®Worksheet 6

¨Worksheet 1

Creating a Mission Statement

Draft Your Mission Statement
(Note: Please write legibly. Use only the space provided.)

What is the focus problem(s) that our organization exists to solve? What need or opportunity does our organization exist to resolve? (In considering the focus problem or need, you might want to consider the following questions: Who is affected by the problem? How are they affected?) Describe how the world would be improved, changed, or different if our organization was successful in solving the problem or responding to the need.

What is the purpose of our organization (answers the question of why we exist, does not describe what we do)? This should be a short succinct statement that describes the ultimate result we are hoping to achieve; make sure to indicate outcomes and results (e.g., to eliminate homelessness), not the methods of achieving those results which is your mission (e.g., by constructing houses).

What is our business? Describe the business or businesses we are in—our primary services or activities.

Worksheet 1 (Continued)

What are the fundamental values and beliefs that should guide us in our day-to-day interactions with each other and our constituencies? What are the major assumptions upon which our organization provides its services?

We believe:

•

We assume:

•

Our Mission Statement

(Combine the information above to create a compelling mission statement about who the organization is, what the organization does, and why the organization does it.)

¨Worksheet 2

Organizational History and Profile

Summarize your organization’s history and identify lessons from your history.

Describe your programs and related infrastructure.

Presentation of Organization’s History

Timeline	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19	19
List Key Organizational Events and Shifts in Priorities (use the timeline to place in chronological order)





List External Events Impacting the Organization (use the timeline to place in chronological order)

Lessons from History: Keys to Stability and Growth	Lessons from History: Recurring Themes that Show Causes for Instability

Worksheet 2 (Continued)

Organizational Profile

List all programs, projects, and services (and note their current scope and scale of service)	Group the activities into categories (sort by common outcome, write program goal for each grouping)	Note any related operations data (infrastructure data such as number of staff, number of Board, breakdown of revenue and expenses, etc.)

¨Worksheet 3

Perceptions of SWOT

List our chapter strengths and weaknesses (star [*] the top three internal forces).

List the external opportunities and threats (political, economic, social, technological, demographic, and legal trends) that may impact the organization (star [*] the top three external forces).

Internal Forces	External Forces
Strengths	Opportunities
• • • • •	• • • • •
Weaknesses	Threats
• • • • •	• • • • •

¨Worksheet 4

Members Perceptions and Expectations

Summarize findings regarding Members’ perception and expectations of the organization.

Members	• What do our members need or expect from our organization? (What are the criteria they use to judge our performance?) • How well does our organization perform against those criteria (excellent, good, fair, or poor)? Why such a rating? • What do our members want us to do more of or less of? • What additional or increased programs or services do they think we should be offering if resources were available?	• What do our members say about our organization’s strengths and weaknesses? • What trends do they perceive as either opportunities or threats?

¨Worksheet 5

Interplay of SWOT

SWOT grid: Using Worksheet 2, look at the interrelationship of your organization’s external opportunities and threats and its internal strengths and weaknesses and assess possible short-term and long-term organizational responses.

	Major Opportunities	Major Threats
	• • • • •	• • • • •
Primary Strengths • • • • •	Invest: Clear matches of strengths and opportunities lead to comparative advantage.	Defend: Areas of threat matched by areas of strength indicate a need to mobilize resources either alone or with others.
Primary Weaknesses • • • • •	Decide: Areas of opportunity matched by areas of weakness require a judgment call: invest or divest; collaborate.	Damage Control: Areas of threat matched by areas of weakness indicate need for damage control.

(Source: Adapted from Kevin P. Kearns: “From Comparative Advantage to Damage Control: Clarifying Strategic Issues Using SWOT Analysis,” Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall 1992.

¨Worksheet 6

Core Future Strategies

Identify and assess your core future strategies.

Strategic issue (stated as a question)	Proposed strategy	Assumptions, facts, and values which support this proposed strategy?	What possible obstacles do we face in implementing this strategy?	What triggers might encourage us to re-evaluate this strategy?