Logic Models: A Beginner’s Guide

A logic model is an organized and visual way to display your understanding of the relationships among
the resources you have to operate your program, the activities you plan, and the changes or results you
hope to achieve. Logic models are sometimes referred to as “road maps” for the organization. They
help to illustrate how the program is going to work, and what the program will do to achieve the desired
results

Making a logic model for your organization can be helpful in a number of ways. Some of the best
reasons to invest the time needed to create a logic model are that it:

→ makes your assumptions explicit; allowing you to challenge and examine them
→ helps to build shared understanding and expectations of your program among staff and other
stake-holders
→ helps you identify the data you need to collect so that you can monitor and improve
programming
→ tells stakeholders the problem the program focuses on and how the program is qualified to
address it
→ helps to identify what evaluation questions should be asked and why
→ is often required by funders

Basic format of a logic model:

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes

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A logic model contains four components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes.
Inputs: What the organization invests in the program. (Examples: money, staff, volunteers, time,
equipment, materials, technology, partners, etc.)

Activities: What the program does. (Examples: tutor, teach financial literacy, serve meals, mentor, etc.)

Outputs: The direct results of the program activities. How much/many activities provided (number of
youth matched with a mentor, number of tutoring sessions, number of youth served, etc.)

Outcomes: The benefits realized in the population served by the program. Answers the question – “So
what difference does the program make?” (new skills, change in behavior, change in attitudes, new
knowledge, etc.)

People often mistakenly describe the outputs of their organization as the outcome. For example, a
youth club may state that the outcome of their organization is that they “serve 50 youth a year,
providing them a safe place to go after school.” Their statement is describing something that they did,
not the change in the population served as a result, meaning that their statement is actually an output.
An example of an outcome could be – “youth participating in the program are 50% less likely to use
drugs than their peers.”

Output v. Outcome
Don’t mistake what your organization does with the change that results in those you serve. Funders
want to know what difference your organization is making, not simply that you are doing something.
Outputs are what you DO. Outcomes are the CHANGE in the population served. An easy way to
remember this is that:
C is for Change
Outcomes = change.

Here are some more examples to get you thinking about the difference between outputs and outcomes:

Program Output (what it does) Outcome (the change as a result)

Free medical clinic Fifty low-income individuals are 50% decrease in emergency room
provided free doctor visits visits by population served in the
year following initial contact
Math tutoring program Seventy youth receive math tutoring 100% of youth served improve
twice a week during the school year their ISTEP scores in math from the
start of the school year compared
to the spring test
Youth mentoring Thirty youth are matched with an 80% of youth served report
adult mentor for the year increased self esteem following
one year of mentoring
Dropout prevention Forty youth at risk of dropping out 85% of youth in program for one
receive weekly case management year or longer graduate high school
services in four years

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Outcomes
A helpful guide for developing outcomes for your program is the acronym SMART. Outcomes for your
program should be:

Specific - target the population you serve and the issue you are concerned with
Measurable - expressed in a way that can be measured
Action-oriented – something that the organization can act on and impact
Realistic and relevant – something that is within the realm of possibility for your organization, and
related to the problem the program addresses
Timed – indicate when the outcome will be achieved

Outcomes are often divided up into three categories: Initial, intermediate, and long-term.
Initial: Change in knowledge, attitude, or skills
Intermediate: Change in behavior or action resulting from new knowledge
Long-term: Change in life condition and/or status

Categories of Outcomes
To make it easy to remember, you can think of it as ABC – Attitude (initial), Behavior (intermediate),
Condition (long-term). Just remember that attitude also includes knowledge/skills.

Looking again at the examples of outcomes, we can further break down the outcomes into these three
categories. The outcomes given previously are in bold.

Program Initial Outcome Intermediate Outcome Long-term Outcome

(attitude) (behavior) (condition)
Free medical clinic Recipients learn how to 50% decrease in Those served have a higher
better manage their emergency room visits quality of life and longer life
health and where to by population served in expectancy
access community the year following
resources initial contact
Math tutoring 100% of youth served 90% of youth served are Youth graduate high school
program improve their ISTEP able to move on to the
scores in math from the next grade
start of the school year
compared to the spring
test
Youth mentoring 80% of youth served Youth served for one Youth avoid delinquent
report increased self year are 40% less likely behaviors and become
esteem following one to use drugs compared responsible citizens
year of mentoring to their peers.
Dropout 100% of youth served 90% of youth served will 85% of youth in program
prevention understand the advance to the next for one year or longer will
economic impact of grade graduate high school in
dropping out of school four years

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Think about your organization, or one you are familiar with, and list the outputs and outcomes of two
programs. Make sure they are SMART.

Programs Output (What it does) Outcome (the change as a result)

Now using the same programs, break down the outcomes into the following categories.
Program Initial Outcome (A) Intermediate Outcome (B) Long-term Outcome(C)

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“If-Then”

The logic model is a depiction of “if-then” relationships. If we invest these inputs/resources, then the
activities can take place; if the activities take place, then the outputs will result; if the outputs result,
then the outcomes will be achieved.

If……………….. then……….…..…if…………………then………….…….if……………....then……….if…then…if…then

Outcomes
• Initial
Inputs Activities Outputs
• Intermediate
• Long-term

Now that we have a basic understanding of what a logic model is, how it can be useful, and the
difference between outputs and outcomes; let’s start the process of building a logic model for your
organization.

Developing a logic model

The foundation for a logic model rests on the problem that the program is responding to. To effectively
develop a logic model, you must first be aware of what problem the program will be addressing.

Take some time to examine the need for your program. Here are some questions to think about
regarding the need your program seeks to address:
- How can you document the need for your program (data)?
- How large is the problem (numbers)?
- Who are you trying to impact with the program (specific populations)?
- Is the program reasonable in light of the need?

Some other things to consider as you prepare to draft your logic model:
- Who will use the logic model/ what purpose will it serve?
- Who should be involved in helping to make it?
- What have other organizations done to address the need your program is targeting?

Next, we will look at writing out your logic model step-by-step. Read through each of the steps, then
use the Logic model table following the step-by-step outline to create one for your program.

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Step 1: Identify the long-term outcomes of your program

Long-term outcomes are the changes in life state experienced by the population served as a result of the
program.

Examples: At-risk youth will graduate high school; pregnant teens will give birth to healthy babies

- Be sure that the client is the focus of the goal, not your organization
- Make the outcome active. The long-term outcome should be something the client will do/achieve,
not what will be done/provided to them
- Some good questions to ask yourself: What are we trying to achieve with our clients? What does
success look like for our clients? If the program is a success, how will our clients’ lives be changed?

Step 2: Identify the initial and intermediate outcomes of your program

Initial outcomes (attidude) are what impact the program has on the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of
the population served by your program.

Examples: youth will understand the consequences of dropping out of school; pregnant teens increase
knowledge of proper nutrition

Intermediate outcomes (behavior) are the changes in behavior exhibited by the population the program
serves as a result of their increase in knowledge.

Examples: youth have fewer than ten unexcused absences from school; pregnant teens consume a
healthier diet

Step 3: Identify the activities that will take place

You have identified the initial and intermediate outcomes needed so that the population served will
reach the long-term goal of the program, now you need to identify the activities that will take place so
that clients gain the knowledge and skills identified in your initial outcomes. Remember the “if-then”
relationship. If these activities take place, then clients will gain the knowledge and skills you listed in the
initial outcomes section.

Examples: youth meet with case manager on a weekly basis; pregnant teens receive training on healthy
diet

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Step 4: Identify the inputs needed
Looking at the activities you identified in step three, what inputs/resources are needed to make those
happen?

Examples: volunteers, staff, building, curriculum materials, etc.

Step 5: Identify the outputs

As a result of the activities you listed in step three, what will be delivered? Remember our discussion
earlier of the difference of outputs vs outcomes. Outputs are what you do. Your outputs should answer
questions like how many, how much, or for how long?

Examples: number of youth at-risk of dropping out of school who will receive weekly case-management
services; number of nutrition counseling sessions provided to pregnant teens

Your turn

Now turn to the next page to begin filling out your program’s logic model.

It may be helpful to refer back to these steps and examples as you work your way through it. Also, keep
in mind the outcomes and outputs you came up with in the earlier practice section.

Take note that the order is not chronological. We start at the end with long-term outcomes because
that is why your program exists - to accomplish that certain goal. Starting with the end in mind helps
you to ensure that all of your activities, outputs, and resources are aligned with the mission/goal of your
program.

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 Logic Model

Long-term Step 1: Identify the long-term outcomes of your program

Outcome

Intermediate Step 2b: Identify the intermediate outcomes of your program

Outcomes

Initial Step 2a: Identify the initial outcomes of your program

Outcomes

Outputs Step 5: Identify the outputs

Activities Step 3: Identify the activities that will take place

Inputs Step 4: Identify the inputs needed

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Congrats! You’ve crafted a logic model for your program!
That wasn’t so bad, was it? You may be thinking- So now what do I do with it? Here are some next steps
you can take to ensure that your logic model can benefit your organization in the ways we listed at the
start:

- First, review your logic model by asking some basic questions – Is it meaningful? Does it make sense?
Are the outcomes for the program realistic? Do you have the resources you need? Can you verify
your logic model by collecting data on your outcomes?

- Get feedback from the stakeholders of your program – clients, staff, funders, volunteers.

- Use it with staff and volunteers to build a shared understanding of your program and its goals.

- Use it with grant proposals or other appeals for funding to help clearly communicate your programs
goals and how it will accomplish them.

- Make your logic model a starting point for evaluating your program.

Evaluation – it doesn’t have to be scary

If you don’t have experience evaluating your program it can often seem overwhelming at first. A good
place to start is checking out two of Indiana Youth Institute’s (IYI) Issue Briefs - Using Data to Show
Impact and Turning Data into Dollars

If you think your program could use some additional help with developing a logic model, evaluating your
program, or both, IYI has free and/or greatly reduced price services available for youth-serving
organizations in Indiana. Check out these resources and spread the word!

- Beginner’s evaluation and logic model assistance: IYI has an Americorps VISTA volunteering with
them for the July 2011- June 2012 year. Basic face-to-face consulting is available free of charge to
youth-serving nonprofits in Indiana.

- Help Line: Call IYI's Youth Service Help Line for assistance on grant prospect research, fundraising
assistance, legal advice, and more. Contact the Help Line at 1-877-IYI-TIPS. For more information,
see http://www.iyi.org/consulting-services/help-line.aspx

- Consulting: IYI has more than 50 professional consultants with a broad range of expertise located
throughout the state and ready to serve you. The consultants are carefully screened based on
interviews, education, past experience with nonprofits, recommendations from clients, style, the
ability to communicate clearly, and a heart for helping nonprofits. Consulting is subsidized by IYI
and available for $30/hour, well below the market rate which is often more than $100/hr.

This tool was developed by the Indiana Youth Institute.

If you are interested in receiving free or reduced rate consulting in Indiana, please contact:
Carolyn Langan
[email protected]
(800) 343-7060