Family Philanthropic Planning

Craft your family's mission statement

A guided workshop to craft a mission statement that sounds like your family — not a nonprofit brochure.

Step 1: Join the session using the code provided by your facilitator.

Step 2: Brain dump your honest, unedited ideas into the four quadrants.

Your responses carry over as a shared word bank to build your statement together.

Join Session
← Back to start
Create Session
← Back to start

Part 1: Brain Dump

Session Code: ---

Participant

Logged in as: ---

Type a short idea in any box below and click Add. Don't overthink it—these will become your word bank later!
(Need inspiration? Click the ? button in the bottom right corner.)

😟 What problem keeps you up at night?

💙 Why do you care about this?

📊 What does success look like?

🎯 Who or what are you helping?

Part 2: Build It Together

Step 1: Look at the large white box below. The actively highlighted blank is waiting for you.

Step 2: Click a physical button from the Word Banks to fill it in. (Your ideas from Part 1 are waiting for you at the top of the lists!)

(Change your mind? Just click a different word to replace it!)

Don't worry if it's not perfectly grammatically correct right now—we will wordsmith it together!

Problem Focused

Lead with what's broken.

Action Focused

Lead with what you do.

Value Focused

Lead with what you believe.

✏️ Write Freely

Ignore the blanks, just type.

Fund / Family Name
Family Foundation Fund Trust Philanthropies

The Problem

Your Why / Belief

Action Words
Support(s) Champion(s) Invest(s) in Empower(s) Advance(s) Build(s) Create(s) Drive(s) Advocate(s) for Strengthen(s) Cultivate(s) Transform(s) Mobilize(s) Elevate(s) Catalyze(s) Unlock(s) Center(s) Uplift(s) Foster(s) Partner(s) with

Who / What You Serve
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People & Communities
Children & youth Families Women & girls BIPOC communities Immigrants & refugees Veterans LGBTQ+ communities Seniors Rural communities People with disabilities Indigenous populations
🏠 Basic Needs & Crisis
Food banks & emergency pantries Housing & homelessness Survivors of domestic abuse Survivors of human trafficking Crisis hotlines & suicide prevention Disaster response & recovery Emergency medical response Refugee crisis & resettlement Foster youth & child welfare Clean water access Poverty alleviation
📚 Education & Learning
Early childhood education K-12 students Higher education & scholarships Literacy programs STEM education Vocational training
🏥 Health & Wellness
Mental health Medical research Healthcare access Rare diseases Reproductive health Addiction & recovery
🌍 Environment & Climate
Climate resilience Local ecosystems Clean waterways Public lands & parks Sustainable agriculture Renewable energy Conservation efforts
🐾 Animals & Wildlife
Companion animals Endangered species Local wildlife Marine life Farm & agricultural animals Animal sanctuaries
⚖️ Systems, Justice & Society
Systemic justice Voting rights & democracy Criminal justice reform Public policy & legislation Human rights Civic engagement
🤝 Economic Development
Small businesses & entrepreneurs Local economies Neighborhood revitalization Workforce development Financial literacy
🎨 Arts, Culture & History
Local artists Historical preservation Cultural institutions Public broadcasting Arts education
🕊️ Faith & Religion
Faith-based communities Religious institutions Spiritual development Interfaith initiatives
🌐 Global & Innovation
Developing nations Global health International disaster relief Scientific research Environmental technology

Impact & Change Words
Systemic change Equity and access Dignity and respect Collective power Thriving communities Generational impact Shared prosperity Voices heard and valued Community resilience

How You Work
Trust-based partnerships Direct support Community collaboration Advocacy Shared funding Capacity building Multi-year unrestricted funding Policy change Grassroots grantmaking

Where You Give
Local Regional National International

Part 3: Compare & Refine

Read each one out loud. Notice which one makes the family sit up straight. That's usually the one.

How to use this tool

Part 1: Brain Dump

Don't worry about writing a perfect sentence yet. Just type your raw thoughts into the four colored boxes (The Problem, Your Why, Impact, Who You Serve) and click Add.

Stuck? Here are some examples:

  • The Problem: Food insecurity, lack of arts funding, climate change, youth mental health crisis.
  • Your Why: Everyone deserves a fair start, art heals communities, health is a human right.
  • Impact: Higher graduation rates, cleaner local rivers, thriving local arts scene.
  • Who You Serve: First-generation students, single mothers, marginalized neighborhoods, small-scale farmers.

Part 2: Build It Together

Pick a template style. You will see a sentence with empty blanks. The active blank will lightly pulse to let you know it's ready. Just click a word from the Word Banks on the right to instantly fill the blank. Then, click "Save This Draft."

Part 3: Compare

Any draft anyone saves will show up here. Your facilitator will read them out loud, and together you will pick the final winner!

👑 The Final Mission Statement 👑