Application: Organizational Mission and Vision

Intro to Nonprofit Sector

THURSDAY 9PM NEW YORK TIME APA Format. 1-2 Pages MUST USE UPLOADED RESOURCE IN PORTION OF PAPER DEVELOPMENT AND REQUIRED APA STLED REFERENCE

Both vision and mission are the foundation and “life-blood” of NPOs. The organizational vision provides an ultimate outcome that would mean, if realized, that the organization would no longer be needed. A vision statement should be inspiring and perhaps somewhat ideologically lofty. However, it also must be easily understood and well defined. The mission defines who the organization serves, how, and for what purpose.

In this Application, you will examine the organizational vision and mission of an NPO and consider whether the organization’s outcomes are in line with these statements.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review the Preface and Chapter 1 in The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management, focusing on the importance of an organization’s commitment to its mission or vision and the impact that it has on its strategic planning and strategic relationships.
• Select an NPO to research. Be sure that you can access its vision, mission, and annual report.
• Review the vision and mission of the NPO you selected.
• Review that organization’s annual report or talk to a staff person about its outcomes and their relationship to the organization’s vision and mission. From the annual report or through the interview, explore how the organization’s mission is “played-out” in terms of its outcomes.
• Consider the outcomes of the NPO you have chosen. Do they match the organization’s vision and/or mission?

The assignment: (1-2 pages)

• Briefly describe the NPO you selected, including the context within which it exists.
• Summarize the organization’s mission and vision.
• Evaluate the degree to which the organization’s outcomes reflect the mission and vision, using specific examples.
• Explain what you believe to be the most important function of this NPO’s mission and why.