1.2. Mission & Vision statements

After setting Values, next step presented here are practical inputs on how you can define unique organisation’s Mission and Vision, as will its strong statements.

Cause of your existence as cultural operator is summarized in your mission and vision statements. By defining it, you will be able to draft your WHY and inspire new generation of contemporary art audience, making them as active consumers of your work; while from the other side you will convince other relevant stakeholders such are private or institutional donors that you are the best in what you do. In case you already have it, go through the following lines and see if there is a space for its improvement. Furthermore, you can think of creating a specialized mission and vision statements for young people or other specialized targe groups.

  • MISSION

    is a way in which your organization/institution is going to achieve your cause of existence. A mission statement is, in some ways, an action-oriented vision statement, declaring the purpose an organization serves to its audience. That often includes a general description of the organization, its function, and its objectives. A mission is based on purpose, beliefs, causes, which are based on values. Your mission should be one simple and clear sentence of what are you going to do and is taking you towards your vision.

  • VISION

    from the other side is achievement of your mission. A vision statement describes where the organization aspires to be upon achieving its mission. This statement reveals the "where" of your business, but not just where the organization seeks to be. Rather, a vision statement describes where organization wants a community, or the world, to be as a result of your work and existence. Mission is a way in which your organization/institution is going to achieve the cause, and vision of your organization/organization is an end point of where your mission is leading you to.

When (re)defining your mission and vision statements, bear in mind following tips we would like to share with you. Both, mission and vision statement should be:

- Be CONCISE – one sentence long statements;

- Be CLEAR and SIMPLE;

- Do it WITHOUT COMPLICATED language;

- Make it easily MEMORABLE and SHARED by others;

- Be INSPIRING!

- Be as SPECIFIC to your organization as possible;

- Do it WITHOUT generic PHRASES.

Now, let’s define your mission and vision statements:

Gather your team once again and open a discussion about what is your cause and how mission and vision statements should sound. Welcome constructive discussion and disagreement. Understanding different views brings more clarity toward your cause, hence toward your mission and vision. When defining vision statement, you should discuss some of the following questions:

- Where are we going to?

- What are we aspiring to/for?

- What do we want to achieve?

- Where do we want our community, or the world, to be (as a result of what we are doing)?

- What do we believe our cultural organization/institution can achieve in 5, 10, 20, 100 years? As for the mission statement, questions you should discuss are:

- How are we going to achieve our vision?

- What do you do?

- Who do you do it for?

- Why are you here?

- What is our reason for existing?

During discussion you can as well share and talk about some other mission and vision statements. Below are some positive examples of it. After you draft mission and vision statements, test it within your target audience.

Examples of some good:

Mission statements

MOMA NYC:

To connects people from around the world to the art of our time. We aspire to be a catalyst for experimentation, learning, and creativity, a gathering place for all, and a home for artists and their ideas.

Albertina Vienna:

It is our desire and aim to be current, relevant, and attractive to the public in all of our endeavours

Google:

To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Amazon:

Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

IKEA:

IKEA: To create a better everyday life for the many people.

Vision statements

Alzheimer's Association:

A world without Alzheimer's disease.

Teach for America:

One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

Microsoft (at its founding):

Microsoft (at its founding): A computer on every desk and in every home.

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