Designing Nonprofit Mission Statements with Liberating Structures
By Dr. Mark Smutny, President, Civic Reinventions, Inc.
In the evolving world of nonprofit leadership, few challenges are as complex—and consequential—as crafting a mission statement that resonates across diverse stakeholders. A well-designed mission is more than prose on a website. It’s the heartbeat of an organization, guiding decisions, inspiring donors, and anchoring strategic priorities.
And yet, how we arrive at this mission—who’s included, how their voices are heard—matters just as much as the words we choose. That’s where Liberating Structures enters the conversation.
Why Inclusion Can’t Be an Afterthought
Traditionally, mission statements emerge from closed boardroom sessions, drafted by an executive director, senior staff and the board of directors. But this model leaves out the rich insights of frontline staff, volunteers, clients, and community members—the very people whose lived experience is most vital.
At Civic Reinventions, we believe in radically inclusive processes. Designing a nonprofit’s mission with all stakeholders present—literally or symbolically—is not just democratic. It’s strategic.
Meeting Design: From Fragmentation to Coherence
Here’s a framework I’ve used successfully with nonprofits across sectors:
- Invite Broadly and Thoughtfully
- Stakeholders should reflect staff, board, volunteers, clients, funders, and community leaders.
- Use trauma-informed outreach: acknowledge historical exclusions, and explain how their insights matter.
- Consider multi-lingual invitations, hybrid access, and stipends for participants facing barriers.
- Set the Stage with Purpose
Start with a Liberating Structures activity like Nine Whys:
- Ask participants: “Why do we do what we do?”
- Probe deeper by repeatedly asking “Why is that important?” to uncover core motivations.
- This lays emotional and intellectual groundwork for authentic conversation.
- Generate Ideas with Inclusive Dialogue
Move into 1-2-4-All:
- Each person reflects solo, then pairs, then quartets, and finally the full group shares.
- The goal: draft statements that reflect aspiration, commitment, and service.
- Capture language that feels lived-in, not just polished.
- Surface Patterns with Ecological Listening
Use Wicked Questions to identify tensions:
- “How do we serve both tradition and innovation?”
- “How do we empower volunteers while maintaining consistency?”
These reveal crucial balancing acts embedded in the mission.
- Clarify and Refine
With a shortlist of draft statements, employ Min Specs:
- What absolutely must be included?
- What must be avoided?
This encourages the group to identify non-negotiables while leaving room for creativity.
- Build Resonance, Not Just Consensus
Use 25/10 Crowdsourcing to vote on drafts:
- Participants score each statement from 1–5 across five criteria (clarity, heart, relevance, originality, and adaptability).
- You’ll discover which version hums across generations, departments, and passions.
A Mission That Lives in People
Crafting a mission statement when done inclusively, becomes an act of organizational belonging and renewal. Liberating Structures invite us not to tame complexity but to harness it—and by doing so, nonprofits emerge with a mission that is deeply resonant, widely owned, and ready to fuel real-world impact.
For assistance with crafting your nonprofit’s mission, vision and values statements, contact Mark Smutny.
📇 Contact Information
Dr. Mark Smutny
President, Civic Reinventions, Inc.
Author of Thrive: The Facilitator’s Guide to Radically Inclusive Meetings, 2nd Edition
📞 Phone: +1 (626) 676-0287
📧 Email: mark.smutny@civicreinventions.com
🌐 Website: https://civicreinventions.com
🔗 LinkedIn: (15) Mark Smutny | LinkedIn