Why Most Theory of Change Models Fail (And How to Make Yours Work)
LGBTQI+ protest against Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Parliament Square, London, UK. 2023 © Matt Mahmood-Ogston
You’ve got the data. You’ve got the outputs. You’ve even got a slide deck. But if you’re not showing why change happens - not just that it does - your story is missing its engine.
Most impact reports are just outputs in disguise
Twelve workshops. Forty people trained. Three hundred kits distributed.
That’s what most organisations report. Outputs.
But funders and stakeholders are asking for more than activity.
They want to know what changed - and why.
Without that, your story ends up sounding like a list. Not a journey.
What is a Theory of Change?
A Theory of Change is a simple but powerful framework.
According to the Center for Theory of Change, it is
'a comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context.'
It maps out how and why your work leads to the outcomes you promise.
It helps you answer questions like:
What do we do?
What do we expect to happen next?
What assumptions are we making?
And what long-term change are we trying to create?
It’s not just about the end goal.
It’s about what connects the dots in between.
Why your social impact team or charity needs one
A strong Theory of Change isn’t just useful for funders or project sponsors.
It gives your whole organisation clarity.
It helps everyone see how their work links to something bigger. It gives purpose to the process.
And it holds you accountable to the outcomes that matter - not just the numbers that look good on paper.
But most importantly?
It makes your story make sense.
Why funders love Theory of Change
Because it shows you’ve thought it through.
You’re not just hoping to make a difference.
You’re showing the path.
You’re not just listing what you do.
You’re explaining why it works.
And that builds trust.
When your Theory of Change is clear, your funders don’t just see outputs - they see strategy. They see intention. They see impact.
But here’s where most organisations go wrong
They build the diagram.
They map the logic.
And then they stop.
They don’t translate the model into human language.
They don’t turn it into a story.
And that’s a missed opportunity.
Because a Theory of Change isn’t just for internal planning. It’s a goldmine for storytelling - if you know how to use it.
Don’t just build the theory - tell it like a story
This is where my framework comes in.
If a Theory of Change explains why your work matters, my Social Impact Storytelling Framework helps you show how it feels.
We start with the emotion you want your audience to feel.
Then we reverse-engineer the story.
We use:
Visual storytelling (photography and short video clips)
Real voices and lived experience
Narrative techniques from TED Talks, the Hero’s Journey, and StoryBrand framework
So instead of handing over a PDF, you’re taking someone on a journey.
One that moves them. One they remember.
What this looked like for my own charity
At Naz and Matt Foundation, we support LGBTQI+ individuals from religious backgrounds.
Many of the people who reach out to us are at risk of violence, isolation, or being forced into marriage.
We had the outputs. We had some data. But we knew that’s not what would reach the funders we needed.
So we told a story.
We showed one person’s journey.
How they found the courage to reach out.
What happened when they did.
And how their life looks now.
We connected every stage of that story back to our interventions - and our Theory of Change.
That story helped us win multi-year funding and move from a volunteer-only model to a team with paid staff.
Not because we ticked every box.
But because we told a story that made them feel something.
Your Theory of Change is already a story
You just need to bring it to life. So here’s what I recommend:
Revisit your Theory of Change.
Is it clear? Honest?
Understandable to someone outside your team?
Do you have a Theory of Change?Identify the emotional moment in that journey.
That’s where your story starts.Use photos, quotes, and real-world details to make it personal.
Not abstract. Not polished. Real.
Want to learn how to do this properly?
I’ve built a free 36-page guide that shows you how to apply storytelling principles to your Theory of Change and create content that actually moves people.
▶︎ Download The Social Impact Storytelling Framework
Or, if you need help turning your Theory of Change into a human-centred story - or even developing and writing it from scratch - you can book one of my Social Impact Storytelling workshops.
They're designed to help teams clarify their message, build emotional resonance, and walk away with a strategy they can use immediately.
If that sounds useful, contact me to get started.
