Aims vs Objectives: Get clear on both
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water" - Rabindranath Tagore
When you’re starting a new organisation or project, one of the most important things you can do is to get really clear on what you’re trying to achieve and how you plan to achieve it.
Defining your aims and objectives from the start will help you stay focused, communicate your purpose to others, and guide your decisions as you grow.
I’m going to share some key questions to help you think about what your aims and objectives might include.
Then, I’ll share examples to show how this might look for different types of organisations and projects.
Let’s start by breaking down what aims and objectives actually are:
Your aim is what you want to achieve - the overall purpose or big picture vision of your organisation or project.
Your objectives are how you will achieve that aim - the specific actions or steps you’ll take to make it happen.
Prompts & Questions
Make a note of your answers to these questions.
Clarifying Your Aim (The ‘What’)
What issue, challenge, or opportunity are you addressing?
What positive change do you want to create?
Who do you want to help or engage with?
If your organisation or project succeeds, what will be different in the world or in your community?
Defining Your Objectives (The ‘How’)
What are the main things you will do to achieve your aim?
What specific activities or services will help you reach your goal?
How will you measure success or progress?
Who will be involved in making this happen?
Registration forms & examples
If you’re starting a charity, social enterprise, or community group, your aims and objectives will need to be written in a way that meets the requirements of your chosen structure.
You can find out more about the different not-for-profit structures here.
Charities, for example, must show how their work fits within at least one of the Charity Commission’s 13 charitable purposes.
Social enterprises need to clearly demonstrate how they benefit the community.
Example 1: Charity
Aims and objectives are set out in a charity’s governing document submitted to the Charity Commission upon registration. So you might write your aims and objectives like this:
Aim: To improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people in disadvantaged communities.
Objectives:
Provide free counselling and peer support groups for young people aged 13-25.
Deliver mental health workshops in schools and youth centres.
Work with local authorities to improve access to mental health services for young people.
Then you would need to rephrase it slightly for your governing document, to:
For the public benefit, to promote and protect the mental health of young people aged 13-25 in disadvantaged communities through counselling, peer support, education, and partnerships that improve access to mental health services.
You can download model governing documents here.
Here are some more examples from the Charity Commission:
Providing their education (including the study of music or other arts), to undertake travel in furtherance of that education or to prepare for entry to any occupation, trade or profession on leaving any educational establishment.
The relief of financial hardship by the provision of free legal advice and assistance to persons who, through lack of means, would otherwise be unable to obtain such advice.
To help young people, especially but not exclusively through leisure time activities, so as to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
Example 2: Social Enterprise
Aims and objectives are summarised in the CIC 36 form when registering with the CIC Regulator. The organisation must show that it primarily benefits the community rather than private individuals. So you might write your aims and objectives like this:
Aim: To reduce food waste and tackle food insecurity in urban areas.
Objectives:
Collect surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, and farms.
Distribute food through a network of affordable community markets.
Provide cookery classes and nutritional advice to help families make the most of available food.
When filling in your CIC 36 form, it could get rephrased as follows:
The company’s activities will provide benefit to individuals and families in urban areas facing food insecurity by reducing waste and improving access to affordable, nutritious food through food collection, low-cost community markets, and cookery classes with nutritional advice.
You can download a CIC 36 form here.
Example 3: Community Group
Aims and objectives are typically written in a simple constitution document, setting out the purpose of the group and its main activities. So you might write your aims and objectives like this:
Aim: To create a welcoming space where older adults can connect, socialise, and participate in community activities.
Objectives:
Organise weekly social gatherings, including coffee mornings and hobby groups.
Provide support and signposting to local services for older adults.
Develop intergenerational activities to connect older people with young volunteers.
In your Constitution document, you’d summarize as follows:
The aims of the group shall be:
To create a welcoming space where older adults can connect, socialise, and participate in community activities by organising weekly social gatherings such as coffee mornings and hobby groups, providing support and signposting to local services, and developing activities to connect older people with young volunteers.
Example 4: Personal Project
For an individual-led project, the aims and objectives don’t need to follow formal registration rules but should still provide clarity and direction, so might look something like this:
Aim: To raise awareness of plastic pollution and encourage sustainable living.
Objectives:
Share practical tips on reducing plastic waste through a blog and social media.
Organise monthly litter-picking events in local parks and beaches.
Collaborate with local businesses to promote plastic-free alternatives.
I hope you've found this useful and feel ready to write the aims and objectives for your organisation or project. Having this in place from the start will set you up for success and help you move forward with confidence.
If you’re looking to create a positive impact, through a charity, social enterprise, community group, or meaningful project, you can find my free resources on Substack and YouTube, take an online course, or work with me directly.
Rachel