Effective mission statements include components such as values, vision, and purpose. Examples of mission statement of different types: non-profit, personal and business.

Some mission statements are complex, long, and very broad, for example:

"Since its inception in 1982, La Unidad Latina has remained on the vanguard of political and community empowerment by developing influential leaders that strive to exert knowledge and power into its peers in order to attain mutual success. LUL is committed to academic excellence, leadership development and cultural enlightenment, enhanced by a diverse cognizant membership. LUL strives to preserve and promote an inclusive intellectual environment for its members, in addition to the general community."

In contrast, some mission statements are simple and direct, for example:

"To protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists while serving the needs of its members."

The classic example of the mission statement is the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."