• Charitable objectives can vary depending upon a nonprofit organization’s nature, location, size and other traits. Aims are generally a group’s broad goals, while objectives are specific plans dedicated to achieving these goals. For example, a nonprofit might establish an objective of having an annual fundraiser to achieve the aim of providing money for medical research. Although every charity has slightly different aims and objectives, both aspects help charities establish the steps for carrying out their missions. By organizing their aims and objectives into actions, charities can more effectively serve the groups they set out to help.

Charities may be dedicated to one specific cause or a group of related causes. For example, a charity might aim to improve women’s lives by ending rape and domestic violence. Such a charity’s objectives might be to establish a crisis line, set up a shelter or educate women about how to stay safe. The majority of a charity’s activities should be devoted to its aim. Charities that are not mission-focused or that spend lots of time on tangential causes are less effective at accomplishing their goals. Establishing a mission statement can help a charity define its aim, which will direct its shorter-term objectives. A charity’s mission statement should be specific. For instance, a charity established to fight domestic violence might aim in its mission statement to reduce episodes of domestic violence in its area by a certain percentage or establish a domestic violence shelter.