A mission statement is a short, written declaration about why you are engaging in philanthropy or, if your giving structure is a foundation, why the foundation exists.
Mission statements are powerful because they are heartfelt, simple, and easily communicated. A mission can help you:
- Make the best use of your resources by focusing grants and activity on a specific issue; this focus can increase the impact of your dollars and your time.
- Create grantmaking guidelines, which communicate your interests and your application process to grantseekers.
- Save you time and money by reducing the number of proposals you receive and by giving you a guideline for prioritizing proposals.
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