Tools for Innovators: Ask “so what”
As congregations and social impact organizations, we often sell ourselves short by describing our impact only in terms of easily quantifiable metrics, such as the number of people we reach or events we host. We should take pride in those numbers, but then we should ask, “so, what?” It’s great that people show up, but what does that actually mean? A congregation's value to the community isn’t measured by worship attendance, and a social impact organization's value isn’t just how many people its services reach. We create real value for our communities, and learning to articulate why our work matters helps grow support.
The problem generally is that we confuse our outputs with our outcomes and impact, so let's unpack these. Think of it this way: Your activities create outputs; those outputs create outcomes; and those outcomes create impact. Your outcomes and impact are your “so what.”
Outputs
Outputs are the products or services your organization puts into the world, and the number of people they reach.
For a congregation, outputs might include: 150 people served through prayer or worship services, 50 people attending regular small groups, a food pantry giving 75 people access to groceries every week, marriage and family counseling supporting 30 families, etc.
For a social impact organization, outputs might look like: 5 events attended by 100 people, leadership support provided to 50 leaders, $100K in grants distributed, 3 affordable housing projects developed, 50 students receiving extra academic support through a tutoring program, 10 community organizing meetings attended by 200 people, 20 meetings with policymakers to advocate for legislation, etc.
Outcomes
Too many organizations stop at articulating their outputs. But outputs only show what you did and how many people it reached, not whether anything changed. When you put your offerings into the world, you intend those outputs to make a difference in people’s lives. How they make a difference–the changes they create–are your outcomes.
You provide those 150 people attending worship services access to spiritual community. What changes for them as a result? Maybe they grow spiritually. Maybe their well-being improves because they engage in prayer or because they connect with others for a couple of hours in their week.
What do your event attendees take away? New connections that advance their work? A new skill or insight they now apply?
People who come to your food pantry probably experience reduced hunger. Students in your tutoring program likely improve their academic outcomes. Because of your organizing and advocacy, more community members likely become civically engaged.
Of course, we can't just assume outcomes; it requires evidence. Many organizations don't articulate outcomes and impact because it's harder to measure than outputs. But even simple tools like surveys or interviews after events or programs can start to show evidence (in the form of data, stories, or both) of the change your work is driving. Be curious about the “so what.”
Impact
If you can identify your outcomes, you’re already articulating the impact of your work. Now, if you want to demonstrate the sustained value your organization creates over time, you can go a step further to explore what longer-term impact your outcomes are driving.
Do people who attend your worship services consistently over time shift their thinking or behavior in beneficial ways? Does their mental, emotional, or spiritual health improve?
Is the content of your events influencing how other organizations in the field operate?
Does your food pantry play a role in helping people move out of poverty?
Are the students in your tutoring program accessing better job opportunities as a result of improving their academic outcomes?
Has your organizing and advocacy built a sustainable movement that continues to drive policy change?
Also look for unintended impact. For instance, you started the tutoring program to improve academic outcomes, but having a regular after-school place for young people might reduce bullying or other anti-social behaviors in the community; having an additional caring adult in the students' lives might raise their life aspirations.
You also might find negative unintended impacts you hadn't considered. That feedback loop is essential to learning and adapting, and ultimately getting closer to the impact you desire. Don’t be afraid of the “so what.” It’s how we improve.
Your numbers don’t show why your work matters. You create genuine, important value for your community. Articulate it, measure it, adapt as needed, and get even better at it. Organizations that can tell this story clearly and honestly generate trust and make it easy for stakeholders to become champions.
For more advanced resources on this topic, check out this overview from Intrac.org or this one at Nonprofit Hive.
Tools for Innovators is our series to share techniques that will build your confidence and capacity to innovate.
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