Template · Programs
Program logic model
A one-page fill-in logic model: the need, inputs, activities, outputs, short- to long-term outcomes, outside factors, and how you'll know it's working.
Three editable formats: Word (.docx), Rich Text (.rtf) and plain text (.txt). Reviewed October 21, 2026.
How to use this template
- Download it as a Word file (.docx), which opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, or as Rich Text (.rtf) or plain text (.txt). All three are editable.
- Fill in every blank. Blanks are in square brackets, like [ORGANIZATION NAME], and are highlighted in the preview below. Delete any bracketed notes you don't need.
- Make it yours. Check it against your bylaws and your state's rules, and change anything that doesn't fit. Have your board approve it where it says so.
- Printing? Print this page: the printout leaves out the site's menus and shows the template with lines for the blanks.
A logic model is a one-page picture of how your program is meant to work: what you put in, what you do, and the changes you expect to see. The CDC's evaluation guide describes it as "a 1-page graphic depiction of the relationship between a program's activities and its intended outcomes." Funders often ask for one, but its real value is for your own team: drawing it shows gaps, like an outcome that no activity is really aiming at, or an activity that doesn't lead anywhere.
Our guide to measuring impact explains logic models with a worked example, and our program design guide covers the theory of change behind them.
The parts
The CDC's guide defines the main parts this way:
- Inputs: "resources needed for program activities such as personnel, partners, materials, funding."
- Activities: "strategies the program implements to effect change and achieve intended outcomes."
- Outputs: "the products of program activities," such as sessions held or people served.
- Outcomes: "who or what will change due to the program's efforts," running from "shorter-term (often more specific) outcomes leading to intermediate then longer-term outcomes (broader)."
- Contextual factors: "factors outside the program which may affect the ability to achieve the desired outcomes."
How to fill it in
- Work right to left first. Start with the long-term change you hope for, then ask what has to happen before that, and before that. Then list the activities and inputs that make those changes likely.
- Do it together. Include volunteers, staff and, if you can, some of the people you serve. They'll spot steps you've missed.
- Keep it to one page. If it doesn't fit, you're probably describing more than one program.
- Be honest about what you control. Outputs are mostly in your hands; long-term outcomes depend on many things. That's normal.
- Pick a few indicators for the outcomes you most want to track, using the last section. Our participant feedback survey is one simple way to collect them.
- Review it once a year, or when the program changes.
Preview
Logic model: [PROGRAM NAME]
Organization: [ORGANIZATION NAME]
Prepared by: [NAMES]. Date: [DATE]
The need
[ONE OR TWO SENTENCES: WHAT PROBLEM OR NEED THIS PROGRAM RESPONDS TO, FOR WHOM, AND HOW YOU KNOW]
Who the program is for
[THE PEOPLE OR COMMUNITY THE PROGRAM SERVES, AND HOW MANY YOU EXPECT TO REACH]
The model
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Short-term outcomes | Intermediate outcomes | Long-term outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [VOLUNTEERS, STAFF TIME] | [WHAT YOU DO] | [WHAT YOU PRODUCE, AND HOW MUCH] | [EARLY CHANGES, FOR EXAMPLE IN KNOWLEDGE OR CONFIDENCE] | [CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR OR PRACTICE] | [THE BIGGER CHANGE YOU HOPE TO CONTRIBUTE TO] |
| [MONEY, SPACE, EQUIPMENT] | [ACTIVITY] | [OUTPUT] | [OUTCOME] | [OUTCOME] | [OUTCOME] |
| [PARTNERS] | [ACTIVITY] | [OUTPUT] | [OUTCOME] | [OUTCOME] |
Outside factors
What could help or get in the way, outside your control:
- Helps: [FOR EXAMPLE: STRONG SCHOOL PARTNER, LOCAL FUNDING PRIORITY]
- Gets in the way: [FOR EXAMPLE: TRANSPORT, CHANGES IN BENEFITS, WEATHER]
What we're assuming
[THE BELIEFS THE MODEL RESTS ON, FOR EXAMPLE "PARENTS CAN BRING CHILDREN AFTER SCHOOL" OR "WEEKLY SESSIONS ARE ENOUGH TO BUILD CONFIDENCE"]
How we'll know it's working
| Outcome | Indicator (how we'd know) | How we'll collect it | When | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [OUTCOME] | [INDICATOR] | [FOR EXAMPLE: SHORT SURVEY AT START AND END] | [WHEN] | [NAME] |
| [OUTCOME] | [INDICATOR] | [FOR EXAMPLE: ATTENDANCE RECORDS] | [WHEN] | [NAME] |
| [OUTCOME] | [INDICATOR] | [FOR EXAMPLE: PARTNER FEEDBACK] | [WHEN] | [NAME] |
Review
Next review date: [DATE]
What we changed last time, and why: [NOTES]
Template from Golden Hint: goldenhint.org/resources/templates/program-logic-model. Reviewed October 21, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Keep going
- GuideProgram design: build with the people you serveDesign programs with the people they are for, write a simple theory of change, pilot small, learn fast, and grow only what works.
- TemplateFood or supply drive planA fill-in plan for a food, school-supply or hygiene drive: what to collect and refuse, collection points, food safety checks, sorting, delivery and thanks.
- GuideMeasuring impact without a research teamThe difference between outputs and outcomes, a one-page logic model, simple surveys, and how to report results honestly, including what didn't work.
- Founder pathwayGrowing your charityMeasure what changes for people, strengthen your board, hire your first staff member, build steady funding, and know when merging or closing is right.
Sources
Checked on October 21, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.
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