A well-crafted Theory of Change is more than a diagram—it’s a strategic blueprint that clarifies how an organization creates impact, aligns stakeholders around a shared vision, and guides decisions from daily operations to long-term growth. It helps teams focus on the outcomes that matter most, identify the systems and levers they can influence, and communicate their value to funders, partners, and the communities they serve. With a strong ToC, organizations can not only measure progress more effectively, but also adapt with confidence as contexts and strategies evolve.
Challenge
COVID provided LALA the opportunity to pivot to virtual programs, and in turn revisit its Theory of Change—but the team was stuck in a limiting debate: were we trying to transform the lives of our students, or enable our students to transform the world? This dichotomy stalled strategic planning and obscured how we articulated our impact to external partners.
Action
Drawing on systems thinking, Kara stepped back to reframe the problem. She mapped out the broader Latin American context—identifying the systemic challenges we hoped to shift—and redesigned LALA’s Theory of Change from the outside in. She reverse-engineered our intended impact, walking back through outcomes, outputs, and activities to build a model that captured both individual transformation and collective ripple effects. This new ToC became a shared framework for staff, funders, and strategic growth.
Result
The revised Theory of Change brought clarity to LALA’s mission, structure, and programming—and reshaped how we communicated value to stakeholders. It became a north star for decision-making and helped attract several million dollars in philanthropic investment. The framework continues to guide strategy across the organization’s growing portfolio of programs.