Peter Schieffelin Nyberg Explains Why a Strong Vision is So Important For Nonprofits

Peter Schieffelin Nyberg discusses why vision is so important and how you can develop a vision statement for your organization.

Starting, building, and managing a nonprofit organization takes a lot of effort. Yet by taking the right steps and developing key assets, such as a strong vision, you may be able to increase your chances of success. Peter Schieffelin Nyberg, who is currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Camino Community Center, is going to discuss why a strong vision is so important.

“Many nonprofits develop explicit vision statements,” Peter Schieffelin Nyberg points out. “This is a smart step because it provides focus for your organization and also explains what you’re about and what you want to achieve. Of course, your formal vision statement may only be a part of your organization’s overall vision.”

Most companies have a pretty straightforward objective: to produce profits. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about an automobile manufacturer, a restaurant, a tech company, or whatever else. Most if not all of these companies ultimately share the same objective, making money.

Things aren’t so simple or clear for nonprofit organizations. Generally speaking, nonprofit organizations aren’t out to make money but instead to advance specific social causes, such as eliminating poverty or spurring economic development within a given community.

Peter Schieffelin Nyberg Discusses the Camino Community Center

“At the Camino Community Center, we empower people so they can lead healthy, hopeful, and productive lives,” Peter Schieffelin Nyberg says. “This is our mission, this is why we get up every day and work hard every day. And understanding that helps to ensure that we strive towards specific goals that will make an impact.”

The Camino Community Center functions as a healthcare clinic, but it also hosts a thrift store and a food pantry. So why is healthcare combined with food donations and other services? Helping people become healthy, hopeful, and productive means more than just treating illnesses and conditions.

Proper nutrition, for example, can lead to better health and can also help people be more productive at work and school. Meanwhile, if someone is going to break out of poverty, obtaining a job is important. If someone needs a shirt, tie, or suit, they can peruse the Camino Community Center’s thrift store, recently rebranded The WearHouse.

Ultimately, ensuring that people can lead healthy, productive, and hopeful lives requires a holistic approach. Yet by remaining focused on their mission, the volunteers and workers at the community center know how everything interrelates.

Recognizing that formulating a vision and a corresponding vision statement is an important first step. Still, writing an actual vision statement can be quite difficult.

“It’s smart by thinking about how you can make a lasting impact,” Peter Schieffelin Nyberg suggests. “We don’t simply provide healthcare services, for example, we use a holistic approach to ensure good health, productivity, and ultimately, hope. We adopted this holistic approach because it can lead to lasting change.”