The role of the mission in guiding the growth and direction of a nonprofit organization is to keep believing in the mission. In other words, we all have passions in different areas, but this does not get us far. We need to have a passion for something (mission), have the right set of army (people who also believe in the mission and things your organization does), and make sure we have a reason behind why we do what we do.

This also allows us to discuss what is required to bring the mission to life for each stakeholder audience. Your audience is more interested in understanding your “why” instead of “what” or “how”, whether you are selling a product or selling your mission to stakeholders. Ultimately, you need to know why you do what you do. Simon Sinek mentions that “the part of the brain that controls decision-making and not language” is the “why” part of our brain. So if a nonprofit organization (or any organization) wants to appeal to their audience and bring their mission to light, they would need to answer the “why” question for people. This will allow stakeholders to have more trust and confidence in you, and hopefully end up funding for your causes.

Strategic communications can expand an organization’s mission and impact because it allows all parties to be on the same page. Collecting and communicating data on time is important for an organization’s growth and future because an appropriate and beneficial action can only take place if the issue is detected on time. Melinda Gates gives us the example of Coca-Cola and how successful they are worldwide, even in developing countries where people do not even have basic necessities. Coca-Cola is able to strategically communicate how their product is doing and using that data to take a strategic decision and action. Moreover, the Komen and Planned Parenthood controversy is important to discuss too. If Planned Parenthood was not strategically communicating within their organization and to their audience then it would not have been as prepared as they were when Komen decided to defund their organization. Being able to communicate and deliver to their audience what they want to hear, Planned Parenthood was able to stay true their mission, not bash Komen, and get back their funding from Komen. Ultimately, I think it is imperative for an organization to keep true to their mission and always think several steps ahead. Keep everyone informed and do not stray away from what you believe. An organization is able to inspire their staff, audience, and stakeholders by believing. Strategic planning and communication will not only help your programs but also help your organization if an unexpected situation arises.