Our site places cookies on your device to give you the best experience. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Our Privacy Notice has more information on how to do this. I’m happy, please close this message

CAF: Charities Aid Foundation CAF: Charities Aid Foundation Skip to main content
Donate to a charity
Register
Log inClose CAF account drop-down menuLog in to your CAF account
CAF accountManage your:
CAF American Donor Fund
CAF Charity Account
CAF Charitable Trust
CAF Company Account
CAF Charity Dashboard
CAF Donate
CAF Give As You Earn

CAF BankManage your bank account
InvestmentsManage your CAF Investment Account
Search

Search

Search box
open menu close menu Menu Close
Donate to a charity
  • ◄COVID-19 Hub ►
  • ◄ I'm an individual ►
  • ◄ I'm a company ►
  • ◄ I'm a charity ►
  • ◄ CAF Bank ►
  • ◄ About us ►
  • For charities
  • For individuals
  • For philanthropists
  • For companies
 
  • ◄ Giving to charity > ►
  • ◄ Private Client Philanthropy > ►
  • ◄ Know more about giving > ►
  • ◄ Help and support > ►
  • ◄ Donate now > ►
  • ◄ Leave a lasting legacy
  • ◄ Grant making through us
  • ◄ Services for professional advisers
 
  • ◄ Employee giving > ►
  • ◄ Employee engagement > ►
  • ◄ Corporate giving > ►
  • ◄ Corporate and workplace fundraising
  • ◄ Impact advisory
  • ◄ Corporate grant making
  • ◄ Resource centre > ►
 
  • ◄ Adaptability resource hub
  • ◄ Everyday banking > ►
  • ◄ Savings > ►
  • ◄ Loans and social investment > ►
  • ◄ Investments > ►
  • ◄ Fundraising > ►
  • ◄ Your donations > ►
  • ◄ Grantmaking > ►
  • ◄ Strategic consultancy > ►
  • ◄ Legacies > ►
  • ◄ Trustees and charity governance
 
  • ◄ Everyday banking > ►
  • ◄ Loans > ►
  • ◄ Savings > ►
  • ◄ Help and support > ►
  • ◄ About CAF Bank > ►
  • ◄ Security centre > ►
 
  • ◄ Governance > ►
  • ◄ International > ►
  • ◄ Research and Commentary > ►
  • Careers
  • ◄ Press office > ►
  • Sustainability
 
  • ◄ Connecting you to charities
  • ◄ Open a giving account
  • ◄ Donate overseas
  • ◄ Payroll giving
  • ◄ Leave a lasting legacy
    • ◄ Manage your giving through us
    • ◄ CAF Charitable Trust
    • ◄ Paying Tax in the UK and US?
    • ◄ Become a social investor
    • ◄ Get expert consultancy
    • ◄ Meet the Team
      • ◄ Our tips, guides and information
      • ◄ Gift Aid
      • ◄ Tax efficient giving
      • ◄ The future of giving
        • ◄ Donating
        • ◄ CAF Charity Account
        • ◄ CAF Charitable Trust
        • ◄ Payroll giving
        • ◄ Expert consultancy
        • ◄ Grant making
          • ◄ Find a UK charity
            • ◄ CAF Give As You Earn
            • ◄ Grow your Payroll Giving scheme
            • ◄ Matching your employee donations
            • ◄ Get your Payroll Giving Quality Mark
              • ◄ Start engaging employees with charitable giving
              • ◄ Find out more about Payroll Giving
              • ◄ Payroll Giving resource hub
                • ◄ CAF Company Account
                • ◄ Manage your corporate grant making
                • ◄ Set up a corporate foundation
                  • ◄ Corporate giving insight
                  • ◄ Corporate giving case studies
                  • ◄ Get in touch
                    • ◄ Everyday charity banking
                    • ◄ Online banking
                    • ◄ CAF Bank Business card
                    • ◄ Taking card payments
                    • ◄ Bacs bureau service
                      • ◄ Borrowing options
                      • ◄ Secured loans with CAF Bank
                      • ◄ Social investment with CAF Venturesome
                        • ◄ Savings accounts
                        • ◄ Instant access savings account
                        • ◄ 60 Day Notice Account
                        • ◄ 90 Day Notice Account
                        • ◄ 12 Month Fixed Rate Saver
                        • ◄ 1 Year Fixed Term Account
                        • ◄ CAF Charity Deposit Platform
                          • ◄ Investment products
                          • ◄ Investment Knowledge Centre
                          • ◄ Getting started
                            • ◄ Fundraising tips and advice
                            • ◄ CAF Donate
                            • ◄ CAF Charity Dashboard
                            • ◄ How to redeem CAF Charity Vouchers
                            • ◄ CAF Donate Help
                              • ◄ CAF Charity Dashboard
                              • ◄ CAF Charity Dashboard Reporting
                              • ◄ Sign up
                              • ◄ CAF Charity Dashboard Help
                                • ◄ Grantmaking with CAF
                                • ◄ Getting a grant
                                • ◄ Contact us
                                  • ◄ Supporting charity development and resilience
                                  • ◄ Meet the Team
                                  • ◄ Contact us
                                    • ◄ Legacies and your charity
                                    • ◄ Contact us
                                    • ◄ Contact us
                                    • ◄ FAQs
                                    • ◄ Tools and guides
                                      • ◄ Current account
                                      • ◄ Online banking
                                      • ◄ CAF Bank Business card
                                      • ◄ Taking card payments
                                      • ◄ Bacs bureau service
                                      • ◄ Interface for Third Party Providers
                                        • ◄ Secured loans
                                        • ◄ Loans for social housing projects
                                        • ◄ Social purpose development finance
                                        • ◄ Charity finance guides
                                        • ◄ Charity finance case studies
                                        • ◄ Intermediaries - Working with us
                                          • ◄ Instant access savings account
                                          • ◄ CAF savings options
                                            • ◄ We're here to help
                                            • ◄ Security centre
                                            • ◄ Protecting your money
                                            • ◄ Making a complaint
                                              • ◄ About us
                                              • ◄ CAF Bank Board of directors
                                              • ◄ CAF Bank Executives
                                              • ◄ Meet the team
                                              • ◄ Legal information
                                              • ◄ Regulatory information
                                              • ◄ CAF Bank Pillar 3 disclosure (.pdf opens in new window)
                                                • ◄ CAF Bank Board Directors
                                                • ◄ CAF Bank Executives
                                                • ◄ Legal information
                                                • ◄ Regulatory information
                                                • ◄ CAF Bank Pillar 3 disclosure (.pdf opens in new window)
                                                • ◄ Complaints procedure
                                                  • ◄ Our trustees
                                                  • ◄ Our executive
                                                  • ◄ Committees
                                                  • ◄ Annual reports
                                                  • ◄ Our Standards and Conduct Policy
                                                  • ◄ Legal information
                                                  • ◄ Regulatory information
                                                  • ◄ Complaints procedure
                                                    • ◄ Case studies
                                                    • ◄ Contact us
                                                      • ◄ Giving Tuesday
                                                      • ◄ Champion for charities
                                                      • ◄ Groundwork for growing giving
                                                      • ◄ Place based giving
                                                      • ◄ Future:Good
                                                        • ◄ Research
                                                        • ◄ Policy and Campaigns
                                                        • ◄ Publications
                                                        • ◄ Blogs
                                                          • ◄ Experts and Events
                                                            • ◄ Giving Thought blog
                                                            • ◄ CAF Venturesome blog
                                                            • ◄ Public Affairs blog
                                                            • ◄ Charities blog
                                                            • ◄ Research blog
                                                              • ◄ Development Fund
                                                              • ◄ Contact us
                                                              • ◄ SAR Volunteer Training Fund
                                                                • ◄ Vacancies
                                                                • ◄ Contact us
                                                                  • ◄ 2019 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2018 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2017 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2016 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2015 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2014 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2013 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2012 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2011 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2010 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2009 publications
                                                                  • ◄ 2008 publications
                                                                  • ◄ Archive
                                                                  • ◄ Contact us
                                                                    • ◄ How do we help protect you
                                                                    • ◄ How to keep yourself safe
                                                                    • ◄ Be aware - types of threat
                                                                    • ◄ How to spot a bank scam
                                                                    • ◄ Seen something suspicious
                                                                      open login menuclose login menu

                                                                      Log in

                                                                      CAF accountManage your:
                                                                      CAF American Donor Fund
                                                                      CAF Charity Account
                                                                      CAF Charitable Trust
                                                                      CAF Company Account
                                                                      CAF Charity Dashboard
                                                                      CAF Donate
                                                                      CAF Give As You Earn
                                                                      CAF BankManage your bank account
                                                                      InvestmentsManage your CAF Investment Account
                                                                      Register
                                                                      1. Home
                                                                      2. >
                                                                      3. I'm a charity
                                                                      4. >
                                                                      5. Charity Adaptability Hub
                                                                      6. >
                                                                      7. Governance and leadership
                                                                      8. >
                                                                      9. Writing your charity mission statement

                                                                      How to write your charity mission statement


                                                                      Your mission statement is a fundamental asset that should influence every part of your non-profit organisation – from your comms to the attitude of your volunteers. That's why creating an effective charity mission statement is critical, particularly during periods of uncertainty.

                                                                      It's not easy. You'll need to involve everyone in your organisation (including beneficiaries), be receptive to their feedback, and incorporate it into one concise piece of copy. It's as much a creative task as it is one of collaboration and management.

                                                                      As charities face continued uncertainty, operational challenges and the prospect of adapting to the ‘new normal’, crafting a clear purpose or mission statement for your non-profit has never been more important. To help you do that, Beth Clarke, Programme Manager at CAF, shares her advice on nailing your charity mission statement.
                                                                       

                                                                      Why should charities have their mission statement front and centre?

                                                                      • Video transcript
                                                                        Why should charities have their mission statement front and center of their communications?

                                                                        Ideally your mission should inspire people, but try not to worry too much about that while you're writing it because it should be expressed very simply. But people should be able to read it and think, ‘yes that’s absolutely something that I can get on board with, I see the value in this.’

                                                                        You will want your mission also to be something that a person who doesn't know you at all can read and understand what you do and why. 

                                                                        If it’s too vague, if you try to include too many of your values, if you try to explain in detail a list of your activities, you lose people. So, it should be one or two sentences max that really clearly explains who you are and what you do.

                                                                         
                                                                       
                                                                       

                                                                      Is a charity mission different to a statement and does it matter?

                                                                      • Video transcript

                                                                        Is a charity mission different to a statement and does it matter?

                                                                        A mission and a purpose are really clearly linked. Some people have a separate mission statement and a separate purpose. You could argue that your mission is what you are doing and for who and that your purpose is why you are doing it and why you exist.

                                                                        You often see a mission statement that really includes a little bit of both. I don’t think it matters massively and you may want to split them out. There can be value in doing that if you have a mission statement that - whether implicitly or explicitly - says what your purpose is and why you exist, I don't think that matters either way

                                                                        I think it's fine whichever you want, so long a you're able to communicate clearly with people who don't know who you, why you are there and what you are doing

                                                                        It doesn't have to include all your strategic plan; it just has to give the broad outline of what you’re up to, and why, for whom.

                                                                       
                                                                       

                                                                      How should you write your charity mission statement?

                                                                      • Video transcript
                                                                        How should you write your charity mission statement?

                                                                        In order to write your mission statement you should absolutely be including everyone involved in the organisation and all of your stakeholders. You'll want to start by not just having your staff involved but also your trustee board and those who are benefiting from your service - whether that’s the people that you serve or those who are affected by the environment that you're working to support. 

                                                                        It’s a really good idea to get everybody involved. People will have slightly different views of what they think it is. It's really helpful to make sure everyone’s on the same page. People will have really good ways of expressing it that you may not have thought of.

                                                                        However I would really advise that one person and one person only takes all those ideas away and does the wordsmithing and then sends it out for feedback.

                                                                        In terms of where your mission statement should live, asbolustly it should be on your website. You may well want to have it on documents you send out etcetera, etcetera. 

                                                                        But the most important thing is that your mission is felt, held and owned by the people who are delivering it. The mission statement is not meant to be something that exists on a shelf or is up on all of your walls but doesn’t exist in terms of how people work.

                                                                        The most important thing about your mission is that it is owned and understood by everybody who works there, and by your volunteers. If the staff don’t see how their role links into the mission that’s a big issue.

                                                                       

                                                                      CONTINUE EXPLORING RESOURCES BY TOPIC

                                                                      Or return to Charity Adaptability home

                                                                      Strategy and planning

                                                                      Governance and leadership

                                                                      Loans

                                                                      Digital fundraising

                                                                      Grants

                                                                      Donor relations

                                                                      Cross-charity collaboration

                                                                      Partner with a corporate

                                                                      Charity landscape

                                                                      • Individuals
                                                                      • Donate now
                                                                      • CAF Charity Account
                                                                      • CAF Charitable Trust
                                                                      • CAF Charitable Legacy Service
                                                                      • CAF American Donor Fund
                                                                      • Giving to charity
                                                                      • Your philanthropy
                                                                      • Resource centre
                                                                      • Companies
                                                                      • CAF Give As You Earn
                                                                      • CAF Company Account
                                                                      • Corporate responsibility
                                                                      • Engaging employees
                                                                      • Corporate community
                                                                        investment
                                                                      • Charities
                                                                      • Everyday banking
                                                                      • Borrowing
                                                                      • Social investment
                                                                      • Investments
                                                                      • Fundraising services
                                                                      • Expert Advice
                                                                      • About us
                                                                      • About CAF Bank
                                                                      • Security Centre
                                                                      • Media Office
                                                                      • Our blogs
                                                                      • Policy and Campaigns
                                                                      • Research
                                                                      • Experts and Events
                                                                      • Publications
                                                                      • Careers
                                                                      CAF home
                                                                      CAF on facebook
                                                                      CAF on twitter
                                                                      CAF on youtube
                                                                      CAF on linkedin
                                                                      CAF on Instagram
                                                                      • Contact us
                                                                      • Help
                                                                      • Sitemap
                                                                      • Accessibility
                                                                      • Privacy

                                                                      Modern Slavery Statement


                                                                      Charities Aid Foundation © | Registered Charity Number 268369
                                                                      25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA
                                                                      10 St. Bride Street, London EC4A 4AD
                                                                      Telephone: 03000 123 000