Mission statements: Must-see examples and how to craft your own

Your mission statement is the foundation for everything your organization does. In essence, your mission becomes your constitution.

A mission statement is almost universally recognized as an indispensable part of nonprofit governance. According to the National Development Institute, 98.5% of nonprofit organizations surveyed reported having a written mission statement, showing how widespread this practice is in the sector. Only a tiny 0.4% did not have one.

All questions and answers point directly to your mission statement, and by reviewing other mission statement examples, your organization can create a concise and compelling mission statement of your own.

To guide your organization, we:

• Define mission statement
• Discuss the elements of an effective mission statement
• Identify who should be involved with crafting the mission statement
• Outline how to write a mission statement in six steps
• Provide mission statement examples from nonprofits, for-profits, and the education sector to inspire your own

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement expresses an organization’s purpose and how it plans to serve its customers. It is a fundamental guide that shapes the organization’s direction. 

For-profit and nonprofit boards refer to their mission statement when making important decisions to help them stay focused their purpose. mission-focused.

What are the three parts of a mission statement?

• Purpose: This is the heart of the mission statement. It answers the fundamental question: Why does this organization exist? A strong purpose focuses on the problem you’re solving or the change you want to create. 
• Objectives: This describes how you fulfill your purpose or the impact you aim to have — without listing specific products, services, or tactics that may change over time. 
• Target audience: This defines who benefits from your work. It keeps the mission grounded and prevents it from becoming too broad or self-focused. 

What makes a mission statement effective?

A mission statement’s meaning should be clear the first time anyone reads it. It must be pointed and unambiguous, typically containing around 100 words and one to three sentences. Similar to a vision statement , it’s best to use common language that everyone understands and avoid using jargon or buzzwords. 

Good mission statements have similar characteristics . We’ve distilled these traits into the following list: 

• Simple: It doesn’t contain complicated or unnecessary words. The tone should be casual, conversational and relatable. 
• Captivating: Use the present tense and state your organization’s purpose in a powerful way that makes an emotional connection with people. The idea is to get buy-in for your organization’s purpose. 
• Measurable: Craft your mission statement in a way that enables you to measure your results. For example, a mission statement that speaks about not harming the environment should be able to present facts to demonstrate how they achieve that. 
• Relevant: Readers should be able to see immediately how the mission statement applies to them or how it relates to their lives. 
• Long-term: The mission statement should continue to be valid as the organization grows. Take some cues from the long-term goals in the annual strategic plan for your organization. 

A good mission statement will stand the test of time and will not need to be revised often. Your board should revisit the mission statement annually to be sure it coincides with the organization’s current offerings.

Who writes the mission statement?

For-profit corporations typically use communications and marketing staff to draft a mission statement that then is refined by upper management. By contrast, the founding members of a nonprofit generally work on developing a mission statement.

Nonprofit organizations, especially those governed by a board of directors, will be best served by getting feedback from staff, constituents, and even business partners. This step will be especially useful when updating or revising a current mission statement, because it ensures that decision-makers see how the organization is perceived.

The board can appoint a committee made up of people representing different constituencies to work on drafts of mission statements. The leadership team of board members and the executive director should make the final decision, based on the current and future needs of the organization.

How to write a mission statement

It takes time and effort to brainstorm ideas and develop them to craft the most effective mission statement. Adding diverse perspectives is one way to help shape the conversation. These varying experiences will result in a well-rounded mission statement that will resonate with employees and customers. 

To write a compelling, impactful mission statement, your group must dig deep to understand what you are trying to convey. From there, our step-by-step process (outlined below) will guide you to the finish line of creating your mission statement.

The following questions will generate good discussions about your organization’s purpose: 

• What are your core values?
• What audience are you trying to reach?
• What image are you trying to preserve?
• Why should your audience seek out your organization?
• Why should investors or donors be interested?
• What distinct value does your organization bring?
• What makes your organization unique?

6 steps to write a mission statement for maximum impact

With your notes and some mission statement examples, your group can confidently write a mission statement using this step-by-step process.

1. Identify your organization’s products or services.
2. State your organization’s core values.
3. Draw a connection between your organization’s offerings and describe how it aligns with its core values.
4. Brainstorm ideas on the best ways to tell your organization’s story.
5. Consolidate ideas and create a list of potential mission statements.
6. Narrow the choices down to one mission statement and finalize the wording clearly and concisely.

Crafting or revising your mission statement is not a quick and easy task. Outline it, write it, proofread it and rewrite it until it’s right. Then, go back to those original questions you wanted to answer and test your mission statement against them. When it feels right, you’ll know you’ve hit the right tone, and you can celebrate your accomplishment.

We’ve included mission statement examples below to provide even more inspiration to craft the perfect mission statement.

Common mistakes to avoid when creating your mission statement

Here are some examples from AI. Please follow the format:

• Being too vague: A vague mission statement often relies on broad language like “making a difference” or “creating positive change” without explaining what that change is or who it’s for. While this may sound inclusive, it leaves staff, partners, and constituents without a clear sense of direction. 
• Trying to include everything: Some nonprofits attempt to reflect every program, service, or initiative in their mission statement. This usually results in a long, cluttered statement that’s hard to remember. 
• Using buzzwords or jargon: Words like “innovative,” “empowering” or “holistic solutions” often lack meaning without context. Sector-specific jargon can also alienate audiences who aren’t familiar with nonprofit language. 
• Writing for marketing: A mission statement shouldn’t be a tagline or a fundraising slogan. When it’s written to sound appealing externally, it often fails to guide internal decisions.
• Never revisiting or reassessing the mission: Many nonprofits treat their mission statement as permanent, even when the organization has grown, shifted focus, or changed its purpose. 
• Letting funding priorities drive the mission: Chasing grants or donor trends can reshape a mission over time, pulling the organization away from its core purpose in order to fit funding criteria.
• Writing the mission for donors instead of beneficiaries: When donor language dominates a mission statement, it can unintentionally focus on funders’ interests rather than the people or communities the nonprofit exists to support.
• Overemphasizing programs instead of purpose: Programs are how a nonprofit delivers impact, not why it exists. A mission statement that focuses too heavily on specific programs risks becoming obsolete as services evolve.

Regularly scheduling a review of your mission statement should be part of your board’s strategic plan. BoardEffect can help: Download our guide, Strategic plan template for nonprofits: A free guide to achieving your goals.

Mission statement examples

Organizations, companies, and education institutions put a lot of time and effort into creating the perfect mission statement, and mission statement examples can provide much food for thought as you create your own.

Examples of well-crafted mission statements enable your group to take a closer look at the word choices and structures developed by other organizations to communicate their purpose.

Below, we share examples of mission statements and highlight what makes them great. Some are short and to the point. Others are longer and inclusive of all their values and goals. Still others call back to their organization’s history or founder. Each statement reflects the work and philosophy of those who created them.

Nonprofits

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) — The purpose is clear, and the language is simple. 

“The Museum of Modern Art connects people from around the world to the art of our time. We aspire to be a catalyst for experimentation, learning, and creativity, a gathering place for all, and a home for artists and their ideas.”

American Red Cross — The audience and goal are clear, and it’s compelling. 

“To prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

Greenpeace International — It resonates with people because of its reference to sustainability and diversity. 

“Our goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity.”

Doctors Without Borders — It offers a strong emotional appeal that resonates with most people. 

“To provide impartial medical relief to the victims of war, disease, and natural or man-made disaster, without regard to race, religion, or political affiliation.”

United Nations — It’s a bit wordy for a mission statement, yet it’s justified because of its global impact. 

“We are dedicated to our clients, providing them with comprehensive, timely, and impartial protocol-based services and guidance through:

• Serving the Member States and Observers accredited to the UN through their Missions and Offices
• Acting as the primary liaison between the Host Country and the Member States and Observers, in line with general diplomatic and host country guidelines

Cradles to Crayons — The sentiment is compelling to volunteers and donors. 

“To provide children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive, – at home, at school, and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities.”

For-profit sector

Nike — It guides the company’s efforts to make sport a daily habit and to expand human potential.

“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.”

Apple — It focuses on simplicity, user empowerment, and making a significant contribution while owning core technologies 

“To bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services"

Starbucks — It focuses on human connection, quality coffee, and community impact

“To be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

Amazon – It is broad and ambitious in a simple statement 

“To be Earth's most customer-centric company, Earth's best employer, and Earth's safest place to work.”

McDonalds – It emphasizes its role in serving communities, not just food, and operating responsibly.

“Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.”

Sweetgreen — The “what” and “who” are crystal clear. 

“Building healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”

Google — Encapsulates the scope of their service. 

“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Nordstrom — Connects with a wide audience as everyone wants to look their best. 

“We exist to help our customers feel good and look their best.”

TED — A powerful and inspirational, yet concise message. 

“ To discover and spread ideas that spark imagination, embrace possibility, and catalyze impact.”

LinkedIn — It attracts professional people to what is important to them. 

“The mission of LinkedIn is simple: connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

Asana — It speaks of harmony in the workplace. 

“To help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”

Tesla — It creates a sense of urgency and hope for the future. 

“To accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.”

Microsoft — It’s globally inclusive. 

“Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

Disney — It emphasizes the power of storytelling to inspire a global audience. 

“The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds, and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.”

Education sector

Liberty University — It emphasizes its faith-based goal of preparing students to be "Champions for Christ" in various fields. 

“To develop Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world.”

Duke University — It focuses on the university’s role in developing well-rounded individuals, groundbreaking research, and positive societal impact, guided by strong ethical principles.

“To provide superior liberal education, advance knowledge, and serve society, emphasizing ethical leadership, free inquiry, and community engagement, while its undergraduate mission focuses on fostering growth, collaboration, inclusion, and intellectual strengths for lives of meaning.”

University of Minnesota — It’s far-reaching in scope. 

“Dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.”

Johns Hopkins University — It’s based on an historical statement from its founder that remains the mission today. 

“To educate its students and cultivate their capacity for lifelong learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.”

Albany Medical College — Concise description of its goals. 

“Committed to improving health by attaining the highest standard of quality in care delivery, education, and research initiatives.”

Medical College of Wisconsin — It outlines its identity as a research institution. 

“We are a distinguished leader and innovator in the education and development of the next generation of physicians, scientists, pharmacists and health professionals; we discover and translate new knowledge in the biomedical and health sciences; we provide cutting-edge, collaborative patient care of the highest quality; and we improve the health of the communities we serve.”

Final thoughts about mission statements

Your board should understand what a mission statement is and how to create the best possible mission for your work. An excellent place to start is by reviewing lots of examples of mission statements to decipher what works best.

Understanding the importance of a mission statement and knowing the steps to take to create or update your mission statement are essential pieces of being an effective board.

Discover how BoardEffect can provide the tools and support for mission statement creation and other elements of effective board service.

Mission statement FAQs

What is a personal mission statement?

A personal mission statement is a short, meaningful declaration of what matters most to you, what you stand for, and how you want to show up in the world. It acts as a personal compass — guiding decisions, priorities, and long-term goals in your career and life.

What is a mission and vision statement?

A mission statement defines an organization’s purpose today: what it does, who it serves, and how it creates value. A vision statement describes the future the organization is working toward and the impact it wants to make over time.

Together, the statements provide clarity, direction, and alignment. If you want a deeper breakdown, see our full guide on vision statements.

How long should a mission statement be?

A mission statement should typically be one to three sentences or around 10–30 words. It needs to be short enough to be memorable, but specific enough to be meaningful.

How can organizations future-proof a mission without making it vague?

Organizations can future-proof their mission by focusing on enduring values, core impact, and the people they serve, rather than specific products, tools, or market conditions. The goal is to base the mission on what won’t change — purpose and principles — while allowing flexibility in how that mission is delivered over time.

Can a mission statement change over time?

Yes. A mission should be stable, but not untouchable. As organizations grow, evolve, or shift strategy, they will need to refine their mission statements to stay relevant and accurate. Updates should be intentional and infrequent, ensuring the core purpose remains intact.

Who should a mission statement be written for?

A mission statement should be primarily for internal audiences — employees, leaders, and partners — to guide decision-making and culture. However, it also be clear and compelling for external audiences like customers, investors, and the wider community.

Where should a mission statement be shared or displayed?

A mission statement should be highly visible and easy to find. Common places include:

• The company or organization website
• Internal documents and onboarding materials
• Presentations and pitch decks
• Office spaces or digital workspaces
• Brand and marketing materials

Consistent visibility keeps the mission top of mind.