Mission Drift: Avoiding the Slippery Slope

grantseekermonthly ⋅ May 1, 2013 - You’ve likely witnessed it. Maybe as an onlooker when it happened to your favourite charity, or perhaps when the course of your organization was changed by it, a slow tide you were unable to resist.  According to John Paterson, an executive management consultant with over 20 years experience in non-profit organizations, mission drift is commonplace in the charitable sector.

While the instigator of mission drifts varies, in Paterson’s experience the search for funding is “the cause [organizations] are most easily persuaded by.” Why? In the competition for limited funding, it is tempting for charities to go where the money is – even if these opportunities fall outside their core mission – and adapt their strategy after the fact.

What is Mission Drift?
Mission drift is when a nonprofit unintentionally moves away from the organization’s mission. This is an important distinction from when an organization consciously changes their strategic vision. Charities can, and do, adjust their mission to better address community needs. This article addresses the first scenario: when an organization inadvertently changes direction. Read More