A mission statement is a brief description of an organisations fundamental purpose. It states a club's reason for being.

The mission statement clarifies the essence of club existence. It describes the needs the club was created to fill, explains why it exists, and what it hopes to achieve in the future.

But why does a club need a mission statement?

A mission statement will help determine the club’s direction and keeps everyone clear on the direction of the club. It is to the club what a compass is to an explorer. It provides the boundaries and guardrails for decision making and helps the club stay on the right path.

A mission statement will also help everyone better understand the goals the club should be committed to accomplishing. Once those goals are set, the club committee can develop a sound strategy ensuring its stability through possible challenges and changes.

Writing a Mission Statement

Before you sit down to develop your mission statement, consider these points to make the process easier.

Collaboration: An effective mission statement is best developed with ideas from different members in the club.

Keep it concise: Two or three focused sentences are ideal.

Examine other mission statements to get ideas for your own.

Take your time: Effective mission statements usually take a while to develop. Revisiting your mission statement drafts during a couple of meetings allows for additional input and final editing.

Writing a mission statement doesn’t need to be a hard task. When developing the club’s mission statement ask:

  • What do we do?
  • What is the purpose of the club? Think about the outcomes and results the cub wants to achieve
  • Who are we here for? Think about the internal and external stakeholders
  • What are the core values and beliefs of our club?

Answering these four questions will ensure the club’s mission statement is effective.

Launch it!

Now that you have written your mission statement and its formally adopted by the club committee, it’s time to launch it! Communicate your mission statement far and wide through social media, club website and newsletters, club advertising material and signage. This will ensure everyone is on-board with the mission of the club and knows what the club is trying to achieve.