The Outcomes Planner

Step 1 The need

Funders want to know who you work with, what the problem is, and how you know. Keep it specific and local.

Who you will work withFor example: older people living alone in our town.

The problem or need

How you knowYour own records, what people have told you, waiting lists, and published local data. Name your sources.

Step 2 What you will do

Your activities and outputs: what you will run or deliver, and how much of it. These are not outcomes yet.

Step 3 The difference it will make

An outcome is a change for the people you work with. Pick what will change, in which direction, for whom, and by when. The planner writes the sentence for you, and you can edit it.

Step 4 How you will know

For each outcome, say what you will measure, how, when, and what you are aiming for. Simple, regular measures beat ambitious ones you cannot keep up.

Plan check

Outcomes ready for a funder

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Your outcomes table

Outcome	Measure	Target

Draft answer: what difference will your project make?

Good to know before you apply

An outcome describes a change for people, such as feeling less isolated or being able to manage money better. An activity or output describes what you do, such as running 40 sessions. Funders usually ask for both, so keep them separate.
Aim for 2 to 4 outcomes for a small project. A few clear changes you can show are stronger than a long list you cannot measure.
Use the words the people you support use. A short quote or story alongside your numbers often shows the change best.
Only promise targets you think you can reach. It is fine to explain how you set them, for example from last year's numbers.
Every funder words its form differently. Use this plan as your starting point, then follow the funder's own guidance and word limits.

This tool gives general guidance to help you plan. Your plan stays in this browser and is not sent anywhere. Built by Sara Downman-Pardoe, Creating Resilient Communities.

More free tools: crc-free-tools.netlify.app

Creating Resilient Communities, a trading name of Twelve Thirty Four Consultancy Ltd