Mission, Vision and Case: Three Statements For You to Review

I've spoken with some schools that have said the past few Marketing Matters have been a bit bolder than they have in the past.  Perhaps some folks are uncomfortable with that.

If anything here makes your unconfortable, that's a good thing!  It's only when someone is uncomfortable that they realize something has to change.

So here's something else to make you uncomfortable - You know that mission statement that you spent weeks and months crafting?  Well, if it fills a small poster board, your efforts were either a waste of time, or you didn't spend enough time on it.

This is where you say, "What? Are you serious?"

Indeed.  Author Steven R. Covey ("The 8th Habit") states that an organization's mission statement focuses on the "who" and "what" of an organization.  Over 15 years ago, Ron Meshanko wrote the following about mission statements in soc.org.nonprofit (one of the oldest online discussion groups focusing on non-profits - Google it!).  He stated: 

I give board trainings all over the country and begin each session with a quiz, the first question being, write your agency mission statement.  99% of the time, not one person - sometimes even the executive director -can write down in clear, succinct language the mission statement of the agency.

How can these people lobby on behalf of their organization? How can a person who can't communicate the mission of the agency ask for a gift?

A Mission Statement should be a one-sentence, clear, concise statement that says who the agency is (the name, that it is a nonprofit, and what type of agency it is), what it does, for whom and where. Period.

Clear - concise - one sentence.  One of the LinkedIn groups I belong to asked its members to say what you do in 7 words.  My response: "Help schools form a firm financial foundation."  That's my Mission Statement.

As for your school, a Mission Statement is a statement of fact.  It's not necessarily going to compel anyone to drop everything they're doing to learn more about you...but it should pique their interest to say, "How do you do that?"   That's where your Vision Statement comes in.

Think of our mission as Catholic Christians.  Jesus Himself stated the mission: "Go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  (And that mission hasn't changed!)  Did the disicples do that right away, as soon as Jesus acended to the Father?  Nope - they stood around looking up into the sky.  It was only after they were filled with the Holy Spirit that they ran out into the world and proclaimed the Good News.  Indeed, they were "fired up!"  A compelling and engaging vision about your school is energizing, and will have parents "come and see" what's remarkable about it.  Experiencing your school school should make them realize that it is the place where they want their children to be.

Your Vision Statement says how the mission is fulfilled, or, perhaps more correctly, how the leader of the organization, would like to see the mission fulfilled.  If you are a principal and you are reading this, you are the one responsible for setting the vision for your school; if you are an advancement professional reading this, your job is to help make that vision a reality.  As the advancement professional, you also need to have a Case Statement as to "why" it's important that your school exist, why it's important for others to become engaged in the organization, and why individuals and groups should support it financially.  You could actually have quite a few case statements if you have many projects that you're working on, since different philanthropic organizations may have different criteria your school has to meet in order for a project to be successfully funded.

Here's an example.  My wife and I recently started a fund to help students involved in the local high school band program.  The Mission Statement: Enhance the musical experience of band students.  The Vision Statement: Offer financial assistance for private music lessons or summer music camp experiences for students in grades 5 through 12 involved in the band program.  The Case Statement: Studies have shown that students involved in a music program perform better in academic core subjects since brain function is improved due to improved utilization of both halves of the brain; therefore, proficiency in music leads to excellence in academics.  Participation in the band program improves discipline, teamwork, striving for excellence and builds performance skills.  If all members of a band program achieve to their personal potential and strive for precision performances, not only will their current experience be enhanced, but it will bring pride to the community.  As for the students, the benefits will extend into their collegiate and professional lives.  Benefitting from this venture will also make them realize their need to "play it forward" when they are able to do so.

Now after reading this, you may say, "That's nice, but that's not important to me."  That's OK.  I can tell you that there are individuals and organizations that have been not only excited but have been compelled to support the fund.  You need to find what touches parents to bring them into your school, what touches alumni and other constituents to make them want to contribute from their time, talent and treasure, as well as what touches foundations so that they will fund your projects.

That begs the question - when you do all the things you do, are you "Advancing the Mission?"  Personally, I believe that advancement is directional, and that you're actually advancing toward the Vision (which assumes that there is a vision for your school.  If there is not, guess what you and your school's leadership should be working on as you prepare for the next school year?).  As for the mission, it needs to "grow," not be "advanced."  Remember that the Acts of the Apostles tells what happens when the 12 were filled with the Holy Fire of the Spirit.  Because of that, "Many were added to their numbers." (Acts 4:4).  So if you're a K to 8 school, and you have one teacher per grade, a principal, a development director and a secretary...sounds like 12 people to me.

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010 (Original Publication Date: 20100426)

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