The 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.
- GreenPeace: An earth that is ecologically healthy and able to nurture life in all its diversity.
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.
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.
