Determining Core Values A Stepping Stone to Crafting Your Mission Statement

A framework adapted from The Wilder Nonprofit Field Guide to Crafting Effective Mission and Vision Statements
Angelica 2001

MISSION WORKSHEET 1 Select the Mission Writing Team

This worksheet will help you identify a mission statement writing team and develop a charge for the team.
1. Identify one to three people from the board, staff, and volunteers. The team might include formal and informal
leaders, people committed to involvement in the planning process, and individuals with marketing and writing skills.
a. (Team Leader)
b.
c.
2. Write a brief charge for the committee. This might include the following:

Review the current mission statement and decide if it needs to be rewritten.

Write the mission statement for the organization, including core values and
underlying strategies.
Give the board at least two drafts of the new mission statement.

Charge:

3. Identify a due date for the team:

MISSION WORKSHEET 2 CLARIFY CORE VALUES

This worksheet will help the planning participants identify value statements that are important to them and to the
organization. It can be used by each participant, by small group recorders, or by both. The final list of values should be
given to the mission statement writing team.
Identify your organizations core values. These include beliefs central to your organization, those that your organization
considers most important. Avoid one-word platitudes; be as specific as possible.
List the values here:

From The Fieldstone Nonprofit Guide to Crafting Effective Mission and Vision Statements by Emil Angelica.
Copyright 2001 Fieldstone Alliance (formerly Wilder Publishing Center).
www.FieldstoneAlliance.org. All rights reserved.

MISSION WORKSHEET 3 Review the Organizations Underlying Strategies

This worksheet will help you identify the underlying strategies (methods, approaches) that your organization uses to
accomplish its mission.
If there is a current list of underlying strategies, list the top three or four below. If no list of underlying strategies exists,
create one. Using your organizations programs and services as a jumping-off point, identify the underlying or general
strategies that the organization uses to accomplish its mission. Limit your list to three or four statements.
A.

B.

C.

D.

From The Fieldstone Nonprofit Guide to Crafting Effective Mission and Vision Statements by Emil Angelica.
Copyright 2001 Fieldstone Alliance (formerly Wilder Publishing Center).
www.FieldstoneAlliance.org. All rights reserved.