Mission Statement (OD2735)

This metric is intended to capture the organization’s mission statement, which expresses its reason for existence or core purpose. Mission statements establish the long-term direction and goals that guide an organization's daily operations, providing a foundation for an organization's activities, communications, organizational structure, and culture.

Internally, mission statements are often used to inspire employees, board members, and volunteers; guide leaders' decision-making; support the organization's theory of change (see Theory of Change [OD6350]); and help set goals (see Social and Environmental Targets [OD4091]). Externally, mission statements are often used to generate external support and communicate goals and aspirations to stakeholders.

Organizations can refer to the SPI4 (http://cerise-spi4.squarespace.com/), specifically Essential Practice 1a1, for additional indicators related to well-crafted mission statements. SPI4 is a social audit tool, developed for financial service providers, which can apply to any organization with both social and financial objectives.