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Mission Statement
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Shirley Sagawa's Files
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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL
AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
The Corporation for National and
Community Service will engage
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in
community-based service. This service
will address the nation's education,
human, public safety, and environmental
needs to achieve direct and demonstrable
results. In doing so, the Corporation will
foster civic responsibility, strengthen the
cords that bind us together as a people,
and provide educational opportunity for
those who make a substantial commitment
to service.
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL
AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
The Corporation for National and
Community Service will engage
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in
community-based service. This service
will address the nation's education,
human, public safety, and environmental
needs to achieve direct and demonstrable
results. In doing so, the Corporation will
foster civic responsibility, strengthen the
cords that bind us together as a people,
and provide educational opportunity for
those who make a substantial commitment
to service.
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL
AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
The Corporation for National and
Community Service will engage
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in
community-based service. This service
will address the nation's education,
human, public safety, and environmental
needs to achieve direct and demonstrable
results. In doing so, the Corporation will
foster civic responsibility, strengthen the
cords that bind us together as a people,
and provide educational opportunity for
those who make a substantial commitment
to service.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
I support President Clinton's government reinvention goals:
We will invent a government that puts people first, by
Cutting unnecessary spending
Serving its customers
Empowering its employees
Helping communities solve their own problems
Fostering excellence
Here's bow: We will
Create a clear sense of mission
Steer more, row less
Delegate authority and responsibility
Replace regulations with incentives
Develop budgets based on outcomes
Inject competition into everything we do
Search for market, not administrative, solutions
Measure our success by customer satisfaction
el. Squar
Eli Segal
Chief Executive Officer
Corporation for National and Community Service
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
The Corporation for National and Community
Service will engage Americans of all ages and
backgrounds in community-based service. This
service will address the nation's educational,
human, public safety, and environmental needs
to achieve meaningful results. In doing so, the
Corporation will foster civic responsibility,
strengthen the cords that bind us together as a
people, and provide educational opportunity for
those who make a substantial commitment to
service.
September 24, 1993
MEMORANDUM
To:
Eli Segal
From:
Shirley Sagawa
Re:
Mission Statement Dispute
Date:
October 8, 1993
I know you will be hit up by Rick about the Mission statement upon your return. Here are
my thoughts:
I agree that our original mission statement was better than the final one. I would have no
problem dropping meaningful results in favor of demonstrable results, and I liked having it
all in the first sentence. I don't think the new statement is all that different from the old.
However, all substance aside, reopening the mission statement has some important
implications for the organization and our future functioning:
1.
We did try hard to use a fair process in working through the mission statement. No
decision is ever unanimous - people who do not agree with your decisions must
nonetheless respect them or we will have a disfunctional organization.
2.
I don't know why Rick was not at the meeting at which the final decisions were made
-- I'm sure I would just as soon have had him there. But in the future, if he is not
party to a decision, disagrees with it, and it is automatically reopened, that assumes
he has a different role than that of merely an advisor.
3.
That said, the mission statement is obviously important and will guide future
decisions. If you have second thoughts because Rick (or Robert and Diana, who
agree with him) has been persuasive on the merits (not on the process), I would
recommend that we revisit the statement with a meeting of senior staff.
DETERMINED TO BE AN
Shirley -I - = believe strongly about this
ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
&accordingly want to push A, I
INITIALS: RICR DATE: 01/03/
2013-0124-5
hope you wor't regard it as
intrusive re-litigation - and I'm
happy to talk it through Defore
I send it, if you'd 1.Ke
October 7, 1993
Rick
MEMORANDUM TO ELI SEGAL
CONFIDENTIAL.
FROM:
RICK ALLEN
SUBJECT: MISSION STATEMENT
The mission statement I signed off (enthusiastically) on appears
to have changed thereafter, in the version that was circulated at
the all-hands meeting. I wasn't aware of these changes until you
modified a line in the Chicago speech draft, and therefore don't
feel badly about bringing one of them up to your attention, since
I don't agree with two of the changes (one of which I regard as
fundamental).
Here's the way the mission statement began: "The Corporation for
National and Community Service will engage Americans of all
backgrounds in organized efforts to address national education,
public safety, environmental and human needs through community-
based service with direct, demonstrable results. National
service will foster citizen responsibility, build community, and
provide educational opportunity for those who make a substantial
commitment to service."
Here's how it now reads: "The Corporation for National and
Community Service will engage Americans of all ages and
backgrounds in community-based service. This service will
address the nation's educational, human, public safety, and
environmental needs to achieve meaningful results. In doing so,
the Corporation will foster civic responsibility, strengthen the
cords that bind us together as a people, and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to
service.'
I have a ground level question about the first sentence, which
went from an emphasis on what service aims to accomplish, back to
the old, grass-roots, community-building goals that we had agreed
were important, but secondary. It's a change that shouldn't be
made -- and although no one has ever died from a mission
statement, the change suggests to me that the "emphasis" debate,
on which the President has been clear, is somehow still open for
some. This worries me.
What I do see as crippling is the move from "direct, demonstrable
results" to "meaningful results". "Direct" is important --
Congress and the taxpayer won't pay the costs of this program (on
a per participant basis) for indirect gain. "Demonstrable" is
also key -- if you can't demonstrate your impact, then you
probably haven't had an impact at all. (Please remember that we
began our stint here calling for "quantifiable" results -- moving
to "demonstrable" was intended to get us out of numerical targets
that could be measured but may not reflect real change.)
"Meaningful" -- if left alone (it works, with "direct" and
"demonstrable") is a touchy-feely word that sounds like a dodge
to allow programs to make excuses. We are back-sliding into the
service field's traditional unwillingness to be held accountable
-- and that dog don't hunt in this budget environment.
This to me is fundamental. The beauty of the competitive funding
process is (inter alia) that, if we require programs to state in
their applications what they intend to achieve (and the
benchmarks against which to judge their progress towards those
ends), then competitive pressures will have them set the bar as
high as they think they can handle, so as to "win" at the
application stage. Letting people get away with "meaningful" is
letting them get away with murder.
I urge you to remember how we started -- trying to think about
how we wanted the President to describe this program's success in
1996. It wasn't with weak words. It was that we had done
something important and useful, and could prove it.
Let's not trim our sails at the start of the voyage! We will
have enough pressure to do that in the coming months -- we should
at least set off on the truer, tougher tack at launch.
I think we should sit down and hash this out, once and for all.
CC: Shirley
2
93
16:18
202 724 0608
CNCS
4
002/002
Eli Segal
draft mission
9/22/93
and will
aclieve
The Corporation for National and Community Service will engage
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based
service. This service will address the nation's educational, human,
public safety, and environmental needs with meaningful results.
In doing so} the Corporation will foster citizen responsibility, and
provide educational opportunity for those who make a substantial
commitment to service strengthen the cords that bind us
together as a people.
Shirley
Sentence 2 is - 1.He awkward
09/22/93
16:21
202 724 0608
CNCS
002/002
Gene Genesofer Sofer
draft mission
9/22/93
The Corporation for National and Community Service will engage
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based
service. This service will address the nation's educational, human,
public safety, and environmental needs Milk meaningful results.
In doing so, the Corporation will foster citizen responsibility,
and provide educational opportunity for those who make a substantial
commitment to service, and strengthen the cords that bind us
together as a people.
to achieve
Shirlay- I'm not Sure that "cods that bind us" reals as well
as it sounds. I'd be inclined to goback to rebuild commun-
ity. if Anybody else feels the may I do.
\1)
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 9, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICE OF NATIONAL SERVICE STAFF
FROM:
ELI J. SEGAL
SUBJECT: Draft Mission Statement
The enclosed draft mission statement reflects our best
shot at our vision for national service. Should you
have any comments, please give to Shirley Sagawa by
September 15. Thanks.
Draft Mission Statement
educational
The Corporation for National and Community Service will
engage Americans of all backgrounds in organized efforts to
address national education, public safety, environmental and
human needs through community-based service with direct,
demonstrable results. National Service will foster citizen
responsibility, build community, and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to national and
community service.
Shirley-
The only suggestion I world make is to make it more
dear that there will not be any participants applying directly
to the federal gov't. So, in line 2, I recommend
"engage Americans I all backgrounds in
organized efferts at the state and local Grel
to address
or
In line 3: "toaddress national, state and local
educational, public safety..."
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 9, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICE OF NATIONAL SERVICE STAFF
FROM:
ELI J. SEGAL
SUBJECT: Draft Mission Statement
The enclosed draft mission statement reflects our best
shot at our vision for national service. Should you
have any comments, please give to Shirley Sagawa by
September 15. Thanks.
Draft Mission Statement
The Corporation for National and Community Service will
engage Americans of all backgrounds in organized efforts to
address national education, public safety, environmental and
human needs through community-based service with direct,
demonstrable results. National Service will foster citizen
3
responsibility build community and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to
service.
Shirley-
/
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mission statement could reflect
this
-Chris
Draft Mission Statement
The Corporation for National and Community Service will
engage Americans of all backgrounds in organized efforts to
address national education, public safety environmental and
human needs through community-based service with direct,
demonstrable results. National Service will foster citizen
responsibility, build community, and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to
service.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 9, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICE OF NATIONAL SERVICE STAFF
FROM:
ELI J. SEGAL
SUBJECT: Draft Mission Statement
The enclosed draft mission statement reflects our best
shot at our vision for national service. Should you
have any comments, please give to Shirley Sagawa by
September 15. Thanks.
Draft Mission Statement
The Corporation for National and Community Service will
engage Americans of all backgrounds in organized efforts to
address national education, public safety, environmental and
human needs through community-based service with direct,
demonstrable results. National Service will foster citizen
responsibility, build community, and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to
service.
ACTION-OFFICE/DIRECTOR TEL 202-606-4928
Sep 15.93 14:10 No.002 P.01
ACTION
THE FEDERAL DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER AGENCY
1100 VERMONT AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20525
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
FACSIMILE TRANSMITTAL SHEET
TO:
Shirley Sagawa, Office of National Service
LOCATION:
The White House
FAX #:
456-6420
PHONE #: 456-6444
FROM:
Gary Kowalczyk
FAX #:
(202) 606-4928
TELEPHONE #: (202) 606-4880
COMMENTS:
MISSION STATEMENT
NUMBER OF PAGES (INCLUDING COVER SHEET)
2
IF THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION, PLEASE CALL
(202) 606-4880.
ACTION-OFFICE/DIRESTOR TEL :202-606-4928
Sep 15,93 14:10 No. 002 P.02
FEDERAL DOMESTIC VOLUNIEER
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
1100 VERMONT AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON DC 20525
241
AGENCY
September 15, 1993
U.S.A.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Shirley Sagawa
Office of National Service
FROM:
Gary Kowalczyky
Acting Director
SUBJECT:
Mission Statement
As requested, we circulated the vision statoment on national
service. Comments reflected the following themos:
The statement should encompass age, e.g. engage
Americanc of all ages and backgrounds
10
The statement should mention life-long service, e.g. 10
foster citizen responsibility and life-long service
Since some of the Corporation's volunteers commit
substantially to service but will not receive educational
benefits (major portions of Serve America and the National
Senior Volunteer Corps), state " and provide educational
opportunity for many of those who make a substantial
commitment to service."
The general belief was that the statement is easily grasped
and is appropriately terse and outcome oriented.
ACTION'S MESION
To admulate voluntary citizen persicipation in addressing the needs of American communities,
particularly those of the poor, the disadvantaged and the elderly.
Catherine
Working from the ONS draft:
The Corporation for National and Community Service will engage² Americans
of all ³backgrounds in organized efforts to address national⁵ education, public
safety, environmental, and human needs⁶ through community-based service
with direct⁷, demonstrable⁸ results. National Service will foster citizen
responsibility, build community, and provide educational opportunity for those
who make a substantial commitment to service.
Overall recommendations
1. Open with a vision statement. Without it, sounds too much like a jobs
program.
1 Needs a vision statement that motivates action. The statement as is descriptively accurate but
could be more inspirational why we are doing these things. Suggestions:
renew an ethic of civic responsibility and national unity by weaving community service
into the fabric of every American's life.
or
"develop public-spirited, effective citizens, with the skills needed for life long
contributions to solving the pressing problems facing our communities and our nation"
2 recommend a more actively descriptive phrase such as "provide meaningful service
opportunities for"
3 add "ages"
4
would like some clarification. it may not add much but it could prohibit individual placements
that have been so effective in rural programs.
5 do we mean domestic? or do we mean that priorities are set nationally? If we mean nationally-
set priorities, does this impede a local community's ability to set own? Consider replacing with
"critical" or "unmet".
6 consider replacement language for " needs" such as "priorities"
7 Direct is a little dangerous it leaves out the possibilities of in-direct but valuable, critical or
priority needs. For instance, a particular community task may not be a suitable effort for a highly
skilled n.s. participant, but the design of the task or its supervision may be. That is not direct, but
may be an excellent n.s. opportunity.
8 measurable might be closer to the intent?
2. Remove language that impedes service-learning and the K-12 programs, i.e.
"direct and demonstrable"
3. Consider reversing the order of the sentences go from broad to narrow.
4. Elevating participant impact in the statement.
5. Ponder "National" and its impact. Consider deleting, or replacing with
"critical" etc.
6. Do we need partnership language? Such as "in partnership with ..."
7. Consider new Board development and buy-in
Draft Mission Statement
The Corporation for National and Community Service will
engage Americans of all backgrounds in organized efforts to
address national education, public safety, environmental and
human needs through community-based service with direct,
demonstrable results. National Service will foster citizen
responsibility, build community, and provide educational
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to
service.