Clarify: Purpose, Strategy & Theory of Change
Why we exist and what change we pursue. How the course works, your organisation profile and a baseline health check. Purpose, context, stakeholders, vision, mission, values, form, positioning and objectives. From the problem to long-term impact, with the assumptions that connect them.
US$29 one-time · lifetime access · 24 lessons and reviews · about 8 hours.
Every lesson has a short video, the written explanation with examples, a guided exercise that saves into your organisation pack, and a sheet in the module’s Excel workbook.
Or get all five courses for US$109 and save US$36. Compare →
What you’ll build
3 modules, each opening to its lessons and the resources placed inside them.
Module 00Start Here: Your Organisation Journey
See the whole journey before you begin. Describe the organisation you are building, choose the examples that fit your legal form and stage, and record an honest starting point you will revisit at the end of the course.
You create: Organisation Profile + Baseline Health Check · Excel: Module-00-Start-Here.xlsx
- CoreThe Global State of Social Enterprise · British Council, with Social Enterprise UKLibrary →
- Go deeperSocial Enterprise: A Typology of the Field Contextualized in Latin America · Kim Alter, Inter-American Development BankLibrary →
- CorePact's Organizational Performance Index: Domains and Sub-domains · PactLibrary →
- PracticalOCAT Guidelines and Toolkit (Organizational Capacity Analysis Tool) · The Freedom FundLibrary →
Module 01Strategic Foundations
Make the connected decisions every other module depends on: why you exist, the context you work in, who matters, the future you want, the work you do, how you behave, what kind of organisation you are, where you add unique value and what you will prioritise.
You create: Strategic Foundation · Excel: Module-01-Strategic-Foundations.xlsx
- CoreGuidance on Participatory Assessments · Catholic Relief Services (CRS)Library →
- Go deeperAsset Based Community Development (ABCD) Toolkit · ABCD Institute, DePaul UniversityLibrary →
- PracticalCIVICUS Monitor · CIVICUSLibrary →
- CoreSWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (Chapter 3, Section 14) · Community Tool Box, University of KansasLibrary →
- Go deeperStrategic Planning in Times of Uncertainty: A Practical Framework for Nonprofit Leaders · BridgespanLibrary →
- CorePlanning Tools: Stakeholder Analysis · Overseas Development Institute (ODI)Library →
- PracticalIDEO Design Kit: The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design · IDEO.orgLibrary →
- Go deeperPowercube: Understanding Power for Social Change · Institute of Development Studies, University of SussexLibrary →
- CoreMission and Vision Statements · BridgespanLibrary →
- PracticalThe Three Horizons Framework · New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), crediting International Futures ForumLibrary →
- Go deeperThe Sustainable Development Goals · United NationsLibrary →
- CoreProclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements (Chapter 8, Section 2) · Community Tool Box, University of KansasLibrary →
- PracticalWhat Are Intended Impact and Theory of Change and How Can Nonprofits Use Them? · BridgespanLibrary →
- Go deeperThe governance of social enterprises: Mission drift and accountability challenges in hybrid organizations · Alnoor Ebrahim, Julie Battilana and Johanna Mair (Research in Organizational Behavior)Library →
- CoreCharity Ethical Principles · NCVOLibrary →
- Go deeperMake Your Values Mean Something · Patrick Lencioni, Harvard Business ReviewLibrary →
- CoreA Guide to Legal Forms for Social Enterprises in South Africa · Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, UCT Graduate School of BusinessLibrary →
- PracticalASEAN Social Enterprise Structuring Guide · Thomson Reuters Foundation (TrustLaw), hosted by ANDELibrary →
- Go deeperGlobal Philanthropy Environment Index · Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana UniversityLibrary →
- CoreHow Nonprofits Can Map Their Programs to Their Strategy · BridgespanLibrary →
- Go deeperWhat Is Strategy? · Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business ReviewLibrary →
- CoreHow Nonprofits and NGOs Can Get Real Value from Strategic Planning · BridgespanLibrary →
- PracticalWhat Makes a Good OKR? · What MattersLibrary →
Module 02Theory of Change
Explain how your work could contribute to change. Work backwards from the future you seek, then check the pathway forwards. Build one pathway for each external objective. Your map is a reasoned hypothesis to test with the people affected, not proof that an intervention works.
You create: Theory of Change · Excel: Module-02-Theory-of-Change.xlsx
- CoreDescribe the theory of change (Manager's guide to evaluation) · BetterEvaluation / Global Evaluation InitiativeLibrary →
- PracticalTheory of Change in Ten Steps · New Philanthropy Capital (NPC)Library →
- CorePlanning tools: Problem Tree Analysis · Overseas Development Institute (ODI)Library →
- PracticalDefining and Analyzing the Problem (Community Tool Box, Chapter 17, Section 3) · Center for Community Health and Development, University of KansasLibrary →
- PracticalStart by learning about users and their needs · GOV.UK Service Manual (Government Digital Service)Library →
- CoreContribution analysis · BetterEvaluationLibrary →
- Go deeperContribution Analysis: An Approach to Exploring Cause and Effect (ILAC Brief 16) · John Mayne, Institutional Learning and Change (CGIAR)Library →
- CoreOutcome Mapping · BetterEvaluation / Outcome Mapping Learning CommunityLibrary →
- PracticalOutcome Mapping: Building Learning and Reflection into Development Programs · Earl, Carden and Smutylo, IDRCLibrary →
- Go deeperOutcome Mapping + Equity, Gender, and Social Justice (OM+) · Heidi Schaeffer and Sonal Zaveri, Outcome Mapping Learning CommunityLibrary →
- PracticalFCDO Programme Operating Framework (formerly Smart Rules) · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK Government)Library →
- Go deeperAdaptive management: what it means for CSOs · M. O'Donnell, BondLibrary →
- Go deeperReview of the use of 'Theory of Change' in international development · Isabel Vogel for DFIDLibrary →
- PracticalBond Evidence Principles and checklist · Bond (UK network for international development)Library →
- CoreTheory of Change Thinking in Practice: A Stepwise Approach · Marjan van Es, Irene Guijt and Isabel Vogel, HivosLibrary →
- Go deeperTheory of Change (Methodological Brief: Impact Evaluation No. 2) · Patricia Rogers, UNICEF Office of Research and BetterEvaluationLibrary →
Next: Course 2 · Organise →