Rethinking Your Nonprofit’s Core Values

How to Realign Your Nonprofit’s Core Values

Your organization’s core values aren’t just to look pretty sitting on a website, pamphlet, or other marketing collateral. Nonprofit core values should be at the heart of decision-making, donor interaction, and idea implementation. Further, core values need to strategically align with the mission and vision of the nonprofit.

Defining Core Values, Mission Statements, and Vision Statements

Before you can achieve strategic alignment, refresh your memory of nonprofit core values, mission statements, and vision statements.

  • What are nonprofit core values? Your core values should shape the behavior of the organization and affect all decision-making.
  • What is a mission statement? The mission of your nonprofit is a short yet powerful statement on why the organization exists.
  • What is a vision statement? The vision statement of your nonprofit should define the future hope or end result from the organization’s efforts.

Rethink Your Core Values

Do your core values truly reflect your nonprofit’s behavior and decision-making? To help rethink your current core values, ask your leadership team these questions:

  • What values, morals, or ethics helped your team make a big decision recently?
  • How would you describe members of your leadership team?
  • How would you describe the culture and ethics of your nonprofit?

The best way to rethink your core values is to brainstorm adjectives that describe the people in the organization and the work the organization does. Also, include words that describe how you want your nonprofit to be perceived by the community.

Achieving Strategic Alignment

The key to achieving strategic alignment is consistency. Your nonprofit needs to align its core values, mission, and vision and how each is fulfilled. To do so, turn towards your leadership team.

What is your leadership team doing to fulfill those areas and inspire board members, donors, and the community?

How Your Leadership Team Can Fulfill Core Values

To truly know if your leadership team has the competencies to fulfill the organization’s core values, evaluate their performance. Use the DCM Executive Leadership Team Member Performance Evaluation to recognize how well the executive performs in their job and to identify any needed improvements.

At DCM, we don’t just put your leaders on a numeric scale but offer valuable and personalized solutions to help achieve strategic alignment. To learn more, schedule a complimentary phone consultation with DCM Associates.