Mission or Vision? Maybe ACTION Instead

By Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, LPEC

We are well into January and there is so much to discuss! At least we won’t be at a loss for ideas for the blog this year. Like a kid in a candy store, there are so many ideas to choose from it’s hard for me to decide. Since I have to pick one for this week, my first blog article of 2026, I am going to write about an interesting conversation in one of the networking groups I belong to – the topic is MISSION. 

Mission is the “why” of an organization; why do you exist? And what are you going to do about it? 

Many people say that nonprofits are “mission-driven” organizations but the fact is that all organizations are mission driven. This is an example of why, like all professions, we need to have a common glossary or understanding of what these words mean. Too often I see people waste time parsing words rather than taking the action required to work together to strengthen our profession.  We need to build cohesion and a united front. 

I have a headache from all the times I’ve shaken my head when I hear, “I work with nonprofits and associations,” or “well there is a difference between a non-profit and a not-for-profit; don’t you agree?” No, I don’t agree there’s a difference, and all 501c organizations are nonprofits -- which is why I have a headache. Call it what you will, what defines nonprofit organizations is that they do not distribute profits to shareholders. When you look up the “differences” in nonprofit and not-for-profit, they all fall under the 501c status. 

We don’t even understand our own language; how can we explain it to others? 

Mission is not a differentiator for nonprofit organizations, but what does set us apart is our habit of straying from our reason for being. In our pursuit of being all things to all people, which is impossible, we focus on webinars and conferences and internal politics rather than finding ways to fulfill our mission. The focus too often is on services rather than outcomes. 

Which leads me to the conversation I mentioned. We were discussing Mission and Vision and Core Values. 

During the conversation, someone pointed out that in addition to a Mission statement, they would like to see an Action statement. Wow, yes, and more please! Their point was it’s great to have a Mission but how are you going to make it happen? And how will you communicate it to the world at large? 

At the time of the conversation, I had only had two cups of coffee but this statement energized me immediately. For many years I have stated that Mission is the most important statement because it’s your “why,” and Core Values are great as they frame what type of community an organization wants to be. However, I do not think a Vision statement is useful or supportive in Mission fulfillment. It’s a nice thing to have, but like Mr. Spock of Star Trek said, an ermine violin is nice too but you don’t necessarily need one. 

During the conversation, I heartily endorsed the person’s suggestions of having an Action Statement instead of a Vision Statement. That would make a strong impact and communicate to the world that you mean business. Imagine how energizing that would be for your members or other community segments; instead of a vague and soft Vision statement you would have the “how” to your “why.” What a fantastic idea!

In an era of fragmentation in the nonprofit management community, specifically in the association sector, we need to pull together and create shared understanding of what we do, why we do it, and how we do it. There is more and more scrutiny of the nonprofit community and we need to take it seriously – it’s not just about decreased government grant funding. It’s about our very existence. We no longer have the luxury of splitting hairs over definitions, nor do we have the luxury of saying “that won’t work.” We need to remove the obstacles and stop using them as an excuse for inaction. 

If we are going to help our community fulfill its Mission, we need to agree about what that means. If we aren’t speaking the same language, there is no way we can be successful in taking action or in communicating our community’s value to the world. 

What should our action statement be? Let me know what you think.