Mission Experience
The perception individuals have as they interact with a nonprofit organization across every platform and touchpoint is what we call Mission Experience and providing a quality Mission Experience should be the chief priority for long-term success.
As consumers, we have first-hand knowledge of what a good Customer Experience is, and likely made purchase decisions because of it. Not surprisingly, these consumer behaviors also have an impact on the nonprofit sector.
A lackluster experience on a mobile device or a failed online transaction can erode a person’s confidence in an organization and over time, they may elect to invest their resources elsewhere. Organizations that once stood on the legacy of their reputation, may find their constituency dwindling as people lose trust based on perceptions influenced by their experience.
Mission Experience Defined
Mission Experience is made up of three components that reflect the “what, how, and why” of a nonprofit organization:
Content
This component includes programs and services that make up what the organization provides its constituents.
Operations
The internal functions that determine how the organization delivers its content.
Values
The fundamental reasons why the organization exists and its strategic priorities.
Organizations need to measure and balance these three areas to achieve the optimal Mission Experience. When the organization falls behind in one or more of these areas, it has a direct impact on the perceptions formed by constituents.
Improving Mission Experience
By focusing on Mission Experience, nonprofits can better engage constituents and build lasting relationships that contribute to more successful outcomes.
The diagram below outlines the steps typically taken to manage and continuously improve the Mission Experience.
Agile organizations with mature digital operations are well positioned to adopt a Mission Experience program. They likely have practices in place to collect and analyze data and make incremental change on a regular basis. If the organization is slower to adopt change or not aligned around a central strategy, an initial evaluation sanctioned by leadership and the Board would be the critical first step.