Logic Models for Social Impact
How to Build a Logic Model That Strengthens Your Social Impact
If you're aiming to deliver measurable social change, a logic model can help you clarify your approach, strengthen your outcomes, and communicate value with confidence.
Projects with purpose deserve frameworks that work. A logic model helps you show how your actions lead to impact, and ensures everyone involved understands how change happens.
What is a logic model?
A logic model is a structured, visual tool that maps out the sequence between the resources you invest and the change you hope to create. It’s a practical way to design, communicate, and evaluate your initiative.
Think of it as your operational map. It lays out:
What you put in
What you do
What you deliver
What changes occur
What difference it makes
This sequence is typically broken into five key components:
Inputs: The resources you invest: funding, staff, partnerships, infrastructure
Activities: The work you carry out: workshops, outreach, services
Outputs: The immediate, tangible results: events held, people reached, materials created
Outcomes: The short to medium-term effects: knowledge gained, behaviours changed
Impact: The long-term shifts: improved health, reduced poverty, increased opportunity
Why a Logic Model Is Essential to Delivering Impact
A well-designed logic model helps you move from assumption to articulation. It shows how your project creates value, not just in what it does, but in what it changes.
For impact-led organisations, it’s essential. Here’s why:
It clarifies intent: Everyone on the team can see what success looks like, and how to get there.
It strengthens funding bids: Investors and partners want evidence of a plan, not just passion.
It supports evaluation: With defined outcomes, you can measure progress and adjust where needed.
It enables learning: Spot gaps in logic or delivery, test assumptions, and improve over time.
Without a logic model, it's easy for projects to stay active, without ever showing how that activity leads to meaningful change.
How to build your own
You don’t need a technical background to create a strong logic model. Here’s a simple step-by-step approach:
Step 1: Define your impact goal
What is the big change you want to see? Start at the end. This gives your model a clear direction.
Step 2: Map backwards
Identify the outcomes that will lead to that impact. Then list the outputs that will lead to those outcomes.
Step 3: List your activities
Describe what you will do to produce the outputs — the core actions your project delivers.
Step 4: Outline your inputs
Capture the resources required — including people, funding, space, tools, and partnerships.
Step 5: Test your logic
Ask: does each part logically lead to the next? Are there assumptions that need to be addressed or validated?
Example in action
Imagine a mobile health project aiming to reduce preventable illness in underserved areas.
Inputs: Funding, health professionals, mobile clinics
Activities: Weekly screenings, community workshops
Outputs: Number of check-ups, educational materials distributed
Outcomes: Improved health knowledge, increased early detection
Impact: Lower incidence of preventable disease
With this structure, you can communicate your value to funders, refine your delivery, and start building the evidence base for deeper change.
Common mistakes to avoid
Being too vague: “Empowering communities” is a goal. Be specific about how and what changes you expect.
Confusing outputs with outcomes: Outputs are what you deliver. Outcomes are what those outputs achieve.
Overlooking assumptions: Identify the conditions that must hold true for each step to work — and plan for them.
If you're looking to create or refine a logic model, whether for a funding application, a consultancy project, or internal planning, we can help. Reach out via the contact form to start a conversation.
