“We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals,” boasts The Humane Society.

“We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions,” asserts the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

And water.org strives “To Bring Safe Water & Sanitation to the World.”

In each case, the organization’s mission is unmistakable.

Your mission, too, should be abundantly clear before starting a fundraising drive.

Too often, board and staff assume their mission is obvious but frequently trustees have a blurred view of the organization’s purpose and its aims for the future.

Priority one, then, is revisiting your goals and having your board endorse them wholeheartedly.

One way to reach such an accord is to hold a half-day or full-day retreat to explore a wide range of fundamental questions. Among them:

• Why does our organization exist?
• What makes it more effective than groups with similar goals?
• What are our principal strengths and weaknesses?
• What are our long- and short-range objectives? And,
• How might we deliver even better services?

It’s important that your organization’s key leaders and volunteers attend this session. In fact, such a workshop is an effective way to give key constituencies like community leaders and would-be donors a voice in determining your organization’s direction. Common sense tells you they’ll be more inclined to help realize plans they themselves have shaped.

Bear in mind that your mission is the magnet for donors.

In a study of more than 250 organizations, conducted by DonorVoice, donors were asked to rate 32 factors that played a role in their giving. Number one? The donor “perceives your organization to be effective in trying to achieve its mission.”

In fact, the mission of your organization, rather than any particular project, is what most influences prospective donors. As philanthropist Marianne McDonald puts it, “There is nothing that could move me to making a large gift if I don’t believe in the mission of the organization and its significance.”

To quote another fundraising luminary, Jerold Panas: “Without a clear mission, your fundraising is hit or miss, mostly miss—like a blindfolded kid swinging at a pinata.”

*Excerpt from “Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face.”  Newly revised and updated, you can pre-order your copy at a discount.

David Lansdowne has championed the nonprofit sector his entire professional life. He served as a community college president, as well as chief development officer for a major museum and national health organization. He channeled these experiences into “Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face,” which has helped thousands of board members raise millions of dollars for worthy causes throughout North America.