Stanford Social Innovation Review

It depends. If the board of directors agrees that the mission statement still accurately reflects what the organization stands for (i.e., the purpose and values of the organization), then you can use it to create a clear picture (vision) of the organization two to three years in the future. If, however, the board, executive director, or critical stakeholders don't agree that the existing mission statement provides clear guidance, it would be wise to take the extra time to update the mission, vision, and core values statements.

The mission of the Urban School of San Francisco is a good example of a strong statement: "The Urban School of San Francisco seeks to ignite a passion for learning, inspiring its students to become self-motivated, enthusiastic participants in their education—both in high school and beyond."

• The school’s purpose is clear: “To ignite a passion for learning”

• The values it espouses--“inspiring growth, helping high school students to be self-motivated and enthusiastic participants in their own education”--provide clear parameters within which the organization will function. The mission would clearly conflict with a strategy that called for no student participation in school decisions, as well as a strategy in which parents, teachers, and administrators did not share in that decision process.

• This mission statement is used regularly inside the school and applied in many situations in which decisions are made and resources allocated.

• At the start of each strategic planning cycle, they start by clarifying what the school will look like in X years, at the close of the current planning horizon.