Planning & Strategy · Free
Theory of Change Builder
Map the full results chain — from the problem you're solving to the long-term impact — in one clear, donor-ready Theory of Change.
About 20 min · no sign-up
A Theory of Change (ToC) explains how and why your programme expects to create change. It links what you invest and do (inputs and activities) to what you produce (outputs), the shifts those produce in people and systems (short- and longer-term outcomes), and the lasting change you ultimately aim for (impact). Making each step explicit reveals the causal logic behind your work — and the assumptions it rests on.
Work through the sections in order, starting from the problem and ending with the impact, then return to test your assumptions and risks against the whole chain. Keep each box short and specific, written in plain language. A good ToC is honest about uncertainty: if a link only holds when an assumption is true, name it. The result is a single narrative you can use to align your team, design indicators, and show donors exactly how your activities add up to change.
State the core problem you're addressing, who it affects, and the underlying causes. Ground it in evidence and the local context — this is the starting point your whole logic must trace back to.
List the resources you will invest to make the work possible — funding, staff, partners, equipment, and knowledge. Inputs are what you put in, not what you do.
Describe the concrete actions you will carry out with those inputs. Use verbs — train, deliver, mentor, convene. These are the things your team actually does.
Capture the direct, countable products of your activities — the immediate deliverables you can fully control. Outputs are 'how much we did', not yet 'what changed'.
Describe the early changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills, or behaviour that outputs make possible, usually within the project period. These you influence but don't fully control.
Set out the deeper changes that follow if the early outcomes hold — shifts in behaviour, practice, or systems that persist beyond a single activity.
Name the lasting, higher-level change you ultimately contribute to — the vision your programme works toward, often shared with other actors. State it as the end you serve, while being honest that you contribute rather than cause it alone.
Make explicit the conditions that must hold for each link in the chain to work, and the risks that could break them. If a 'because' between two boxes depends on something outside your control, write it here.
Optional but recommended: note how you'll know each level is being achieved. Pick a few measurable signals for outputs, outcomes, and impact so the ToC can drive your monitoring plan.
Tip: one point per line. Print / download keeps your layout.