Mission Statement

The mission statement should be descriptive, yet concise. In a few lines, it should outline our purpose and aspirations.

Note: There maybe some more specifics, but I do believe that some variation of the "exclusively for charitable..." language is important for establishing our status as a non-profit. I left the legaleze out for now in order to focus on the ideas.

The "exclusively for charitable..." language is required for the corporate charter if you are looking to get a 501(c)3 ruling from the IRS, but is not needed for a mission statement. For more information on a mission statement see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_statement

Mission Statement draft

Our mission is to create an environment that promotes creativity and exploration at the intersection of technology, art, science and culture. This mission shall include:

1. Creating and maintaining a space for collaboration, production and education.
2. Sharing the results of our exploration of technology with our local community and the world.
3. Being an active and responsible member of our local community.
4. ...

Some examples from bylaws of other hacker spaces

HacDC

Section 1: General Purposes

Said corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. The mission of the corporation is to improve the world by creatively rethinking technology.

Section 2: Specific Purposes

Subject to and within the limits of Section 1, the corporation shall:

1. Build and maintain spaces suitable for technical and social collaboration.
2. Collaborate on all forms of technology, culture and craft in new and interesting ways.
3. Apply the results of its work to specific cultural, charitable and scientific causes.
4. Freely share its research and discoveries, using what is learned to teach others.
5. Recruit and develop talented members dedicated to these purposes.

Noisebridge

The specific and primary purpose of the Corporation is to engage in scientific, charitable and educational activities within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including but not limited to:

1. To provide work space, storage, and other resources for projects related to art and technology.
2. Through talks, workshops, collaborative projects, and other activities, to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring in a safe, clean space.
3. To develop, support the development of, and provide resources for the development of free and open source software and hardware.
4. To foster, by all legal means, the common purposes of its participants.
5. To conduct or engage in all lawful activities in furtherance of the stated purposes or those incidental to them.

The activities of the Corporation shall be performed in service to and with guidance of the community of participants. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles, the Corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)3 of the Code.

Harford Hackerspace

Harford Hackerspace is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes. The mission of this organization is:

• To unify community members with similar interest in order to share their knowledge in an educational environment and to engage the next generation with hands-on, technical experiential activities.

Pumping Station: One

Pumping Station: One, NFP is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding section of any future United States Internal Revenue law). Its mission is to foster a collaborative environment wherein people can explore and create intersections between technology, science, art, and culture.

Specific Goals

• Acquire and maintain a collaborative workspace for communal use by all members.
• Foster a creative, collaborative environment for experimentation and development in technology and art.
• Interact with the local community that our space is situated in through education and cultural participation.
• Share our developments and ideas with the world at large.
• Facilitate communication with other spaces and colleagues nationally and internationally. Invite experts and other creative individuals to share their ideas and projects.