A Theory of Change (ToC) is a detailed representation of how an organization aims to create change. It lays out the specific cause and effect relationships between the organization’s initial output activities, immediate and intermediate outcomes, and the larger change they are working towards.
Having a ToC is an invaluable tool for ensuring that all of an organization’s activities stay aligned with their mission and contribute to creating the desired and lasting change. It is also very helpful for explaining to donors, participants, and all other interested parties how exactly the organization is working to create change.
ToCs can also be used on the programmatic level, in addition to the organizational level, to lay out the steps to impact for a specific project or program. At V2I, we have been developing project-specific ToCs for some time.
Now, having a clearly defined, overarching ToC will help guide all of our work, including the development of project-specific ToCs, and ensure that we continue to stay aligned with our goals from start to finish, today and into the future.
Connect & Partner: Connect local participants and volunteers from across the world and partner with NGOs and corporate leaders to co-create opportunities for human connection and co-learning.
Learn & Train: Learn about the issue(s) and context with local leaders and provide training that harnesses collective intelligence.
Build & Test: Build tech and business programming or products with local partners, leveraging corporate and volunteer resources, and test tools and processes to practice digital resilience.
Venture 2 Impact uses human centered design and design thinking to solve complex challenges by linking global communities to skilled volunteers. We leverage untapped skills to create lasting impact. Through education, economic development, and empowerment projects, we work to equip NGOs, participants, and volunteers with skills, resources, and knowledge to advance gender equity, education, economic opportunity, and well-being.
1. Align & Empathize:
2. Discover:
3. Define:
4. Ideate:
5. Prototype:
6. Testing:
CREATING LASTING RESULTS
We have isolated five Sustainable Development Goals to focus our efforts and project outcomes on. Check out how we’re examining and enhancing progress toward the goals.
#1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Increase capacity of local partners who are focused on poverty alleviation by leveraging technology and training to impact more community members
Host NGO training and mentor sessions, or new or scaled projects and programs to increase capacity, reach and impact
#4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Improve equitable access to education and learning for NGO staff and community members, especially youth, women, and girls
Recruit, train, and employ local staff and community members, especially women and girls, to receive training or deliver train-the-trainer models
#5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Increase support in project communities for women and girls’ economic participation, empowerment, and decision-making
Engage women and girls in the design and delivery of our projects, develop projects specifically targeted at women and girls, and work with local women’s rights groups.
#8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Improve the successful transition of youth and women & girls into the workforce and society
Provide technical and soft skills training, as well as opportunities for social inclusion and business development
#17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Increase partnerships with international organizations and communities to improve capacity and resilience in sustainable development
Seek partnerships with NGOs and communities representing historically underserved groups
Providing female survivors of human trafficking with the training required to launch e-commerce platforms
How our 2020 NGO training series benefited nonprofit organizations around the world
Training and mentoring Gambian youth to become entrepreneurs