The Needs, They are A-changin'

The mission is at the heart and soul of the organization, but to get to a point where we can talk about the mission of the organization, we need to first talk about the unmet needs and issues the organization seeks to address. Why you might ask?

As you probably know, a mission statement explains the focus and purpose of the organization, its target audiences, the actions it will take, and the overall goal. Sometimes it includes more and sometimes less. Another way to think of a mission statement is it usually conveys the positive response to an unmet need in the community that the organization addresses.

For example, Summer Search’s mission “is to find resilient low-income high school students and inspire them to become responsible and altruistic leaders by providing year-round mentoring, life-changing summer experiences, college advising, and a lasting support network.” So it seems the unmet needs Summer Search addresses are to 1) help low-income students get out of poverty and 2) fill a gap in resources low-income young students need in order to graduate from college.

Now, let’s bring it home. More than likely, the change in the economy has effected your clients. If this is the case, then it makes sense to take a moment and re-evaluate your clients’ needs as it relates to the overall mission of your organization. Last October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so let’s use this issue as one example of how the recession has impacted a target audience.

According to an online article by Global Envision, “…incidents of domestic violence are rising… A study on recent domestic-violence homicides in Massachusetts found that ‘limited access to services for victims and unemployment for batterers’ were key risk factors of abuse.” This is a disappointing, but true example of how the recession impacts clients of an organization.

Have the needs of your clients changed? Have they expanded? Perhaps the priorities of your programs, criteria for selecting clients, or the funding and attention they receive need to change in order to address the change in clients’ needs. The impact is real. Do you know the changing needs of your clients? Please share your thoughts!

In our next blog entry, we’ll discuss how to conduct research to gather this information.