Logic model template
Fill in each column, from inputs to long-term impact, and the diagram builds as you type. Start from an example, then download a Word file (laid out in landscape) or print. It pairs with the grant proposal template.
Write one item per line. Your draft saves in this browser as you type.
Your logic model
Inputs
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Activities
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Outputs
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Short-term outcomes
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Intermediate outcomes
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Long-term impact
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What goes in each column
- Inputs
- What you put in: staff, volunteers, money, space, partners, equipment.
- Activities
- What the program does with those resources.
- Outputs
- What the activities produce, as counts: sessions held, people served.
- Short-term outcomes
- Changes in knowledge, skills or access within months.
- Intermediate outcomes
- Changes in behavior or conditions within a year or two.
- Long-term impact
- The lasting change in the community the program contributes to.
Logic model examples
Three worked logic models for made-up programs. Pick one in the template above to start from it.
Food pantry: Saturday hours: Saturday Pantry for Working Families
- Problem
- Working parents in east Riverside can't reach the pantry during weekday hours; 64 families are on the waitlist.
- Assumptions
- Families on the waitlist can come on Saturday mornings; enough volunteers will commit to weekend shifts.
- External factors
- Food donation levels; changes to SNAP benefits; local employers' shift schedules.
Inputs
- Part-time Saturday coordinator
- 25 weekend volunteers
- $41,000 budget (foundation, city CDBG, donors)
- Warehouse and client-choice shelving
- School family resource centers as referral partners
Activities
- Open every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Recruit and train weekend volunteers
- Stock fresh produce and familiar staples chosen with a client advisory group
- Send Friday text reminders in English and Spanish
Outputs
- 26 Saturday sessions
- 120 families served per Saturday on average
- 25 volunteers trained
- 64 waitlisted families contacted
Short-term outcomes
- Waitlist cut from 64 families to 0
- 80% of Saturday clients rate the hours as convenient
- Families take home more fresh produce
Intermediate outcomes
- Fewer skipped meals reported by Saturday clients
- Families use the pantry regularly instead of in emergencies
Long-term impact
- Lower food insecurity in east Riverside
- A pantry that fits working families' schedules
After-school reading program: Reading Buddies after-school tutoring
- Problem
- Only 38% of third graders at two partner elementary schools read at grade level.
- Assumptions
- Students attend at least twice a week; tutoring that uses the school's reading curriculum carries over to class.
- External factors
- School schedules and closures; student mobility between schools; family transportation.
Inputs
- Program coordinator
- 40 trained volunteer tutors
- Classroom space at two schools
- Leveled books and reading assessments
- Teachers who refer students
Activities
- Tutor students one-on-one, twice a week for 45 minutes
- Train tutors in phonics and fluency practice
- Send books home every two weeks
- Hold three family reading nights a year
Outputs
- 80 students tutored
- Two sessions a week for 28 weeks
- 1,200 books sent home
- Three family nights
Short-term outcomes
- Students gain reading fluency (words per minute)
- Students read more at home
- Parents learn ways to read with their children
Intermediate outcomes
- 60% of students reach grade-level reading by spring
- Better classroom engagement reported by teachers
Long-term impact
- More students reading on grade level by fourth grade
- Higher school-wide reading scores
Public health: diabetes prevention: Neighborhood diabetes prevention with community health workers
- Problem
- Adults in the county's south side have twice the county rate of prediabetes, and few attend clinic-based prevention classes.
- Assumptions
- Residents trust health workers from their own neighborhoods; a year-long lifestyle program lowers diabetes risk for those who complete it.
- External factors
- Health insurance coverage; access to affordable fresh food and safe places to walk; clinic capacity for referrals.
Inputs
- Four community health workers
- A trained lifestyle coach
- Partner clinic for screening and referrals
- Church and library meeting rooms
- Grant funding and county health department data
Activities
- Screen adults for prediabetes at community events
- Run a year-long lifestyle change program in English and Spanish
- Make home visits and follow-up calls
- Refer participants to clinic care
Outputs
- 1,000 adults screened
- 150 participants enrolled
- 16 core and 6 follow-up sessions per group
- 300 home visits
Short-term outcomes
- Participants know their risk and how to lower it
- More weekly physical activity
- Healthier eating habits
Intermediate outcomes
- Average weight loss of 5% among those who complete the program
- Lower A1C levels at follow-up
Long-term impact
- Fewer new type 2 diabetes cases on the south side
- Lower diabetes-related hospital visits
Questions
What is a logic model?
A one-page diagram of how a program is meant to work: the resources you put in, the activities you run, what they produce, and the changes you expect in the short, middle and long term. Funders use it to check that the plan and the outcomes fit together.
What is the difference between outputs and outcomes?
Outputs count what you did: 26 sessions held, 120 families served. Outcomes are what changed because of it: the waitlist cleared, fewer skipped meals. Reviewers look for outcomes, so give each one a number and a date.
Do grant applications require a logic model?
Many federal notices, CDC's among them, ask for one as an attachment, and many foundations and United Ways ask for one with the proposal. Even when it isn't required, drawing one first makes the goals, evaluation and budget sections easier to write.
How long should a logic model be?
One page, usually in landscape. Keep each box to a few short items; the proposal narrative carries the detail.