The Theory of Change: A Step-by-Step Method on How to Make an Impact

When we think of charity of philanthropy, we tend to oversimplify things a lot. Many people will brag about "giving to charity", but cannot truly explain the good that they're doing.

If you've ever felt a stirring in your heart to give back to society, there is actually a method accredited by philanthropic organizations around the world to go about organizing the resources and strategy behind making this impact come true.

In this post, we'll cover this "theory of change", what it's about, and how you can start realizing a helpful impact today.

The Method

First things first, let's go over the basic outline of the Theory of Change:

1. Inputs

2. Activities

3. Outputs

4. Outcomes

5. Impact

Through this progression, we see how philanthropic organizations must shift their thinking throughout the process of making a change happen.

By delving first into the necessities that the individual or group must accomplish (inputs and activities), the potential for an impact to be made becomes more concrete.

Of course, discussing this method isn't much use without a good example. In the next section we'll look at a notable demonstration of how the Theory of Change can play out in the real world.

Malala Yousafzai: How World-Changers are Made

There are few greater examples of what commitment can do to make a positive impact on the world.

Malala Yousafzai was the daughter of a school teacher in Pakistan, where she grew up cherishing the education her father taught her, that is, until the Taliban conquered her town.

From then, Malala was forced to stop her studies and experienced life under a harsh regime. However, despite her age and lack of resources, Malala still chose to take action.

Malala took into her account her inputs, which was ultimately her voice. She spoke to crowds in her village on the importance of educating the young girls. However many did not take kindly to this message.

In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by a local gunman for her speaking out on this education crisis, however even after recovering from her critical condition in the UK, Malala didn't. stop there.

Using the fame she gained as an activist who put her life on the line for this noble cause, Malala then took advantage of her influence to start a charity foundation that could fund the education of poor girls around the world.

Becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014, Malala Yousafzai proved that, despite whatever resources or circumstances one may have, the Theory of Change can still be used in a magnificent way.

Malala used whatever inputs were available to her, particularly her voice and influence, and showed how decisive action with these resources can go a long way.