(2 rânduri libere, 11p)


Studies and Scientific Researches. Economics Edition, No 22, 2015 http://sceco.ub.ro 

62 

 

 
OVERWIEW ABOUT THE VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND 

VALUES OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  
 

Nicoleta Ciucescu  
“Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau 

 ciucnico@yahoo.com  
 
 
Abstract  
The herein article aims to address several specific aspects regarding the definition of 
nongovernmental organizations, their vision and mission. Also the setting of goals and the 
presentation of the values of these types of organizations will be presented using a comparative 
study of literature as a research method. The fields in which nongovernmental organizations 
operate are very diverse, as are the needs of the community, respectively: education, science, 
research, culture, social protection, minorities, human rights, environmental protection, child 
protection, etc. The mission of the organization lies in the ample mentioning of the fundamental 
goals and of the view regarding the evolution and progress of the organization’s activities, 
from which the activity field, the market served, as well as the differentiation from other similar 
organizations, result. Nongovernmental organizations are characterized by a great mobility in 
the manner of action. Their operation is dependent on the correct identification of the needs of 
the community and on their ability to attract the funds required to cover them. A 
nongovernmental organization can play an essential role within the society by identifying 
certain courses of action, omitted by the public authorities. They can approach the identified 
niches by using their own organizational skills and human resources or they can offer 
assistance to the authorities. 
 
Keywords  
vision; goals; community; public utility; nonprofit 
 
JEL Classification  
M29  
 
 
 
Introduction 
The article presents non-governmental organisations in terms of defining their vision 
and mission of presenting them, and the way of setting objectives and values that 
ensure their proper functioning. The research method used to achieve those objectives 
consists of a comparative study of literature.  
 “Nongovernmental organisations” represent the Romanian semantic and syntactic 
unit by which the positioning of these organisations is realized, them being distinct 
from the government and from private organisations focused on obtaining profits, and 
have the legal attribute of being legally liable for the consequences of the application 
of the decisions taken on their own behalf.  
Vlăsceanu Mihaela (1996, p.98) asserts that non-profit organizations are private in 
form and public through their finalities, offering communities, for consumption, 
collective goods or products with public utility (health, educational, cultural, protective 
services etc.), are guided by the principle of profit non–distributivity between the ones 
who own them or run them, are independent of the governmental institutions and 
apparatus, having at their disposal self-governing mechanisms similar to the ones of 



Ciucescu 

63 

 

profit organizations, involving the participation of members also in the form of 
volunteering in a variable, but nonetheless inevitable, proportion. 
In the category of nongovernmental organizations of public interest or of public 
utility, those organizations are integrated that by their group, target and activity type, 
demonstrate a certain vocation for the good of the community. They conduct public 
interest programs from which the entire community or a large number of its members 
benefit.  

 
 
1. Aspects regarding nongovernmental organizations 
Nongovernmental organizations don’t have the aim to obtain profit or to access 
political power, representing those structures, respectively informal groups or natural 
persons who conduct their activity independently of any public authority. 
The characteristics of nongovernmental organizations belong on one hand to the 
public sector, and on the other hand also to the private sector, in the sense that they 
present the flexibility specific for the private sector and have fewer constraints in 
activity compared to the public sector. If we consider the set goals, as well as all 
means used to reach them, respectively the public utility status of nongovernmental 
organizations, then they are closer to the public sector, than to the private one. This is 
precisely why nongovernmental organizations represent the ideal partners within the 
public-private type partnerships.  
Currently, researchers and practitioners worldwide, as well as those from Romania 
have accepted and used the classification developed by Johns Hopkins University in 
USA ICNPO - International Classification for Non-Profit Organizations, that divides 
organizations into 12 major activity groups, namely: culture and recreation, education 
and research, health, social services, environment, human development and habitat, 
political and legal lobby, philanthropic and voluntary intermediaries, international, 
religion, professional and business organizations and other groups that aren’t 
classified. 

 
 
2. Vision 
The vision represents an ideal state, respectively the nongovernmental organization’s 
long-term aspiration to the future, for over 5 years, which configures a possible and 
desirable development of the respective organization. The vision is expressed 
concisely and in a manner easy to understand by the staff and by the public, through 
the medium of a short sentence, and the wording of this sentence is not required to 
contain quantifiable elements.  
In my opinion, the vision must be shared and accepted by all members of the 
organization, must ensure its unity by choosing a common goal, and must offer all 
members the possibility to be able to identify their interests. This is done through a 
declaration of commitment. Although often between the vision of the organization’s 
founders and its subsequent evolution a series of deviations occur, the definition of 
the organization’s vision actually represents a prerequisite for its existence and 
development. Moreover, the mission and the goals of the nongovernmental 
organization must be established.  

 
 
3. Mission  
The mission of an organization expresses (Nica Panaite and Iftimescu Aurelian, 2002) 
the raison of that organization in relation to its main partners, the clients. Through the 



OVERWIEW ABOUT THE VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND VALUES OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  

64 

 

mission also the specificity of the basic conducted activities is specified and the 
direction in which they are heading in the future is suggested, sometimes appealing to 
emotions and feelings. 
The mission of an organization mirrors the vision of the organization regarding its 
statute (its credo) and what it aims to realize for a given target, for a longer period – 
and namely the desired period of existence of the organization. Upon its 
establishment, one always starts from an unmet need of the community, which can 
constitute the aim of the organization, and so the company’s field of existence. 
(Străinescu, I., Ardelean B., 2007, p.23) 
In my opinion, the mission expresses the aim for which the organization was created 
and offers an overview regarding what the respective organization is and what it 
wants to do for the society.  
A properly formulated mission must answer to the following questions: 

- Who is the organization? 
- What does it do? 
- Where is it going? 

The mission is characterized by the fact that it refers to the orientation, perspectives 
and attitudes of the organization and does not represent an enunciation of certain 
quantifiable elements to be achieved.  
Mihaela Vlăsceanu (1996) emphasizes the first problem faced by a non-profit 
organization, it refers to the identification and definition of a clear and precise 
mission, and this implies not only the delimitation of the aims for which the 
organization was created, but also their formulation in a such manner that the 
possibility of constant assessment of the obtained performances exists.    
The wording of the non-profit organization’s mission can greatly influence its launch, 
since the mission communicates the essence of the organization’s message. 
Consequently, it is recommended that the message of the mission is shortly worded 
and of a nature to provide a clear overview of the type of activities that it will conduct 
in the future, without going into details. 
It is preferable that the mission statement does not exceed one phrase, but that it 
includes at least the following ideas:  

- organization’s vision (the place where it aims to go, when the mission is 
completed), 

- fundamental aim (what precisely it wants to obtain, when the mission is 
completed), what its philosophy reflects,  

- values promoted (the principles that guide the members of the organization 
in achieving the basic aim). 
The correct wording of the organization’s mission allows the concomitant realization 
of several of its roles: 

- ensures the consensus within the organization, on the goals pursued; 
- provides a foundation for motivating the use of the resources in a certain 

way;  
- develops a unitary view for the allotment of all resources; 
- contributes to the establishment of a harmonious climate within the 

organization; 
- considers the mission a landmark for those “stakeholders” who can identify 

themselves with the aims and courses of action of the organization and drives away 
those who are unable to do so; 

- formulates the aims, the general goals of the organization and facilitates 
their translation into objectives related to efforts, effects, efficiency, objectives which 
can be easily evaluated and controlled. 



Ciucescu 

65 

 

Not only the wording of the mission is important, but also its communication. 
In this context, in order for the best possible communication of the mission to be 
ensured, it must: 

- crystallize the views of top managers about the long-term directing of the 
company; 

- specify the help which the company’s administration will grant middle 
level managers in order for them to go on the right track; 

- communicate the organizational goal and the fact that the employees have 
the ability to cause a change in their work; 

- show how the organization prepares for its future orientation (Nica 
Panaite and Iftimescu Aurelian, 2002, p.97-98). 
The mission statement is made explicitly, in writing. 
Moldoveanu George (2005) covers in his paper “Organizational analysis and 
behaviour” a sub-chapter entitled “Mission and stakeholders”. 
The stakeholders are the ones who have “claims” against the organization, are its 
supporting “pillars”. The stakeholders can be structured in two groups: 
a) The internal group, materialized in employees, including the members of the board 
of directors and managers on functions and activities, who represent the interest of the 
shareholders in all processes of the organization.  
b) The external group, formed of individuals and groups which are affected by the 
organization’s actions, such as clients, consumers, suppliers, governmental structural 
forms, union missions, competitors, local communities, public elements in general. 
On the other hand, each nongovernmental organization must present its main goals, 
namely:  

- Goals of action – that establish specific, quantifiable objectives for the 
organization;  

- Goals of imagine – through which the organization makes itself known to 
the beneficiaries of the market segment for which it wants to work and, respectively, 
to sponsors it wants to involve, mass-media, general public etc.  
The vision and aim of a nongovernmental organization do not remain defined once 
and for all, they can suffer changes, adaptations depending on the existing socio-
cultural context. 
For example we will present the vision, mission and aim for a foundation and an 
association. Vision, mission and aim of the Civil Society Development Foundation 
are:  

 The vision of the Foundation for the Development of the Civil Society 
is one of a strong and influent civil society, with responsible, involved 
citizens, who promote their interests and values for the good of the 
communities. 

 The mission of FDSC is to develop the ability of civil society 
organizations to act efficiently in the interest of communities. 

 Aim: The Foundation for the Development of the Civil Society is an 
“organization for organizations”, that considers that the development 
of the nongovernmental sector is in itself an indicator for the state of the 
community in which the citizens live. 

In the Association "There is a chance," the vision, the mission and aim are:  
 The vision Association "There is a chance": To build a community 
where everyone has their rights respected.  
 Our mission "There is a chance" is to improve the quality of life of 
community members in need, at risk of marginalization and social exclusion.  



OVERWIEW ABOUT THE VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND VALUES OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  

66 

 

 Aim: To develop an alternative offerings / solutions for promoting the 
rights and capacities of people at risk of marginalization and social exclusion 
in view of a better life.  

 
 
4. Aims  
The objectives derive from the vision and mission undertaken by each non-profit 
organization. The objectives or targets are the endpoints towards which the global or 
separate activities of the organization are aimed, so that the objectives can be general 
or specific for different activities / groups of activities. The fundamental objectives 
constitute the first operational component of the strategy which is formulated starting 
from the mission and represent those objectives that refer to it as a whole, to the major 
components of the organization’s activities and regard long horizons, usually 3 – 5 
years. 
Depending on their content, the fundamental objectives can be economic and social, 
and depending on the manner of expression, quantifiable and non-quantifiable.  
 The economic objectives synthesize and commeasures the long term goals considered 
by the most important stakeholders (earnings per share, share value, profit, profit rate, 
turnover, work productivity). 
The social objectives, which are more rarely incorporated in the strategies of 
organizations, usually refer to the control of pollution, salaries and working 
conditions of the employees, cooperation with the authorities, customer satisfaction 
through the quality, reliability, maintainability and price of the offered products and 
services, and so on. 
Quantifiable objectives enounce the most important existence causes of the 
organization, while the non-quantifiable objectives reflect concerns for its social 
responsibilities. Neglecting these social responsibilities can have as consequence a 
series of aspects related to the decrease in the motivation and loyalty of its own 
employees, which can lead to the deterioration of the organization’s image. For these 
reasons, any organization must ensure a constant balance between the economic and 
social objectives. 
In my opinion, the strategic objectives of the organization are established in all fields, 
on which not only the survival, but also the success of the organization depend, being 
indispensable for all hierarchical levels of management. The strategic objectives must 
be established within an organization so that they are possible to achieve and that they 
can condition the efficacy of their use in the management process. They should not be 
set only in terms of “what would be good”, but have to be able to mobilize the entire 
organization’s potential, even if they refer to external conditions of the organization 
(objectives related to its position in relation to the competitors or to its aspirations for 
a certain place within the area in which it conducts its activity) or to internal 
conditions (objectives related to the desired level of performance).  
Great attention should be given when formulating objectives. If the objectives are 
formulated properly, than they: 
1. will be able to be transformed into specific actions; 
2. will provide the direction to take, representing the starting point for more detailed 
and more specific objectives at the inferior hierarchical levels of the organization; 
3. will set long-term priorities; 
4. will facilitate the managerial control, because they serve as performance standards 
in relation to which the performance of the entire organization can be assessed.  
Panaite Nica and Aurelian Iftimescu provide a detailed presentation on setting targets 
(2002, p.100-103). 



Ciucescu 

67 

 

The manner in which the objectives of various organizational entities within a 
company are established (business units, divisions, departments, workplaces) 
conditions to a large extent the efficacy of their use in the management process. 
Traditionally, the objectives are established in cascade, meaning that they are 
imposed from top to bottom, starting from the strategic objectives of the entire 
organization and going, by breakdown on different component sub-units, up to the 
workplaces at the bottom of the hierarchal pyramid. Of course, proceeding in this 
manner ensures coherence and convergence to different objectives within the 
organization. Their realism and capacity to mobilize can be however seriously 
affected, especially in a dynamic and complex environment, as the one many 
contemporary organizations must cope with. 
An effective alternative to the traditional manner of setting goals can be constituted 
by the management through objectives. This is a planning and control system 
designed and implemented for the first time in the early '50s, by Peter Drucker, 
known management professor and consultant. 
Essentially, the management through objectives is a method to convert the general 
objectives of the organization into specific objectives for the organization’s sub-units 
and the individuals that compose it, by negotiation between the manager and 
subordinates, and to evaluate individuals depending on their actual performances and 
the objectives thus established. For the managers of different sub-units within the 
organization, individual objectives greatly overlap the objectives of the managed sub-
units. 
The process of management through objectives comprises three major stages: 

- establishing the objectives and actions required for their accomplishment;  
- implementing the provided actions and self-control of achieving the 

objectives; 
- periodical examination by the superiors of individual performances and 

assessment of the subordinates. 
The increasing use of management through objectives is determined by its 
advantages. Amongst the most important we mention: the increase of the realism of 
the organization’s objectives and of its components, the amplification of the 
employees’ level of motivation, the development of a participative and responsible 
behaviour of the staff, the closer correlation of rewards (including salary rewards) 
with individual performances, improving the managers’ use of the working hours, as a 
result of reducing the supervision and control activities. 
The advantages of management through objectives are not however universal. In 
certain cases, the implementation of this system generates a high workload and a high 
volume of written documents. Other times, the system determines the focus of 
attention on a smaller number of objectives, particularly quantitative, neglecting the 
others. Therefore, management through objectives appears to be efficient especially 
when applied to managers or specialists in an organization, being likely to generate 
costs higher than the effects obtained for those with routine tasks. 
 
 
5. Values  
The values represent a sum of features that give value to things, facts, ideas, 
phenomena, being, in general, relatively different from one organization to another. 
Nongovernmental organizations are also relatively separated from other types of 
organizations by a system of own values which can be found in table 1.  

 

 



OVERWIEW ABOUT THE VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND VALUES OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  

68 

 

Table1. Typical values of an NGO 

Responsibility Learning 
Competitive differentiation Openness 
Compassion Partnership 
Diversity Priority focus on the clients’ needs 
Dynamism/innovation Quality/excellence 
Efficiency Respect 
Empowerment Mutual development / self-support 
Equal opportunities / equity Teamwork 
Equal rights in reaching the 
potential 

Trust 

Inclusion Valuing people 
Integrity  

Source:  Courtney R, Strategic Management for Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations, London, New York: 
Routledge, 2002, p.169 

 
 
Conclusions 
In areas where the market is not functional, and the government is not efficient, there 
is a third sector in which non-profit organizations conduct their activity.  Although 
non-profit organizations can be defined as private organizations, they are distinct from 
the government and from private organizations focused on obtaining profit. 
Nongovernmental organizations differ from the ones focused on obtaining profit, 
because they tend to be determined by a specific mission, the property belongs to the 
organization and is not distributed between shareholders, as in the case of private 
companies.  
In most countries of the world, as well as in Romania, nongovernmental organizations 
ordinarily operate as distinct legal persons, but they can also conduct their activity 
without having any legal personality, as informal groups, in which case the members 
bear the legal responsibility. For the smooth running of the activities of these 
organizations it is necessary that the vision, mission, objectives, as well as the values 
each of them promotes, irrespective of the area in which they conduct their activity, 
are established and known. The non-profit orientation determines the finding that the 
management applied in these organizations is a management conveniently adapted to 
the issues and specificity of the non-profit activity, whose characteristics would be: 
orientation towards efficiency (rationality), orientation towards objectives, orientation 
towards marketing. 

 
 

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London, New York, Routledge 



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http://www.lumeaong.org/lista-director-ong/47-educatie-civica-responsabilitate-

sociala/257-fundatia-pentru-dezvoltarea-societatii-civile-bucuresti.html 

http://www.lumeaong.org/lista-director-ong/47-educatie-civica-responsabilitate-sociala/257-fundatia-pentru-dezvoltarea-societatii-civile-bucuresti.html
http://www.lumeaong.org/lista-director-ong/47-educatie-civica-responsabilitate-sociala/257-fundatia-pentru-dezvoltarea-societatii-civile-bucuresti.html

	Nicoleta Ciucescu
	“Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau
	ciucnico@yahoo.com
	Abstract
	Keywords
	JEL Classification
	M29
	Introduction
	1. Aspects regarding nongovernmental organizations
	2. Vision
	3. Mission
	43T4. Aims
	Table1. Typical values of an NGO
	Conclusions
	References
	Porter, M. (1986), L’avantage concurrentiel, Paris, InterEdition