In our last blog post, Lindsay Mullen offered some valuable advice: in order to make your mission matter, it needs to be the very center of everything you do as an organization. From hiring new staff to taking on new clients, your mission should serve as a guide to the best decisions for your organization, and it should come through in every piece of communication you put out.
Following Lindsay’s “show, don’t tell” mentality, I’d like to highlight four organizations that take living their missions to the next level. Take note, mission-driven marketers!
Based in Chicago, Greenheart International is a global nonprofit that connects people through cultural exchange programs in order to foster a deeper understanding of the global community. They’re also focused on promoting sustainable programs that create a better planet for us all.
Mission: Greenheart International is a nonprofit committed to connecting people and planet to create a more peaceful and sustainable global community. We achieve this through a unique and diverse collection of programs fostering cultural exchange, eco-fair trade, volunteerism, personal development and environmentalism.
The Greenheart is a symbol of love and respect for each other and the planet. By representing Greenheart, you can express what Greenheart means to you in your unique way.
How they’re living (and marketing) their mission: Greenheart embodies their mission in everything they do, but it’s particularly evident in their blog. The blog content is engaging and extensive, covering much more than just travel tips. We particularly like the features from participants in Greenheart’s exchange programs that delve into their new experiences, detail cultural differences and offer advice for those looking to follow in their adventurous footsteps. From the voices of these travelers, Greenheart’s mission to bring about a world that is united is powerfully illustrated, and their mission to create a peaceful global community shines through brighter than ever.
A Safe Haven provides shelter and assistance to those who are suffering from sudden or chronic financial and social crisis. Through specialized programs and methods, A Safe Haven helps these people address the root of their problems so they can move on to develop a sustainable way to remain self-sufficient.
Mission: A Safe Haven is a 501(c)3 not for profit, social enterprise that helps people aspire, transform and sustain their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable mode. A Safe Haven’s visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates vibrant, viable communities.
How they’re living (and marketing) their mission: A Safe Haven promotes their mission through a wide array of engaging events that benefit their programs and help supporters become a part of the mission. From 5K runs to fundraising galas, A Safe Haven uses these platforms to engage and activate their stakeholders by showcasing their success stories to gain more support.
Shawn Askinoise quit his day job as a successful lawyer to create become a chocolate maker that weaves social responsibility into every facet of his business. Askinosie Chocolate was born out of the idea that a company can be committed to fairness, sustainability, minimal environmental impact and community enhancement all while creating a great product.
Mission: We at Askinosie Chocolate exist to craft exceptional chocolate while serving our farmers, our customers, our neighborhood, and one another, striving in all we do to leave whatever part of the world we touch better for the encounter.
How they’re living their mission: Askinoise Chocolate prides itself on treating their farmers with dignity and respect. Through their website, they tell detailed stories of how their Direct Trade practices create long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with cocoa farmers that result in better crops, sustainable practices, and high profits for all, which helps us visualize their mission at work.
Heartland Alliance is the leading anti-poverty organization in the Midwest. They help those suffering from poverty and homelessness recognize their human rights by providing housing, healthcare, employment opportunities and legal services.
Mission: Heartland Alliance advances the human rights and responds to the human needs of endangered populations—particularly the poor, the isolated, and the displaced—through the provision of comprehensive and respectful services and the promotion of permanent solutions leading to a more just global society.
How they’re living their mission: Heartland Alliance’s mission to help those affected by poverty is showcased through powerful videos of their program participants. These brief, yet powerful windows into the lives of participants show how housing, healthcare, jobs, and justice changed their lives and helped them escape from poverty, and compell stakeholders to seek out more information and get involved.
Photo Credit:Lars Plougmann, Creative Commons via Flickr
