Many organizations have their own existing logic models, and we’re here to help you translate them to the True Impact model!
At True Impact, we use an impact model approach to help nonprofit partners tell their story. An impact model (which is a version of a logic model that focuses on outcomes) is your program's roadmap, illustrating what sorts of inputs will ultimately contribute to your intended impacts. While we’ve worked hard to intentionally cultivate our impact model, we acknowledge that many organizations have already spent the time and energy creating their own program logic models.
In this article, we will detail how you can best translate your current logic model into the True Impact system. If you do not currently have a logic model for your program, please review this resource to understand True Impact’s approach and identify how your programming would fit into this framework.
True Impact’s approach:
True Impact’s impact model includes five stages; Program Development > Reach > Learn > Act > Succeed. To see how a standard logic model of Inputs, Outputs, and Outcomes would fit into this impact model, please review this resource. While True Impact’s model has five stages, only two are required; Reach and Succeed. If your programming does not have aspects of Program Development, Learning, or Action, you have the flexibility to build your model without these stages.
How to translate your model:
The following are our five tips for translating your own logic model structures into the True Impact tool to best tell your story of impact:
1. Draw parallels between the stages you include and what True Impact’s stages are
- Program Development: This stage is where you’ll pull in any of your inputs or activities that you want to highlight
- Reach: This stage can also be understood as your outputs, and specifically the participation aspect of your work such as the number of program participants or total people you serve
- Learn and Act: These are Interim (short/medium term) outcomes, so if any learning or behavior changes are a step of your program process before reaching the final outcomes, you can include these in these stages, otherwise they are optional
- Succeed: This is the stage to represent the ultimate outcomes of your work
2. If you’re reporting on an investment to multiple programs that each have unique logic models, create different reports for each
We do not take the approach of one impact model per investment, rather, True Impact’s approach is one report per program. If your funder gave funds that went to various programs and each has its own model, the easiest way to translate that into our system is going to be creating a unique report for each program and splitting the investment accordingly.
3. Identify only your most important indicators/metrics
While your current logic model might map out internal projects, outreach efforts, and other important information for your staff to know, these internal processes are not necessary to map out in your external report for funders. Think of this report as a communication tool and a way to tell the impact story of your work in a succinct and compelling way. The main way our impact model differs from a standard logic model is that it removes the process heavy steps and is instead a refined model focused on outcomes.
4. Impact models are mapping a sequence of events
While your program might have various phases, your impact model should be a high level overview that portrays how each step contributes to the next. Thinking of the stages as an order of operation will help you accurately translate your logic model into the True Impact system, for example: If 1 new program is developed that then reaches 300 people, of those 300 a total of 275 might learn something, 250 then go on to change their behavior, and ultimately 150 actually achieve the intended outcome. Remember, each stage is interdependent on the others, and while we understand this model may not represent the full scope of how social impacts are achieved, you are drawing parallels between your work and how it contributes to the impact.
5. Not all indicators carry the same weight
Just because some indicators might exist in the same stage, does not mean they are equal or happen at the same time. For example, if you are detailing an education program, you might have a short term success indicator of improving attendance while also including a longer term success indicator of graduating high school or accessing post-secondary education. Representing the various levels of impact are important for illustrating the full scope of your intervention.
As you are working through the system and mapping your own logic model within the tool, do not hesitate to reach out to the True Impact team for any support! We are always happy to help and want to ensure you feel your report is accurately capturing your program and outcomes.