02: Mission Statement

Confirming
Reconfirming

The community foundation submits a mission statement approved by the board.

Key Elements 
  1. Commitment to the public benefit
  2. A clearly stated organizational mission (Elements may also be found in other documents, such as vision, values, or principles statements.)
  3. Long-term goal of securing discretionary resources to meet changing community needs (Cross-check with governing documents or communication materials for consistency; can be in any one or all documents.)
  4. Focus on a defined geographical region such as a municipality, county, state, metropolitan area or closely related aggregation of such areas that are considered for some purposes as a community. An organization serving a single greater metropolitan area would satisfy this criterion even if that greater metropolitan area included parts of several states. This criterion excludes national and multinational organizations. (Cross-check with communication materials and governing documents for consistency; can be in any one or all documents.)

Material Changes

For the purposes of reconfirmation, a material change is any change in the mission statement. If any changes were made, please submit the revised documents and fill out chart below where appropriate. If you have had material changes, you will need to resubmit any documentation related to material changes. Review all key elements for this requirement by clicking the "confirming" toggle in the upper left corner of this page.

Core Materials 

Suggested Documents

  • Mission statement
  • Vision, Values, or Principle Statements
  • Governing Instruments
  • Communication and Marketing Materials
No documents required for reconfirmation.

 

Related Standards 

I. Definition of a U.S. Community Foundation

I.A  A community foundation is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, autonomous, publicly supported, nonsectarian philanthropic institution with a long-term goal of building permanent, named component funds established by many separate donors to carry out their charitable interests and for the broad-based charitable interest of and for the benefit of residents of a defined geographic area.

II. Mission, Structure and Governance

II.A     A community foundation is founded and operated for the public benefit and has a well-defined, articulated mission.

II.F.1    A community foundation's governing body is responsible for the mission, strategic direction, and policies of the organization.

III. Resource Development

III.C    A community foundation has a long-term goal of securing discretionary resources to address the changing needs of the community it serves.