A mission statement lets people know what your organization does; the vision statement, however, has a much loftier goal: showcasing your organization’s view of the future. There are two prevailing schools of thought as to what this should look like.
The Ideal Organization
This type of vision statement describes what success would look like; it is that highest bar your organization will always strive for. This vision statement should be both realistic and ambitious – in other words, it should challenge your staff without overwhelming them.
This type of statement is typically framed as [Organization] will be [the best at] [whatever your organization does]. Look at some examples of real vision statements from non-profits:
- NSW Rape Crisis Centre will be a Centre of Excellence in the provision of services to anyone who has experienced sexual violence.
- The Oshkosh Public Library will be the community's premier knowledge resource; and a recognized leader in promoting reading as a lifelong activity.
A vision statement like this can be very useful for creating performance benchmarks and objectives – where are we now and what do we have to do to fulfill our vision. The Red Cross has a detailed example of what fleshing out a vision statement with goals could look like.
The Ideal World
This type of vision statement answers the question “What would a perfect world look like?” Another way to think of it is “What would a world that no longer needed our organization look like?” Below are actual examples from non-profits:
- The vision of the ASPCA is that the United States is a humane community in which all animals are treated with respect and kindness.
- SHELTER, Inc. is working to realize a vision: A Home For Everyone.
- We will work until we achieve a society free of violence.
Your organization may never achieve this type of vision, but it can nonetheless be very motivating, uniting people as powerful reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Neither type of vision statement is inherently better than the other. The staff and board members at your non-profit should collectively decide which makes most sense for your organization.
Estela Kennen - Estela is a doctoral student in Public Administration and a freelance writer and editor.
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