This online Theory of Change course is designed for people working with charities, voluntary organisations and community projects. It explains how to connect an organisation’s resources and activities with the outcomes and wider change it hopes to support.
This free course covers the complete change pathway, from defining the issue and intended impact to identifying inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. Learners will also explore assumptions, evidence, stakeholder involvement, funding applications, evaluation and the responsible use of findings.
Why Take This eLearning Course?
A clear theory of change can support better planning, more coherent funding proposals and more useful evaluation. This course provides a practical framework for making organisational reasoning visible, examining whether proposed links are credible and adapting plans as evidence develops.
This course will help you to:
- Connect projects and services with wider organisational aims.
- Distinguish clearly between inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact.
- Develop a realistic pathway from planned work to intended change.
- Identify assumptions that could affect whether the pathway works.
- Consider external influences beyond the organisation’s direct control.
- Involve staff, volunteers, partners and communities appropriately.
- Present proposed work more clearly in funding applications.
- Select useful monitoring information and outcome indicators.
- Review evidence without overstating the organisation’s contribution.
- Update a theory of change as delivery and circumstances develop.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define a theory of change and explain its main purposes.
- Distinguish between the development process and the finished output.
- Explain how different charity roles contribute to development.
- Categorise inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and long-term impact.
- Describe the logical links across a change pathway.
- Work backwards from intended impact to resources and delivery.
- Identify assumptions, external factors and enabling conditions.
- use evidence to assess whether proposed links are reasonable.
- Apply a theory of change to planning and funding applications.
- Use monitoring and evaluation findings to test and improve the pathway.
Theory of Change for Charities Course Outline
Module 1: Understanding Theory of Change
Learners will examine what a theory of change is and how it explains the difference an organisation wants to support. The module considers its role in planning, alignment, communication and organisational learning. It also distinguishes the collaborative development process from the finished diagram or narrative and explores how trustees, managers, delivery staff, volunteers, evaluators, partners and communities can contribute different forms of knowledge.
Module 2: Building the Change Pathway
Learners will explore the main stages of a change pathway, beginning with the resources available and the activities delivered. They will learn how outputs record delivery and reach without demonstrating change, before considering short-term outcomes, longer-term outcomes and wider impact. The module explains how each stage connects to the next and why outputs create opportunities for change rather than guaranteeing it.
Module 3: Developing a Clear and Inclusive Theory
Learners will identify how to define the issue, examine available evidence, recognise target groups and agree the intended longer-term change. They will consider how working backwards from impact can prevent activity-led planning and reveal gaps in the pathway. The module also explains how to combine inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact in a simple diagram supported by a clear narrative, and how to involve stakeholders in an accessible and meaningful way.
Module 4: Assumptions, Evidence and External Influences
Learners will examine the assumptions that sit between stages of a change pathway, including assumptions about expected links and the conditions needed for delivery. They will identify external factors such as policy, partner involvement, participant engagement, service access, local circumstances and organisational stability. The module also considers how research, organisational information, professional knowledge and stakeholder experience can support reasoning, while highlighting common mistakes such as confusing outputs with outcomes or claiming sole responsibility for broad change.
Module 5: Planning, Funding and Review
Learners will explore how a theory of change supports strategic planning, resource decisions and delivery reviews. They will examine how it can strengthen funding applications by connecting evidence of need with beneficiaries, activities, resources and expected results. The module identifies information that funders may require, including delivery plans, assumptions, monitoring arrangements and evidence of need. It also explains how to schedule reviews, consider delivery experience and stakeholder feedback, respond to external change and record revisions.
Module 6: Monitoring, Evaluation and Organisational Learning
Learners will consider how priority outcomes can inform evaluation questions and proportionate indicators. They will distinguish between monitoring outputs and evaluating changes in knowledge, behaviour, access, circumstances or organisational practice. The module explains how findings can test assumptions, identify weak links, reveal unexpected results and support future decisions. It concludes by examining internal responsibilities, secure and consistent information management, the limits of causal claims and circumstances in which specialist evaluation advice may be appropriate.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Charity trustees and senior leaders.
- Project and service managers.
- Frontline staff and volunteers.
- Fundraising and grant application teams.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning staff.
- Community organisations, delivery partners and consultants.
No previous specialist knowledge is required.
FAQ
Who is this course suitable for?
The course is suitable for people who plan, manage, deliver, fund or evaluate charitable and community work. It can support trustees, managers, employees, volunteers, fundraisers, evaluators and partner organisations.
Do I need any previous experience?
No previous experience of theory of change or evaluation is required. The course introduces the key concepts clearly and develops them through practical organisational examples.
What will I learn on this theory of change course?
You will learn how to define intended change, map inputs and activities, separate outputs from outcomes, identify assumptions and external factors, involve stakeholders and use evidence to review the pathway.
Will this course help with day-to-day practice?
Yes. The course can help you explain how a project is expected to create change, assess whether activities support organisational aims and identify information needed for planning, reporting and improvement.
Does the course cover practical skills?
The course explains practical methods for working backwards from impact, creating a simple pathway and narrative, identifying indicators, reviewing assumptions and updating the theory as learning develops.
Does it cover relevant responsibilities or good practice?
Yes. It promotes proportionate evidence collection, inclusive stakeholder involvement, clear organisational responsibilities and honest communication about uncertainty and contribution. It also explains when specialist evaluation support may be appropriate.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced and usually takes around 1 hour to complete.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.
This Theory of Change course provides a structured introduction to developing, applying and reviewing a credible explanation of organisational change. It can help charities and community organisations plan more clearly, communicate their reasoning and use evidence responsibly.
Enrol now to build your understanding of theory of change.
