1
How to Develop Your Intended Impact and Theory of Change
What are intended impact and theory of change?
Intended impact and theory of change are two concepts that can help
pave the way to a clear, eective, mission-based strategy and help
nonprofit leaders get critical decisions right.
Intended impact defines the specific outcome or outcomes that
your organization will hold itself accountable for achieving within a
reasonable timeframe (e.g., 5–10 years). It defines the WHO, WHERE,
and WHAT of your organization’s impact goals.
Theory of change explains HOW your organization will achieve that
impact—the approaches you will undertake and the other actors you
will work with oralongside.
Together, intended impact and theory of change serve as an anchor
for your nonprofit’s strategy and help guide the work of your leadership
team. For more details on intended impact and theory of change,
see “What Are Intended Impact and Theory of Change and How Can
Nonprofits Use Them?”
Is it time to develop or refresh your intended
impact and theory ofchange?
A number of dierent circumstances or events can trigger a refresh of
your intended impact and theory of change. Often, it is a first step in
undertaking a strategic planning process. Sometimes there are specific
triggers that will prompt this work such as a change in leadership, a
major shift in the external environment, or an increased organizational
focus on equity.
How should my nonprofit organization get started?
The following templates are designed to help your organization
develop or refresh your intended impact and theory of change.
Beloware a few practical steps to help you get started:
¨
Ask each member of your leadership team to complete a rough
draft your organization’s intended impact and theory of change
using templates 1a and 1b.
¨
As a team, review your work, identify areas of consensus, prioritize
open questions, and develop acollective draft using template 1c.
¨
Use the questions in templates 2a and 2b to begin pressure
testing your collective draft through research and conversations
with critical stakeholders.
Source: The Bridgespan Group
INTENDED
IMPACT
THEORY OF
CHANGE
WHAT
specific outcomes
do you want to
achieve?
HOW
will your organization
achieve your intended
impact?
WHO
is your
population
offocus?
WHERE
will your
organization
do its work?
Are you finding this toolkit useful? We'd value your feedback. Click to let us know what you think.
2
Overview
TEMPLATE 1a:
Develop your intended impact
What change would you like to see in the world as a result of your organization’s work? Outline your hypothesis on
the WHO, WHERE, and WHAT below. Consider a 5–10 year time horizon when defining your intended impact.
WHO WHERE WHAT
Who is your population offocus? Where will your organization do its work?
What specific outcomes do you want
toachieve?
What additional actors might you work with to achieve your intended impact?
By choosing the areas of focus you described above, what might you NOT prioritize?
• The WHO describes the population your organization seeks to impact through its
work; it is often your reason for being.
• Most organizations should aim to identify one priority population. For some
organizations, such as human service organizations, being accountable for change across
multiple populations makes sense. If this is the case for your organization, complete
aseparate row (filling out the WHO, WHERE and WHAT) for each unique population.
• Not every organization will have a targeted WHERE. Some may focus at the regional
or country level.
• These outcomes will be the changes
or results your organization will hold
itself accountable for achieving. They
should be ambitious, measurable, and
achievable.
• Avoid focusing exclusively on
outputs, which measure activities
(e.g., number of people served).
These are groups outside of your population of focus (your WHO) that your organization might work with in order to achieve your
intended impact. Some organizations may engage many actors (e.g., those focused on influence or advocacy); others may engage few
to none.
3
TEMPLATE 1b:
Develop your theory of change
Describe the elements (skills, capabilities, or expertise) that make your organization distinctly good at what it does.
HOW will you achieve your intended impact?
Approaches Linkages Essential activities
Contribution to
intended impact
Allocation
What approaches
or types of work are
critical to achieve your
intended impact?
How do your
approaches link
to and reinforce
eachother?
What aspects of
each approach are
particularly essential
for impact?
How does each
approach contribute
to your intended
impact?
What percent of your
organization’s time and
resources would you
spend on each approach?
Overview
These elements may exist at the organization level (e.g., our work is informed by a deep understanding of the communities we serve)
orprogram level (e.g., our programs are based on rigorous evidence). They may also be about how you integrate your various eorts
(e.g.,we support our clients via a continuum of services).
The approaches
you identify
should be critical
to achieving the
WHAT of your
intended impact.
List them here
at a fairly high
level and avoid
creating a list of
your individual
programs.
Describe the ways
in which your
approaches connect
to or reinforce each
other to create
greater impact.
This may help
explain why you are
choosing this set of
approaches together
versus a subset.
Highlight specific
activities within
each approach that
are particularly
essential for impact.
This may be about
how you deliver
your work or what
characteristics are
critical to success
(e.g., dosage or
duration).
Describe how
each approach
contributes to
achieving the
WHAT of your
intended impact.
Each approach may
represent a first step
(or intermediate
outcome) toward
achieving your
intended impact.
This section allows
teams to discuss the
relative energy and
resources required by
dierent approaches.
Estimate the percent
share of resources for
each approach. The
rows should add up
to100%.
4
Worksheet
TEMPLATE 1a:
Develop your intended impact
What change would you like to see in the world as a result of your organization’s work? Outline your hypothesis on
the WHO, WHERE, and WHAT below. Consider a 5–10 year time horizon when defining your intended impact.
WHO WHERE WHAT
Who is your population offocus? Where will your organization do its work?
What specific outcomes do you want
toachieve?
What additional actors might you work with to achieve your intended impact?
By choosing the areas of focus you described above, what might you NOT prioritize?
5
TEMPLATE 1b:
Develop your theory of change
Describe the elements (skills, capabilities, or expertise) that make your organization distinctly good at what it does.
HOW will you achieve your intended impact?
Approaches Linkages Essential activities
Contribution to
intended impact
Allocation
What approaches
or types of work are
critical to achieve your
intended impact?
How do your
approaches link
to and reinforce
eachother?
What aspects of
each approach are
particularly essential
for impact?
How does each
approach contribute
to your intended
impact?
What percent of your
organization’s time and
resources would you
spend on each approach?
Note: While this template only has space for three approaches, it's possible your organization has fewer or more approaches to pursing its intended impact.
Worksheet
6
Worksheet
TEMPLATE 1c:
Combine your intended impact and theory of change
The elements (skills, capabilities, expertise) that make your organization’s work uniquely impactful.
Your organization's population of focus, key approaches and activities, and the outcomes for which it will hold itself
accountable.
WHO
and
WHERE
HOW
WHAT
Approaches Linkages Essential activities
Contribution to
intended impact
Note: While this template only has space for three approaches, it's possible your organization has fewer or more approaches to pursing its intended impact.
Intended Impact Theory of Change
7
Worksheet
TEMPLATE 2a:
Pressure test your intended impact
Overview: Many nonprofits find it valuable to pressure test their intended impact and theory of change once they have developed a solid first
draft. Pressure testing is all about identifying areas where there are gaps in logic, where you feel less confident, and where further near-term
learning and research is required. This is an opportunity to take on the mindset of a skeptic. The questions below can help jump-start important
conversations with your leadership team and other key stakeholders whose perspectives and experiences are critical to incorporate.
Instructions: Review the questions below and indicate where you have a high level of confidence versus where further research or analysis may
be required. Capture any open questions or next steps in the space provided, as needed.
Criteria
Key
questions
Considerations
High
confidence
Further
work
required
Open questions /
next steps
Intended impact
Need
Have you
prioritized the
population
where need
isgreatest?
Your intended impact should address a need
that is not currently being addressed in the
community. Unmet needs may exist because
your population of focus is not being served
atall, or it is being served by others in dierent
or inadequate ways. In clarifying where need is
greatest, consider disaggregating data by race,
gender, and other subgroups.
✓
?
Fit
Are you better
equipped than
others to address
the needs of this
population?
An eective intended impact accounts for
whether your organization is better equipped
than others to address the needs of your
population of focus. Consider reasons related to
your experience, capabilities, or relationships
that may make you a stronger “go to” for this
intended impact.
✓
?
Feasibility
Can your
organization
realistically be
accountable for
achieving these
outcomes?
An intended impact may not be feasible if the
outcomes are vague or dicult to measure, or
if they are too ambitious given the resources
you have access to.
✓
?
8
Worksheet
TEMPLATE 2b:
Pressure test your theory ofchange
Overview: Many nonprofits find it valuable to pressure test their intended impact and theory of change once they have developed a solid first
draft. Pressure testing is all about identifying areas where there are gaps in logic, where you feel less confident, and where further near-term
learning and research is required. This is an opportunity to take on the mindset of a skeptic. The questions below can help jump-start important
conversations with your leadership team and other key stakeholders whose perspectives and experiences are critical to incorporate.
Instructions: Review the questions below and indicate where you have a high level of confidence versus where further research or analysis may
be required. Capture any open questions or next steps in the space provided, as needed.
Criteria
Key
questions
Considerations
High
confidence
Further
work
required
Open questions /
next steps
Theory of change
Eectiveness
Are you using
themost
eective
approaches
possible to
achieve your
intended impact?
Your organization’s approach has likely evolved
over time. The theory of change you develop
should reflect your programmatic learnings
and current perspectives on best practices,
embracing the approaches that are known to
be most eective in your context.
✓
?
Eciency
Have you
allocated the right
amount of energy
and resources
to dierent
approaches?
Each component of your theory of change
should contribute in an important way to your
intended impact. Organizational time and
resources should be focused on activities that
disproportionately drive impact.
✓
?
Feasibility
Can you feasibly
deliver on your
theory of change
and will it lead
to your intended
impact?
It is important that you have or can build the
critical capabilities—including talent, systems,
and relationships—that you need to do this
work. In addition, your theory of change
should be able to realistically achieve your
intended impact.
✓
?
9
EXAMPLE—WORKSHEET 1a:
Develop your intended impact
What change would you like to see in the world as a result of your organization’s work? Outline your hypothesis on
the WHO, WHERE, and WHAT below. Consider a 5–10 year time horizon when defining your intended impact.
WHO WHERE WHAT
Who is your population offocus? Where will your organization do its work?
What specific outcomes do you want
toachieve?
• Women of color in the workforce • Boston, Massachusetts • An increase in the number of women of
color in leadership positions in Boston
• Shifts in the demographic and cultural
structure of partner organizations and
institutions toward greater diversity
andinclusion
What additional actors might you work with to achieve your intended impact?
• Partner organizations and institutions that enroll in YW Boston’s consulting and capacity building programs
• Individual participants in YW Boston’s leadership development programs
• Schools and out-of-school-time partners that host YW Boston’s leadership and empowerment programs for girls of color
• State and local policy makers, coalition partners
10
EXAMPLE—WORKSHEET 1b:
Develop your theory of change
Describe the elements (skills, capabilities, or expertise) that make your organization distinctly good at what it does.
• A long history as a leader in the causes of eliminating racism and empowering women
• A tailored approach designed to meet individuals and organizations where they are in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journey
• A diverse sta with the cultural competency, fluency on issues of DEI, and facilitation skills required to navigate dicult conversations and
promote active participation and discussion among the individuals and organizations with whom we work
HOW will you achieve your intended impact?
Approaches Linkages Essential activities
Contribution to
intended impact
Allocation
What approaches
or types of work are
critical to achieve your
intended impact?
How do your
approaches link
to and reinforce
eachother?
What aspects of
each approach are
particularly essential
for impact?
How does each
approach contribute
to your intended
impact?
What percent of your
organization’s time and
resources would you
spend on each approach?
• Build a pipeline of leaders
responsive to increased
demands for racial equity
and fluent in issues of DEI
• Leadership programs
educate and empower
individuals to act on issues of
DEI within their organizations
• DEI services promote
greater inclusion within
organizations, creating
environments that allow
women of color to attain
and thrive in positions of
leadership
• Advocacy helps advance
policies to support DEI within
the systems that govern
organizations and support
individuals
• Social justice education
• Positive identity development
• Experiential learning
• Commitment and support
to act
• Prepare current and future
leaders to address root
causes of DEI challenges
in their organizations and
communities
~20%
• Provide DEI services to
organizations (institutional
assessment, training,
capacity building)
• Organizational assessment
• Dialogue-based sessions
• Pre- and post-evaluations to
ensure action takes place
• Help organizations to create
inclusive environments where
women, people of color, and
women of color can succeed
~65%
• Engage in coalition
building, solidarity building,
and advocacy at the state,
city and local levels
• Legislative advocacy
• Coalition participation
• Mobilization of public
support and action
• Advance policies that
dismantle barriers preventing
women, people of color,
and women of color from
positions of leadership
~15%
11
EXAMPLE—WORKSHEET 1c:
Combine your intended impact and theory of change
The elements (skills, capabilities, expertise) that make your organization’s work uniquely impactful.
• A long history as a leader in the causes of eliminating racism and empowering women
• A tailored approach designed to meet individuals and organizations where they are in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journey
• A diverse sta with the cultural competency, fluency on issues of DEI, and facilitation skills required to navigate dicult conversations and
promote active participation and discussion among the individuals and organizations with whom we work
Your organization's population of focus, key approaches and activities, and the outcomes for which it will hold itself
accountable.
WHO
and
WHERE
HOW
WHAT
Approaches Linkages Essential activities
Contribution to
intended impact
• Women of color
in the workforce
• Boston, MA
• Build a pipeline of leaders
responsive to increased
demands for racial equity
and fluent in issues of DEI
• Leadership programs
educate and empower
individuals to act on issues of
DEI within their organizations
• DEI services promote
greater inclusion within
organizations, creating
environments that allow
women of color to attain
and thrive in positions of
leadership
• Advocacy helps advance
policies to support DEI within
the systems that govern
organizations and support
individuals
• Social justice education
• Positive identity development
• Experiential learning
• Commitment and support
to act
• Prepare current and future
leaders to address root
causes of DEI challenges
in their organizations and
communities
• An increase in
the number of
women of color
in leadership
positions in
Boston
• Shifts in the
demographic and
cultural structure
of partner
organizations
toward greater
diversity and
inclusion
• Provide DEI services to
organizations (institutional
assessment, training,
capacity building)
• Organizational assessment
• Dialogue-based sessions
• Pre- and post-evaluations to
ensure action takes place
• Help organizations to create
inclusive environments where
women, people of color, and
women of color can succeed
• Engage in coalition building,
solidarity building, and
advocacy at the state, city
and local levels
• Legislative advocacy
• Coalition participation
• Mobilization of public
support and action
• Advance policies that
dismantle barriers preventing
women, people of color,
and women of color from
positions of leadership
Intended Impact Theory of Change