Nonprofit Characteristics Foundations Seek Before Making Grants

Mission statement
Developing your mission statement is a critical first step, Herbert said. Clarify your mission, answer why, your purpose, discuss general goals, the what and the how, who is going to benefit, etc.

“No matter how clear the mission statement sounds in your head, talk it over with people to make sure it conveys what you want,” Herbert said. “All these words are very important. Some say your mission statement should be so simple and succinct that if fits on a business card, but I think it’s more about clarity than length. You want to have a clear mission statement that includes the purpose, service and beneficiaries.”