How to create a Family Mission Statement?
The Mission Statement for your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a summary of what you want to achieve through your charitable giving. Developing a Mission Statement will help you focus on the causes that matter most to your family and to develop a shared purpose in giving.
To create a Family Mission Statement, read through the two questions below (and the underlying questions to provoke ideas) as a guide to drafting the core tenets of a one to three sentence Mission Statement. The creator of the DAF can answer the following questions alone or solicit responses from each family member.
Why do you want to give?
Our worldviews are shaped by the people and experiences we encounter in our lives. In order to help you start thinking about your Mission Statement, take a moment to reflect on the milestones that have made you who you are.
Who has influenced you in a way that makes you want to give back?
What formative experience(s) have shaped your desire to give charitably?
When you think about the world, what inspires and/or upsets you?
What motivates you to give (life events, faith, etc.)?
How would you define success when it comes to giving?
What issues/causes do you want to give toward?
What changes would you like to affect with your giving?
Do you have a specific geographic area you want to focus on?
What population do you want to support with your giving?
What is your long-term goal for your charitable giving?
Sample Mission Statements
We believe education is the core foundation needed to create a brighter future. Accordingly, we will focus our charitable giving on charities that provide education opportunities to children in rural America.
Our family mission is to preserve forest lands in Colorado through the support of programs that educate about and/or protect this important resource.
To honor my grandfather’s legacy as a farmer, I will give to organizations that promote organic farming and animal-friendly food production.
We will give to organizations that help carry our faith to unreached peoples while simultaneously sending medical professionals and community developers to help improve quality of life for the local population.
Setup My Family Mission Statement
Navigate to the My Family tab > Add family mission statement
Under that section you can write your mission statement and also Defining Supported Causes for Giving
2. You will see a list of several causes to select from. Check all causes that you would like to support when exploring charities to donate to.
Check the box to restrict the searchable universe of charities to a selected cause.