Why your nonprofit’s “why” matters

Leading and growing an organization dedicated to social change takes a lot. Guts. Commitment. Drive, even when you feel at your most drained. You and your team showed up to do this work because one day, you heard a story so compelling and a need so great there was no question that you had to join in.

This story could have been written down. Maybe that vision was spoken. Perhaps you lived it firsthand. This story might even be unconsciously shared; something so instinctive that your community gets why you do what you do. 

Stories are how we share information, express beliefs, and persuade each other to act. Our ability to imagine a different outcome—to dream that something better is possible—is necessary. It is creative. It is storytelling. It matters deeply.

What is nonprofit core messaging?

When it comes to leading an organization, this story is most powerfully expressed in your core messaging. It's the language that influences your culture, your decision-making and your everyday tasks. It comes through in how you talk about your organization, whether you have a standard boilerplate or you wing it every time.

The most common pieces of core messaging include:

• Purpose statement: The reason your organization exists
• Vision statement: What the world looks like when you've accomplished your goals
• Mission statement: How your organization will reach that vision
• Core Values: Foundational beliefs that guide your work, decision-making and engagement

When your story isn’t written down, it takes away some of that power.

Without solid and updated core messaging, your team members may not be on the same page. Your decisions may feel arbitrary. Tough conversations can feel unmoored from the rest of the work.

Why does your “why” matter?

The easier it is to speak about who your organization is, the more confident you (and your team/community) can be about your impact. We want your team to feel closely connected to their meaningful work, and strong core messaging will help you take the guesswork out of hard decisions and discussions. 

It’s a foundation you can always build upon, even as the individual members of your members and the world around you might shift and flux.

But perhaps you already know what core messaging can do. The question you’re asking is…

When is the right time to refresh core messaging?

If your company has gone through significant shifts in priorities, that’s usually a sign to revisit your foundations and make sure you’re on the right path. With the pandemic and social justice movements of the past few years, nearly all of us are due for some reflection. 

Some specific signs you need a refresh include…

• A change in your community’s needs and goals that affects the way you support them. For instance, the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements reflect great change in communities looking for more solidarity and understanding. For nonprofits who specialize in supporting Black and/or Asian Americans, these were indications to reflect, reaffirm their core mission and values, and step up for their communities in crucial ways.
• A significant change in leadership. Whether you’re experiencing growth or loss, that’s a sign that something central about your organization is shifting, especially on a small team. This is the time to dig in and understand how your team feels about the work they do and the whole organization’s reason for being.
• Feelings of misalignment or miscommunication around your organization’s strategy, goals and culture. Does the team feel uncertain about the change they create? Are you feeling fuzzy about your strategic planning? Core messaging should give clarity to these situations so it never feels like you’re starting from scratch in challenging times.

The best way to test your core messaging is to observe how often it comes up organically in your everyday work.

• Is the language written down in a place that the team interacts with regularly, like as a part of regular all-team meetings or notes?
• Does your team know it by memory? Do they mention things like purpose or values often, without prompting?
• Does your core messaging come up during crucial moments like recruiting, performance reviews, funding decisions, or even measuring your effectiveness?
• When you have difficult conversations, do you use your values or vision to help you find the answer? 

The bottom line is: meaning matters.

Employees crave it. Donors demand it. Community members seek it more than ever. If you have the words to describe the heart of your organization’s story, you can go confidently in new directions as a united team. We can help!