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12 Mission Statement Examples to Inspire Your Own

Explore 12 mission statement examples from businesses and nonprofits, then use a practical framework to draft a purpose statement that fits your organization.
From TheFinanceBase Team5 min to read
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A strong mission statement tells people what an organization does, whom it serves, and the impact it intends to make. These 12 examples—from businesses and nonprofits—show different ways to express that purpose. They are not an objective ranking: each is included for a distinct, useful quality, and the wording is attributed to the source that presents it.

What a mission statement should do

Asana defines a mission statement as an explanation of “your company’s purpose, who you serve, and the impact you want to create” (Asana). WeWork’s guide frames the exercise around what an organization does and the who, why, and how behind its work (WeWork).

A mission is not the same as a vision or a list of values. The mission describes what the organization is for and the work it undertakes; a vision describes a future it hopes to help create, while values express principles that guide conduct. The examples below are selected for clarity, focus, distinctiveness, and fit with the organization’s work—not ranked against one another.

12 mission statement examples

1. Patagonia: a direct statement of purpose

“We’re in business to save our home planet.”

Patagonia’s official mission page uses this concise wording and elaborates on its environmental purpose. It is memorable because it makes the organization’s intended impact unmistakable.

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2. Google: a broad service with a clear outcome

“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

This wording is presented by LinkedIn News and Shopify. It pairs an action—organizing information—with the intended result: accessibility and usefulness.

3. Starbucks: purpose expressed at a human scale

“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

LinkedIn News presents this example. Its closing phrase turns a large aspiration into an image of everyday interactions and local communities.

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4. Nike: a mission that makes room for an expansive audience

“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.”

This statement appears in LinkedIn News. The asterisk is meaningful in Nike’s familiar formulation, but the cited example does not establish its accompanying explanation; do not detach or reinterpret the mark when quoting it.

5. TED: a simple, memorable focus

Shopify describes TED as devoted to spreading ideas in short, powerful talks, and Wix also includes TED among its examples. This is a useful illustration of a focused purpose, but these guides do not establish a current verbatim TED mission statement, so it is best treated as a description rather than a direct quote.

6. Khan Academy: access and quality in one sentence

“To provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.”

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Shopify presents this as Khan Academy’s mission. The sentence identifies both a service—education—and the access it aims to provide.

7. Malala Fund: a specific goal for a defined community

“We work to ensure all girls can access and complete 12 years of education.”

This wording is given by Shopify. It names the community served and frames the intended change in concrete terms.

8. Microsoft: a wide audience and an enabling role

“To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

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Shopify uses this as Microsoft’s example. Rather than naming one product, it describes the role the organization aims to play for individuals and institutions.

9. Asana: purpose tied to how teams work

“To help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”

Asana gives this wording in its mission statement guide. It connects a large intended impact to a more specific mechanism: helping teams work together.

10. PayPal: a practical service promise

“To build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.”

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This example appears in Asana’s guide. It emphasizes attributes of the service the organization aims to provide. As a comparative example, it is also a reminder that a mission can be product- and customer-oriented rather than a broad social aspiration.

11. Wix: user choice as the point

“Create your own professional web presence—exactly the way you want.”

Wix’s roundup includes this Wix example. Its imperative voice foregrounds what users can do and the flexibility the company wants to offer.

12. Doctors Without Borders: purpose without an unsupported quotation

Shopify includes Doctors Without Borders among its nonprofit examples, but that guide does not establish a verbatim mission statement. It is still a useful reminder that a nonprofit mission should make its purpose and the people or communities it serves clear; consult the organization’s own current materials before quoting its official wording.

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How to write a mission statement of your own

Use the examples as prompts, not phrases to copy. A useful draft joins the organization’s work to the people it serves and the change it intends to make.

  1. Name the purpose. Write down what the organization exists to do, using a specific action rather than a broad aspiration.
  2. Identify the people served. Be as precise as the work allows: customers, members, a community, or another clearly defined group.
  3. Describe the intended impact. Explain what should become possible or better for those people because the organization does its work.
  4. Put it in plain language. Remove jargon, internal slogans, and claims that could describe almost any organization.
  5. Test it against real choices. Ask whether the statement helps explain what the organization prioritizes. If it cannot guide a decision, sharpen the link between the stated purpose and actual work.
  6. Check it against reality. An inspiring line is weak guidance if it does not match what the organization actually does.

A simple drafting aid is: “We [action] for [people served] so that [intended impact].” Treat it as a starting point, not a formula; the finished statement should sound natural and fit the organization. Asana offers a free mission statement template as another optional exercise aid.

How to choose among mission statement examples

There is no fair single score for statements from organizations with different goals. Instead, evaluate a candidate in context:

  • Specificity: Does it say what the organization does, or could it apply to nearly anyone?
  • Audience: Can readers tell whom the organization serves?
  • Impact: Does it communicate the outcome the organization intends to create?
  • Distinctiveness: Is the wording recognizable and understandable without relying on empty superlatives?
  • Fit: Does the statement reflect the organization’s actual work and help explain its priorities?

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