Once your initial board members are finalized and you have discussed with them your preliminary ideas about the organizations, it is time to establish the NGO’s values, vision and mission statements. These statements are crucial for the success of your organization, as they explain to your stakeholders the organizations purpose in a concise manner.
Vision statement: Vision statement describes the goal that an organization aspires to accomplish in the long run. In other words, the vision statement is the summary of changes/impact you would bring into the lives of the community you work for. The vision statement should be expressive and well drafted so that it appeals to people and at the same time also gives direction to the NGO. While drafting the vision statement keep the following points in mind:
- Use simple language that can be understood by people of all backgrounds.
- Should be appealing and inspiring to engage people.
- Should have a broad context.
- Should be written in present tense.
- Should be easy to remember.
The best way to draft a vision statement is to get the perspective of the community about their problems and the changes they would like to see. Once you know how the community feels about a particular problem, it will be easier for you to articulate the vision statement. Some examples of vision statements of International organizations may also help you in drafting the Vision statement.
- IUCN: Our vision is a just world that values and conserves nature
- WWF: WWF’s vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.
- CRY: A happy, healthy and creative child whose rights are protected and honored in a society that is built on respect for dignity, justice and equity for all.
- CARE: We seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.
- Green Peace: An earth that is ecologically healthy and able to nurture life in all its diversity.
Remember that establishing an articulate vision requires time and consultation. You will have to write and re-write the statement several times, before it clearly describes the purpose of your organizations.
Mission statement: Now that you have a vision for your organization, you will need a plan to achieve it. This is where Mission statements come into play, mission statement describes the process of how the organization will lead to its vision. The mission statement describes the purpose of your organization (i.e why the organization exists) and also how the organization addresses the issues. Make sure that the mission statement has the following:
- Simple and concise: Just like the vision statement, use simple language and keep it concise.
- Defines the problem: The mission statement should state the problem it would solve.
- Solution: Describes how you intend to solve a problem
- Suggests the outcome: the long term changes that the organization would bring
- Comprehensive: inclusive of all stakeholders.
Some examples of the mission statement of some international NGOs to help you in writing mission statement for your NGO.
- IUCN: “Influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.”
- WWF: WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by: conserving the world’s biological diversity. ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable.
- Green peace: “Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.”
- Care: CARE’s mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. We promote lasting change by:
- Strengthening capacity for self-help
- Providing economic opportunity
- Delivering relief in emergencies
- Influencing policy decisions at all levels
- Addressing discrimination in all its forms.
Developing an effective mission statement also requires lot of consultation and discussion. Once you have both the vision and mission statement ready, make sure you discuss it with the board members before finalizing it. Communicate about your vision and mission statements, so that people understand your organization in a better way.