Opening Statement

Non-profit organizations exist in a democratic society such as the United States to help provide charitable, educational, scientific, and religious needs. Non-profit organizations are social entrepreneurship platforms since they source for incomes while following business practices to institute innovation and systemic change in the wider society (Worth, 2017). Essentially, non-profit organizations are therefore businesses with a social function. To effectively source the necessary incomes to facilitate activities of these organizations, comprehensive mission statements help facilitate initiatives aimed at raising the finances. The context of this memo is to present to you my findings on the suitability of mission statements adopted by various not-for-profit (NFP) organizations in light of the changing dynamics of the modern world. My specific task is to find an online selection of real nonprofit statements and present evidence backed by evidence from peer-reviewed sources.  As such, the paper will draw from scholarly works from Migliore et al. (2013) and Worth (2018) among others as evaluation criteria to gauge the suitability of the mission statements according to the nature of operations of the individual organizations.

Context

Results of market research and analysis reveal that the majority of not-for-profit organizations depend on positive publicity to source the necessary funding required for their daily operations. The dynamics of the modern society have constantly changed, with NFPs engaged in fierce competition to win the confidence of various donors (Worth, 2018). Mission statements, therefore, come in handy for these NFPs which are naturally keen to portray a positive image to potential donors. A comprehensive definition of the services offered the non-profit organizations while also being catchy and original is a challenge which has been well handled by some NFPs while others fail in this undertaking. I will, therefore, analyze the various mission statements based on the context described to provide you with insights regarding mission statements that are good and those I think are bad.

Task Segment

You asked that I look at the specific mission statements used by various non-profit organizations in the United States and determine whether they are good or bad judging based on the expectations of authoritative resources. To adequately solve this problem, I decided to focus my research on the services offered by selected organizations and how well their statement of purpose reflects on their commitment to the community. I also perused the resources used by various authors on the checklist to determine the suitability of the mission statement of every organization. Based on my findings, I used my judgment to determine the suitability of these mission statements and presented my findings to you through this memo. The information provided from scholarly resources was instrumental in helping me form an informed opinion and provided the evidence required.

Discussion Segment

It is imperative that the mission statement adopted by a non-profit organization reflects its goals and aspirations in the society. A statement of purpose outlines the core functions of a particular organization (Enochson, n.d). Migliore et al. (2013) reckon that for a not-for-profit (N.F.P), the first guideline is determining the fundamental reason for its existence. An organization under development needs to categorically understand the satisfaction it will offer to its client before deciding on the wording of its mission statement. When formulating the statement of purpose, the NFP must specifically identify t the intended need satisfaction (Migliore et al., 2013). According to Worth (2018), non-profits with more than one full employee need to be run like a business, including creating mission statements which boost their efforts towards generating funding on a consistent basis. Further, increasing demand for accountability by the donors and contributors to these non-profits, heightened competition for funding among the NFPs, and growth of the sector has precipitated a revolution in how these non-governmental organizations are run (Worth, 2018). The evolution in the society regarding the demands and responsibilities demanded of NFPs necessitates the creation of a statement of purpose that is reflective of their needs, aspirations and goals for purposes of generating funding and publicity necessary for effective performance.

Existing mission statements tend to serve the purpose of informing the general public on the reason for the existence of the not-for-profit institutions. Of the current mission statements used in the contemporary NFPs, the majority of them were subjected to a rigorous process of reviews to add clarity and conciseness (Migliore et al., 2013). For example, the mission statement of the Drug Abuse Program is:

“To provide free support and counseling for young people, families and communities in the city, county, and surrounding area who are experiencing hardships and problems related to alcohol and drug abuse”(Migliore et al., 2013).

The mission statement above is clear in that it provides any third party with the information regarding the operations of the organizations while also offering a sense of direction, goals and aspirations the organization has towards the members of the community. However, it is too wordy and lacks the brevity which makes it catchy and able to quickly grab the attention of the reader. The language used is also fluffy, hence making it impossible to fill in a t-shirt (Enochson, n.d). As such, the organization fails to make a statement of purpose which is catchy and memorable to a reader. For some of the donors who made their fortune in the technology boom of the 1970 and skyrocketing real estate sector of the 90s, these non-profit organizations present a form of investment, from which the financiers expect to realize tangible returns (Worth, 2018). The use of the present tense in the mission statement adopted by the Drug Abuse Program enhances the clarity of their reason for existence, but the apparent wordiness makes it a bad mission statement.

Mission statements need to be original and reflect the reason an organization fundamentally exists in a simple, concrete language. The statement of purpose for the American Heart Association Chapter, for example, is: “To reduce death and disability through cardiovascular disease and stroke” (Migliore et al., 2013). According to the checklist provided by Enochson (n.d) which stresses on the need to have a statement which is original, definite, brief and catchy, the mission statement used by the heart NFP is good. It informs the general public on what the organization is all about while also being short enough to be comfortably embedded in a t-shirt. In light of the hugely dynamic non-profit environment, the statement serves the function of attracting potential investors to aid in their course. Worth (2018) feels that the mission statement is a powerful tool to enhance the profile of an organization in light of the financial obligations which it has to satisfy given the highly competitive world of the NFPs in modern times. The mission statement is responsive to the dynamics of the contemporary world, which demands catchy, definitive and original mission statements.

The statementsof  purpose for the major organizations in the United States generally seek to answer the question of why the NFP is needed in the first place. Migliore et al. (2013) reckon that the main evaluation criteria are whether or not the statement comprehensively covers all the activities of the organization. The statement of purpose for UNICEF-United States Fund, for example, is: “Working towards making the world a better place for children” (Skeffington, 2015). First, the statement fully and clearly describes the reason for the existence of the organization in a concrete, present tense wording. Second, the mission statement adopted by the United Nations organization provides information on the unique functions to the society which it seeks to undertake. Lastly, the declaration informs the public the services to be offered and exactly who is targeted in the range of activities offered by the organization (Migliore et al. 2013). The fact that the statement of purpose adopted by UNICEF-United States Fund is descriptive, original and catchy makes ideal since it fulfills the need for the organization to describe its services to the public in a brief fashion.

The statements of purpose of some major organizations fail to articulate the reason for the existence of the organization in a clear, candid and concise manner. The mission statement of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), for example, suggests that as an organization, it is dedicated to “being the foremost museum of modern art in the world” (Skeffington 2015). While the mission is short and descriptive, it fails to provide information on what the NFP actually does or its target clientele. Migliore et al. (2013) observe that a clear mission statement should focus on identifying the clientele it aims to serve on its mission statement and the fundamental service which the MOMA undertakes. As such, MOMA could have done better with its statement of purpose to ignite interest into what they are committed to doing on a daily basis while conveying as much information as possible in their statement of purpose. The mission statement by the museum organization, therefore, is bad based on the provisions of authoritative scholarly sources.

Recommendations

The mission statement adopted by your not-for-profit organization should be subjected to a rigorous examination process to ensure that it conveys the core activities of a particular organization while being catchy and concise at the same time. For example, given that your organization is concerned with providing access to medical care in low-income neighbourhoods in the United States, the mission statement could be: “Committed to facilitating quality, affordable and professional medical attention to the less privileged in the community.” Migliore et al. (2013) observe that aside from being original, the mission statement is a tool for pulling potential donors towards financing the NFP. A concerted effort, therefore, has to be invested to formulate a statement of purpose that is effective enough to help an organization achieve its goals. Additionally, attention should be granted towards making the mission statement to adequately describe all the activities the organization undertakes while using a minimal number of words.

 
Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?