I Used to Think Doing Life-Changing Work Was More than Good Enough
A model prepares backstage at the Lloyds Bank x Sue Ryder Sustainable Fashion Show. London, UK. 2025 © Matt Mahmood-Ogston
Turns out, doing the work is only a tiny part of doing sustainable social impact work.
When I first started my charity, I was obsessed with taking action. We were helping people in crisis. We were raising awareness through national press. We were showing up in every way we could.
Then a potential funder asked me one simple question.
“How are you measuring your outcomes?”
I remember freezing. I replied, “We’re speaking to loads of people who need help… we’re doing lots of press work.”
She asked again, this time slower:
“But what are the outcomes?”
That conversation changed everything.
The difference between doing the work, and showing the change
Social impact professionals, charity CEOs, and community leaders like us know this truth intimately. We are often too busy doing the work to talk about the change it’s making.
But there’s a trap here.
The more we talk about what we’re doing (outputs), and not what’s changing (outcomes), the more invisible our real impact becomes.
This isn’t just a communications problem. It’s a sustainability problem. Because no funder, partner, or policymaker is investing in activity.
They’re investing in results.
What’s the difference between Outputs and Outcomes?
Let’s break it down, simply.
Outputs are what you do. Workshops delivered. Advice sessions held. Social posts published.
Outcomes are what changed as a result. A young person reconnects with their family. A school reduces its bullying incidents. A policymaker invites you to the table.
Think of it like this:
Outputs are the recipe. Outcomes are the meal.
They both matter. But only one feeds people.
Why funders (and your future supporters) care about outcomes
It’s not because they don’t care about the hard work.
It’s because they’re under pressure to prove return on impact. Their boards, trustees, and donors are asking the same thing they’re asking you:
“What changed?”
“Why does it matter?”
“How do we know?”
If you can’t tell that story, your funding narrative weakens - no matter how powerful your mission.
And that’s what I learned the hard way.
Why this matters for social impact storytelling
Because storytelling isn’t just about what you’ve done - it’s about what you’ve caused.
When your story only shares outputs, it’s like showing someone a map without telling them where it leads. But when you talk about outcomes - the real - world ripple effects of your work - you’re giving your audience something they can feel, remember, and act on.
This is what turns passive readers into active supporters. This is what moves hearts, shifts perspectives, and opens wallets.
And it matters because telling the story of real change is what unlocks more of the resources you need. More visibility. More trust from stakeholders, donors, and decision makers. And ultimately - more funding to keep going, and growing, the change you’ve committed your life to.
Where Theory of Change comes in
You might’ve heard the phrase thrown around at strategy meetings.
But what does it actually mean?
At its core, Theory of Change is a story.
A simple, evidence - informed story about how the work you do leads to the change you want to see.
Here’s a beginner’s breakdown:
Inputs: The resources you put in (time, money, people).
Activities: The work you do (e.g. deliver a workshop).
Outputs: The tangible deliverables (e.g. 30 students trained).
Outcomes: The short to medium - term change (e.g. 80% of students report feeling more confident).
Impact: The big - picture transformation (e.g. fewer students drop out, healthier communities, lasting behaviour shifts).
It’s not a corporate tool. It’s a storytelling tool.
Because if you can’t tell the journey of how your work leads to change, no one else will.
How I turned my mistake into a framework
That funder conversation stayed with me.
So I started listening harder.
I documented stories. I measured what I could. And I created The Social Impact Storytelling Framework - to help other purpose-driven leaders avoid the silence I faced that day.
Now, when funders ask what our outcomes are, I don’t flinch.
I open the folder. I show the stories. I let our community speak for themselves.
Because real change isn’t a bullet point.
It’s a story worth telling well.
Final thought - You don’t need more data. You need more clarity.
This is your reminder.
You’re not just a deliverer of programmes. You’re the architect of change.
And if the world is ever going to understand how powerful your work truly is, they need to hear about more than your outputs.
They need to see the lives changed.
That’s the outcome. That’s the story.
