{"id":915,"date":"2024-05-28T13:55:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T13:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=915"},"modified":"2024-05-28T13:55:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T13:55:18","slug":"mission-grammar-for-nonprofit-arts-organizations-flick-the-prepositions-and-cut-the-nonsense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/05\/28\/mission-grammar-for-nonprofit-arts-organizations-flick-the-prepositions-and-cut-the-nonsense\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Grammar for Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Flick the Prepositions and Cut the Nonsense"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your community requires \u201cWhy,\u201d not \u201cHow\u201d \u2013 and the slogans have got to go<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Take it from someone who is verbose. As Polonius said, \u201cBrevity is the soul of wit.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s make this short and impactful. Well, impactful anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get the prepositions, whether they\u2019re attached to a phrase or not, out of your mission statement. And the slogans, too. Not only are they unnecessary, but more than that, these words set up your nonprofit arts organization for failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These statements were chosen at random using the company\u2019s websites or, when not listed on the website (why?), directly from their tax returns. There is no ulterior motive here except to make your organization work better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theater: \u201cSteppenwolf Theatre Company<\/a> strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me start by saying that I have a lot of respect for Steppenwolf. Several of their productions have stayed in my mind as artistic masterpieces. But also, two of them were presented in commercial environments, so there is little that ties their charitable mission to those experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot wrong with their mission statement. It was clearly not created with a goal in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, never \u201cstrive.\u201d Think of the famous Yoda quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your mission contains the idea of \u201cstriving\u201d to do something, just do the thing instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, a mission is not a marketing statement. What\u2019s written here is more of a slogan, catchphrase, or jingle. It can be used as a marketing statement, but its purpose is to reveal the charity\u2019s end goal, not what it does or how it does it. This statement is not a mission statement, but rather an ornamental, gratuitous description of what they do and how they do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ran any other charity, you would look to eliminate a problem or make life measurably better in the ways society has defined them. I would ask Steppenwolf people to describe the ideal impact of their work on the communities of Chicago. What data would they need to track to find out how successful they are in that charitable mission?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social service agency: \u201cThe American Red Cross<\/a> prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.\u200b\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u201cNOLA Red Cross\u201d by Elaine Vigneault is licensed under CC BY 2.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The prepositional phrase, \u201cin the face of emergencies\u201d and the add-on clause, \u201cby mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,\u201d are wholly unnecessary. Not only that, it detracts from the powerful first few words. The rest is descriptive and could be inserted into a list of ways in which they measure success, but they are not a mission. But still, the Red Cross is clearly aware of the impact they seek (not just the impact they have). Imagine if the mission were simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering.\u201d In this case, less is more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symphony: \u201cThe Houston Symphony<\/a> inspires and engages a large and diverse audience in Houston and beyond through exceptional musical performances, and creates enduring impact in our community.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Christoph Meinersmann from Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even as a marketing tool, this mission statement is a word salad of floccinaucinihilipilification. It\u2019s a paean to nothingness. Boiled down, without all the extraneous phraseology, their mission is meaningless, even with a nod to a never-defined \u201cenduring impact in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me be clear: every charity should create impact in the community. Not that it goes without saying, but it should. And again, the company gives no reason why, other than patting themselves on the back for (subjectively) exceptional musical performances. It is far from a mission statement, and yet, sadly, you can see they put in a lot of work at some retreat toward creating this flowery twaddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social justice agency: \u201cThe Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a> is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u201cThe March Continues \u2014 Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery (AL) March 2019\u201d by Ron Cogswell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The SPLC has a long mission statement. There are too many phrases, making it a menu for supporters\u2019 interests but diluting the main idea. Truly, while I understand the need to include those phrases, one has to admit that the core is the first third of the sentence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SPLC doesn\u2019t have to explain why racial justice is important. That\u2019s a universal good. The menu of priorities can easily be placed under a listing of activities to engage specific communities in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arts organizations do <\/em>have to explain why the company exists, if for no other reason than the production of art is not a charitable activity<\/a>. (Note: just because something makes no money doesn\u2019t make it a charitable activity.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closer you get to achieving a truly charitable impact \u2013 and defining what that external impact is \u2013 the better your chances of unconditional support from non-toxic donors will be. They won\u2019t go completely away (they\u2019ve been around too long to just disappear overnight). But if you\u2019re trying to save the world, wouldn\u2019t you prefer the rest of us know why it needs saving?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your community requires \u201cWhy,\u201d not \u201cHow\u201d \u2013 and the slogans have got to go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,22,100,40,32,23,19,18,17,99],"tags":[47],"class_list":{"0":"post-915","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-board-of-trustees","10":"category-book-recommendation","11":"category-change","12":"category-charity","13":"category-executive-director","14":"category-leadership","15":"category-nonprofit","16":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","17":"category-scene-change","18":"tag-mission-statement","19":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Paper-Football-Prepositions.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":240,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2023\/02\/14\/what-are-your-nonprofit-art-board-members-real-responsibilities\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":0},"title":"What Are Your Nonprofit Art Board Members\u2019 Real Responsibilities?","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Responsibility #1: Determine why the company needs to exist.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Diva-board-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Diva-board-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Diva-board-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Diva-board-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Diva-board-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":764,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/02\/20\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-just-land-the-mf-plane\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":1},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Just Land the M*****F***** Plane!","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Stop. Land. Let the current passengers deplane. Start the conversations with your community leaders.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1517,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/07\/a-punchy-outspoken-argument-for-how-nonprofit-arts-organizations-should-be-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":2},"title":"“A PUNCHY, OUTSPOKEN ARGUMENT FOR HOW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN.”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"An example-driven new map to success in the realm of nonprofit theater.\" \u2014 Kirkus Reviews.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scene Change, Scene Change 2, and Scene Change 3 - 3 books to improve your arts organization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1647,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/02\/26\/short-and-sweet-teachers-that-teach-teachers-that-educate-arts-nonprofits-that-produce-arts-nonprofits-that-are-worth-a-donation\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":3},"title":"Short and Sweet: Teachers : Educators :: Arts Organizations : Nonprofit Arts Organizations That Deserve Donations","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Back to the basics, because the message is only going so far. It\u2019s up to you to save the sector from its own worst instincts.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1048,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/09\/17\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-whats-a-community\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":4},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: What\u2019s a \u201cCommunity?\u201d","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"September 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Say it, out loud. What is the definition of \u201ccommunity\u201d to your nonprofit arts organization? It may not be the community to which you claim membership.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1079,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/11\/05\/why-does-transforming-a-country-of-donwanus-takes-just-as-much-effort-than-transforming-a-nonprofit-arts-industry-of-donwanus\/","url_meta":{"origin":915,"position":5},"title":"Why Does Transforming a Country of D\u014dnW\u00e4n\u00fcs Take Just as Much Effort Than Transforming a Nonprofit Arts Industry of D\u014dnW\u00e4n\u00fcs?","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"November 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is election day. Elect to quash the D\u014dnW\u00e4n\u00fcs and their toxicity.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/I-donwanu.jpg?fit=1000%2C952&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/I-donwanu.jpg?fit=1000%2C952&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/I-donwanu.jpg?fit=1000%2C952&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/I-donwanu.jpg?fit=1000%2C952&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=915"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":922,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915\/revisions\/922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}