the.com/mission drift
the slow-motion plot twist where an organization forgets why it exists.
means the gradual, often unnoticed shift of an organization's goals away from its original purpose, usually chasing funding, growth, or relevance instead.
from emerged from nonprofit and NGO management literature in the 1990s, describing how charities quietly reshaped their missions to fit grant requirements rather than the other way around.
causefunders often reward metrics, not original purpose
speedhappens gradually, rarely as one decision
sectorcommon in nonprofits, startups, and universities alike
tellmission statement gets vaguer as scope grows