionals networking" | "Weekly structured inquiry for software engineers transitioning into technical leadership" |
| "Making the world better" | "Community organizers in the Southeast exchanging frameworks for civic engagement in underserved areas” |
Defining Values
Section titled “Defining Values”Your values answer: “How do we operate?” They should be observable behaviors, not abstract ideals.
| Abstract (weak) | Observable (strong) |
|---|---|
| “We value respect" | "We use Rapoport’s Rules before criticizing any idea" |
| "We believe in diversity" | "We recruit across professions and never have more than 3 members from any one field" |
| "We’re action-oriented" | "Every meeting ends with each member stating one commitment for the next two weeks” |
Writing Your Mission
Section titled “Writing Your Mission”Start with a draft. Share it with your founding members. Revise together. The process of writing the mission is as valuable as the document itself — it forces alignment early.
Put it in your charter and revisit it annually.