A mission statement sums up your organization’s reason for being. The statement should answer: Who are we? What do we do? Why do we exist? It explains your intentions, priorities, and values to people both inside and outside the group. It can guide you and help you stay focused on the things that are most important to you. If you ever question whether to take on a project or choose a particular course of action, you can look back on your mission statement and see if the proposal is consistent with it. If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do. Compare to vision.