Digging Deeper - Intervention Section

The intervention section captures your program's activities or services. After selecting a categorical summary of your program's focus, you'll be asked about the type of intervention your program engages in: Direct Service, Capacity Development, or Policy and Advocacy. You'll only be able to select one.

Following your selection, you'll be asked about the intensity of the intervention. For most, the intensity of the intervention is defined as the frequency and duration of a program, measured in length of sessions over a period of time. However, there are six instances where an intervention type will lead to a dollar amount, rather than the length or duration of a program. These are instances where the intensity of a program, and beneficiary experience, is better captured with monetary value. For example, a capacity development project improving water sanitation infrastructure is best understood by the value of equipment, and a scholarship program is best understood by the value of the scholarship for each beneficiary.

The six instances where an intervention type will lead to a dollar amount, rather than the length or duration of a program are as follows:

  • Intervention type: Capacity Development

    • Infrastructure, equipment, land development

    • Product and service development

    • Program and curriculum development

  • Intervention type: Direct Service

    • Distribution of food

    • Distribution of clothing, shelter, and other non-food basic needs

    • Grants or scholarships for education, training, or other services

Sometimes a program provides curriculum development (Capacity Development), direct instruction (Direct Service), and scholarships to students (/capacity Development). In those instances, we trust the nonprofit to select a primary intervention and describe its duration and frequency. The feedback process with True Impact and funders can help clarify expectations for reporting, so partners can have a conversation about the intensity of a program’s priority activities.

Overall, there are 22 intervention types in the True Impact system to capture the intensity of a program.  Below is the full list of intervention types and corresponding dosage selections.