How to Choose and Build Your Impact Model
This article explains what an impact model is, how the five stages work, and how to build one that reflects your program.
What is an impact model?
Your impact model is the core of your report. It is a step-by-step illustration of how your program creates change by connecting your activities to the outcomes experienced by the people you serve.
You may already have a logic model or theory of change for your organization. True Impact's impact model is a focused version of that, centered specifically on end outcomes.
The five stages
| Stage | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Program Development (optional) | Improvements to infrastructure, systems, or staff used to deliver the program |
| Reach (required) | The number of people served by the program |
| Learn (optional) | The number of people who gain skills, knowledge, or motivation as a result |
| Act (optional) | The number of people who change behavior or take action as a result |
| Succeed (required) | The number of people who improve their well-being by achieving the program's end goal |
You do not need to include every stage. All reports include Reach and Succeed at minimum, with Learn and Act added where they are a meaningful part of your program's theory of change.
Choosing your impact model
In the builder, you will first select a primary cause area and then your impact model template. This helps surface the most relevant indicator options for your program. Once you select a model, you will decide which specific indicators to include at each stage.
A few tips for choosing your model:
- Select the model that feels most aligned with your program's primary focus area.
- If you work with animals or the environment, look within the Environment and Sustainability cause category and review this resource.
- If your program trains or supports others who then serve end beneficiaries, see How to Measure the Impact of Intermediary Support Work.
Building your model
Once you have selected your model, work through each stage and decide which indicators to include. Here are a few guidelines:
- On one program, one model: Your model should focus on one intervention and one primary beneficiary group. If your program spans multiple distinct interventions with different theories of change or different beneficiary groups, consider creating separate reports so each can be represented accurately.
- Keep it focused. A concise model with 1-3 strong indicators per stage is better than a long model with weak data behind each indicator.
- Focus on your end beneficiaries. The Succeed stage should reflect the outcomes of the people ultimately impacted by your program, not intermediate outputs. Ask yourself: And then what? Keep going until you reach the real-world change in someone's life.
- Beneficiary outcomes. Never combine two different groups into a single number at the same stage. If you serve caregivers and infants, report them separately across the correct stages. For people your program benefits indirectly, use the 'People indirectly benefit' indicator rather than adding them to your primary Succeed numbers.
- Make the indicators your own. Each indicator comes with a standard definition, but you can tailor it in the success criteria section to describe exactly what it means for your program.
For examples of completed impact models, see What will our report look like once complete?