Vision Comes First

Many nonprofits don’t have a clear vision. 

A significant share of them are universities that have been around for centuries and are just trying to maintain the status quo. But they also include performing arts institutions that don’t think past the coming year of programming and direct service orgs caught up in meeting the day-to-day needs of their communities. In other words, most parts of the nonprofit landscape.

But having a clear vision is the difference between surviving and thriving.

As we’ve shared before, a vision is different than your mission statement, and it should be a single aspirational goal that drives your organization’s activities.

Organizations with a strong vision statement are better positioned to:

• Launch a successful feasibility study that yields actionable insights

• Draft a case for support that persuades donors to make transformative gifts

• Scale up current work or expand the scope of activities

• Communicate your organization’s value better to every single constituent

• Recruit new staff and volunteers who are excited by what lies ahead

You may think that a vision will emerge by doing a feasibility study or drafting a case, but trust us when we tell you that won’t happen. Instead, you will be in the position of needing to clarify your vision after investing time, money, and energy in tools and services that don’t do what you need them to do.

So, please, take the time to develop your vision, especially if you are embarking on a strategic planning process. It will pay off in ways you never imagined possible.