Preventing mission creep is a common problem for growing nonprofits. While new opportunities bring with them the chance to do more and serve a wider group of constituents, expansion without regard for the nonprofit's current mission, goals and responsibilities can end up disrupting core services and preventing any significant growth.

Prioritizing the organization’s foundational vision and goals helps leaders ensure the focus remains on the people being served. However, it can be difficult to maintain a mission-focused perspective and prevent mission creep in the face of change.

As experts, the members of Forbes Nonprofit Council are familiar with the challenges nonprofit leaders undergo as their organizations grow, discover new opportunities and start expanding too far beyond the original goals. Below, 14 of them share strategies that can be leveraged to prevent mission creep and remain focused on established goals.

Nonprofit Leaders Share How To Prevent Mission Creep

1. Use Your Mission and Vision as a Guiding Force: Your mission and vision statements are your guiding and grounding principles. Use them to help you stay true to your goals and objectives. Evaluate new opportunities using rubrics to ensure there is a verified need and that you can meet the need. - Liz Salguero, Circle of Care

2. Create a Clear 'North Star' Statement: Guard your mission like a compass by creating a clear, unwavering "North Star" statement that defines your core purpose. Before pursuing new opportunities, ask, "Does this align with our mission?" Regularly revisit and reaffirm this guiding principle with your team. Staying focused means saying "no" more often than saying "yes," ensuring growth does not dilute but enhances your core vision. - Cherian Koshy, Kindsight

3. Make Your Mission Statement a Prominent Feature: To prevent mission creep, put the mission statement at the top of every staff and board meeting agenda. Plaster it on the wall in a high-traffic area. Recite it frequently. Then, when a new opportunity arises, use the mission as a lens to determine if it is the right fit for your organization. - Laura MacDonald, Benefactor Group

Read the full article about preventing nonprofit mission creep at Forbes.