The Mission Statement by Natalie Fobes
©2009 Natalie Fobes, www.fobesphoto.com
A mission statement is a succinct summary of your business/personal principles coupled with your business specialty. It is difficult to write because each word carries tremendous importance. Think poetry, not prose. Just as each word in a poem is chosen carefully, you must thoughtfully choose each word in a mission statement.
The mission statement can help you make difficult decisions. You can ask yourself: does this fit with my mission. One of my friends was offered the long-term contract for a cigarette company’s advertising campaign. It was lucrative. After a few days of thought he turned it down. He told me it didn’t fit with the mission of his photography.
The mission statement can be private or it can be public. Here are a few that I found online:
BEA: Supporting photography that makes a difference (this is the non-profit I co-founded in 1996)
Bullitt Foundation: To safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
Costco: To continually provide our members with quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices.
Gatesfoundation.org: has 15 guiding principles instead of one mission statement.