54 Powerful Mission Statement Examples

Figuring out why your organization exists can be a rewarding challenge. To determine your company's "why," you must identify what goals and outcomes are most important for your organization. Having this specific focus helps guide every facet of your business and serves as a standard to aim for. In this article, we discuss what a mission statement is and list 54 mission statement examples from real companies.

Read more: Company Vision Statement vs. Mission Statement (With Examples)

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement is a declaration of the purpose and function of your organization. Effective mission statements are brief yet powerful and state your company's ultimate goal for doing business. Mission statements encapsulate your company's priorities and describe how you will accomplish your vision. They can also represent your company's culture and philosophy through humor, emotion or shock value.

All of your company's strategic steps should align with its mission. Your organization should refer to your mission statement often as you:

• Make decisions

• Train employees

• Plan for the future

• Educate the public about your business

• Market your products or services

Read more: How to Write an Effective Mission Statement

54 mission statement examples

Here are 54 examples of strong mission statements from actual companies:

3M

3M is committed to actively contributing to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress

AARP

To enhance quality of life for all as we age

Adobe

To move the web forward and give web designers and developers the best tools and services in the world

Alibaba Group

To make it easy to do business anywhere

American Diabetes Association

To prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes

American Express

We work hard every day to make American Express the world's most respected service brand.

American Heart Association

To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Asana

To help humanity thrive by enabling all teams to work together effortlessly

Asos

To become the number 1 fashion destination for 20-somethings globally

Best Friends Animal Society

To bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets

Candid

Candid gets you the information you need to do good.

Caterpillar

To enable economic growth through infrastructure and energy development, and to provide solutions that support communities and protect the planet

charity: water

Bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries

Cisco

Shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners

Coca-Cola

To refresh the world…To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…To create value and make a difference

Cradles to Crayons

Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school and at play

Related: How To Get a Job With a Nonprofit Organization

Doctors Without Borders

To provide lifesaving medical care to those most in need

Forbes

To deliver information on the people, ideas and technologies changing the world to our community of affluent business decision makers

Human Rights Watch

Defends the rights of people worldwide

Intuit

To improve its customers' financial lives so profoundly, they couldn't imagine going back to the old way

Invisible Children

To end violence and exploitation facing our world's most isolated and vulnerable communities

JetBlue

To inspire humanity — both in the air and on the ground

JDRF

Improving lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications

Kickstarter

To help bring creative projects to life

Kiva

To expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive

Life Is Good

To spread the power of optimism

March of Dimes

Leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies

Microsoft

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

MoMA

To share great modern and contemporary art with the public

Monterey Bay Aquarium

To inspire conservation of the oceans

National Parks Conservation Association

To protect and enhance America's National Park System for present and future generations

Nike

Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world

If you have a body, you are an athlete.

Oxfam

To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice

P&G

We will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world's consumers.

Patagonia

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis

PayPal

To build the web's most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution

Philips

Improving people's lives through meaningful innovation

Prezi

To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act

Red Hat

To be the catalyst in communities of customers, contributors, and partners creating better technology the open source way

Smithsonian

The increase and diffusion of knowledge

Spotify

Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity — by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.

Squarespace

Squarespace empowers people with creative ideas to succeed.

Starbucks

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

sweetgreen

To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food

TED

Spread ideas.

The Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia—by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

The Humane Society of the United States

We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals.

The Nature Conservancy

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends

Universal Health Services, Inc.

To provide superior quality healthcare services that: PATIENTS recommend to family and friends, PHYSICIANS prefer for their patients, PURCHASERS select for their clients, EMPLOYEES are proud of, and INVESTORS seek for long-term returns

USO

Lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families

Warby Parker

To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses

Whole Foods Market

To nourish people and the planet. We're a purpose-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence for food retailers. Quality is a state of mind at Whole Foods Market.

Workday

To put people at the center of enterprise software