Every professional fundraiser knows this and every nonprofit executive knows this. We must be able to demonstrate clearly that we are adhering faithfully to our mission and that what we are trying to do is serve others. Mission is first. We all know it. There are several reasons.
Good organizations revisit their mission statements regularly.
The congressional actions I discussed earlier will cause many organizations to revisit their missions. I understand that many are already engaged in such efforts. On the radio the other day, on Talk of the Nation, they were discussing nonprofits and the current issues such as tax policies, advocacy and lobbying, and fund raising. A caller said that he heads up a corporation with a giving program, he is a significant donor personally, and he sits on the boards of several local nonprofits. He said that nonprofits are going to have to think differently about what is possible over the next few years.