What are the parts of a logic model?

Four core columns: inputs (the resources you have), activities (what you do with them), outputs (what that directly produces), and outcomes (what changes as a result). Many versions add assumptions and external factors underneath.

What is the difference between a logic model and a theory of change?

A logic model maps one program's mechanics on a page. A theory of change works at the organization or mission level and dwells on the assumptions and evidence behind each link. Small nonprofits usually need the logic model first.

Do funders require a logic model?

Many grant applications ask for one, especially government and larger foundation funders. Even where optional, attaching a clear one signals that you can distinguish activity from change, which is what reviewers are scanning for.

How long should a logic model be?

One page. Three to five items per column. If it does not fit on a page, it is describing more than one program or describing one program in too much detail.

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Plain-English guide · for small nonprofits

What is a logic model?

Updated September 2026

A logic model is a one-page map of how your program is supposed to work: what goes in, what you do, what comes out, and what changes. Funders ask for it because it shows you can tell the difference.

The short version

Four columns, read left to right: inputs (what you have), activities (what you do), outputs (what that produces), outcomes (what changes). If a reader can follow the row without squinting, the model works.

The four columns

Inputs
Staff time, volunteers, money, space, partners. The resources the program consumes.
Activities
What you actually do with them: run the pantry, teach the class, make the visits.
Outputs
The countable product: meals served, sessions held, people reached.
Outcomes
The change: short term (knowledge, access), medium term (behavior), long term (conditions). The outputs versus outcomes distinction is the hinge of the whole model.

Build one in an afternoon

Start at the right edge
Name the change first. Working backwards keeps the model honest; working forwards tends to justify whatever you already do.
Fill each column with three to five items
More than that and it is a spreadsheet, not a model. One page, always.
Read each arrow out loud
"Because we do X, we produce Y, which leads to Z." Anywhere the sentence feels like a leap, that is the assumption a funder will probe. Write it down under the model.
Date it and revisit yearly
Programs drift. A logic model from three years ago describes a program you may no longer run.

What it is not

It is not a strategic plan, a budget, or a promise. It is a shared picture of how the program is meant to work, so your team, your board, and your funder are arguing about the same thing when they argue. That is worth an afternoon.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Board rules vary by state, and so does what your bylaws can say. Tax questions turn on your own facts. Read your bylaws and your state's nonprofit act, and ask an attorney or CPA before you rely on any of it.

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Sources: Definition and method content; no external statistics cited.

What is a logic model?

The four columns

Inputs

Activities

Outputs

Outcomes

Build one in an afternoon

Start at the right edge

Fill each column with three to five items

Read each arrow out loud

Date it and revisit yearly

What it is not

Ember Impact Reports

Common questions

Keep reading

The four columns

Inputs

Activities

Outputs

Outcomes

Build one in an afternoon

Start at the right edge

Fill each column with three to five items

Read each arrow out loud

Date it and revisit yearly

What it is not

Ember Impact Reports

Common questions

Keep reading

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