Stage 5:  Define Mission and Purpose

Your next step is to work on your vision of what philanthropy can achieve in your community. The Mission Statement for your new organization should be a single paragraph that captures your group’s vision for your community and vision of the role your community fund will play in making that vision into a reality.

You will now want to share the results of your research and your Mission Statement with the rest of the community. Ask the local newspaper or radio station to carry a story about what you’ve been doing.  The Workbook includes further suggestions about how to develop this story, and how to get it circulated in your community.

The resources for this stage are primarily ones to help you think about what the deeper mission of philanthropy is in your community.  In our trainings we discuss this level of   mission in terms of “transformation” and “the spirit of philanthropy.”

A comprehensive paper on Stage 5, “Deepen and Define the Mission”, prepared by the Philanthropy Index staff, is available on this web page by simply clicking on that title in the column to the left.

 

            Transformation and the Spirit of Philanthropy

The Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership.  http://www.greenleaf.org/index.html.

“Servant-Leadership is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions.  Servant-leaders may or may not hold formal leadership positions.  Servant-leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.”

Ministry of Money.  http://www.ministryofmoney.org.  “Ministry of Money is a prophetic  ministry which encourages all persons to become free from their attachment to cultural values regarding money.”

More than Money.  http://www.morethanmoney.org.  “Our Vision.  It is a rare gift to have plenty of money. It can free us to be our best selves, and enable us to be of great service to the wider world. Yet, wealth comes with significant challenges. How do we know how much is enough? How do we know when to say yes and when to say no? Does money help or hinder us in fulfilling our own life purpose? What does it mean to use our resources wisely?  We believe that financial resources can enable us to be powerful, creative agents for kindness, generosity, creativity, healing, personal growth, economic development, community building, job generation, education, and much more.”

NewTithing Group.  http://www.newtithing.org/index.html.  A philanthropic research organization committed to increasing charitable giving and personal fulfillment.  They provide a budgeting perspective that helps people decide how much they can afford to donate.

High Impact Philanthropy:  How Donors, Boards, and Nonprofit Organizations Can Transform Communities.  Alan L. Wendroff and Kay Sprinkel Grace.  John Wiley and Sons (2000).

Robin Hood Was Right:  A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change.  Chuck Collins, Pam Rogers and Joan P. Garner.  W.W. Norton (2000).  Available through their website:  http://www.robinhoodwasright.org/thebook.html.

“The Spiritual Secret of Wealth:   The inner dynamics by which fortune engenders care”, by Paul Schervish and Mary O’Herliby.  Paper describing the potential for transformation for wealthy donors.  Available as free download at:  http://www.bc.edu/research/swri/publications/by-year/publications-2002/.  An excellent interview on this topic with Schervish in More Than Money magazine Spring 2003 issue is available for free download at:  http://www.bc.edu/research/swri/.

Articles on “Almsgiving” and “Gift Giving” in the Encyclopedia of Religion give a historical and cross-cultural perspective on philanthropy.  Encyclopedia of Religion.  Edited by Mircea Eliade. Collier Macmillan (1987).

            Mission Statements

To find sample mission statements, go to this page on the Foundation Center ’s website and follow their instructions: http://fdncenter.org/learn/faqs/html/mission_statements.html .

The websites listed below have FAQ's sections with excellent guidance about crafting mission statements:

BoardSource.  “Formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, BoardSource is the premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide.”  Especially useful is their webpage “Board Essentials”, a set of FAQ’s on every aspect of Board formation and development:  http://www.boardsource.org/QnA.asp?Class=BoardEssential.

Milano Nonprofit Management Knowledge Hub.   This website “guides readers to the most useful free articles, resources and websites for nonprofit management professionals and researchers”.  All links and entries are reviewed by two staff members and two volunteer reviewers.  An exhaustive listing and outstanding resource.  Produced by the Nonprofit Management Program of the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.  http://www.newschool.edu/milano/hub/

The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide.  This website is a “comprehensive online resource directory and capacity building tool that offers Preferred Practices and Pitfalls, Glossaries, Resources, Trends and Web Site Profiles within ten topic areas. Nonprofitbasics.org offers answers to virtually any question about managing nonprofits by providing hands-on tips, articles and profiled links.”  The Guide is a project of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University, Michigan.  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org

Nonprofit FAQ.  Online resource from the Internet Nonprofit Center that offers information “provided by participants in many online discussions about nonprofits and their work”.  Based on actual questions and answers posted by nonprofit managers over the years.  High-quality, and comprehensive. http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/

            Sample Documents: Pointe Coupée Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish in Louisiana is the first Index community to establish a philanthropic fund.  They have given permission for the reproduction of the mission statment of their fund, and of the press release they used to announce this phase of their work.  A paper describing the Index's implementation in Pointe Coupée will be posted on this website in December 2003.

            Mission Statement:

The Pointe Coupée Community Enrichment Fund was established to enhance the quality of life for all Pointe Coupée Parish residents. To fulfill our mission, we will provide funding to organizations whose purpose is to affect long term benefits for societal, educational, and cultural needs of the Pointe Coupée community.

            Press Release:

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:       May 5, 2003

POINTE COUPÉE COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT FUND ESTABLISHED

Pointe Coupée, LA -- Pointe Coupée’s most notable philanthropist, Julien Poydras, once said, “If I have not charity, I am nothing.” Almost 200 years later, his example inspired a group of concerned citizens in Pointe Coupée Parish to establish the Pointe Coupée Community Enrichment Fund. The first contribution was a $100 bill from an individual devoted to Pointe Coupée Parish.

The fund, established to enhance the quality of life for all Pointe Coupée Parish residents, has already raised over $102,000 in the past month. The fund will provide support for charitable organizations devoted to social services, educational and cultural endeavors and scholarships to local students.

“I’m not surprised at the success of the fund,” said fund Chairman Jacques LaCour. “Our people have always been philanthropic. It is natural that our citizens would gather assets for the benefit of all. All the money raised will be used for our community.”

An advisory committee will listen to the needs in Pointe Coupée and make grants to improve the quality of life. Members include: Jacques LaCour, Chairperson; Reverend Howard W. Bushey, Vice Chairperson; John Wayne Jewell, Treasurer; Aletha Moore, Secretary; Jimmy Bello, James Boulanger, Lynn David, Greg Grimes, Gert Hawkins, Emily King, Gloria Myer, Randy Osborne and Joanna Wurtele.

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will recognize the Pointe Coupée Community Enrichment Fund at a luncheon on Monday, May 5 at Boudreaux’s in Baton Rouge. The keynote address by Kay Sprinkel Grace is titled “Transforming Communities Through Philanthropy.” LANO’s Louisiana Philanthropy Initiative (www.louisianagiving.org) provided support and guidance for the creation of the Pointe Coupée Community Enrichment Fund. LANO is a membership organization that provides resources and education to Louisiana’s nonprofit sector. For reservations to the luncheon, visit LANO online at www.lano.org or call 225/343-5266.

The Pointe Coupée Community Enrichment Fund is a donor advised fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. All contributions will benefit Pointe Coupée Parish. If you are interested in learning more or contributing to the fund, please contact an advisory committee member or call the Baton Rouge Area Foundation at 225/387-6126.