Outcomes

Outcomes are where a charity proves it makes a difference. It is easy to count what you deliver — the sessions, the meals, the visits. Outcomes ask the harder, more useful question: what changed for the people on the receiving end?

Outputs are what a charity delivers and can count directly; outcomes are the changes those outputs bring about for people, such as improved wellbeing or a new qualification. (Source: sector-standard definition — NCVO / New Philanthropy Capital, accessed 9 July 2026.) Above outcomes sits impact, the longer-term or wider change. Mapping the three is the job of a theory of change.

Measure outcomes by choosing an indicator, taking a baseline, and re-measuring — using validated scales for softer changes like confidence. Keep it proportionate, pick the outcome indicators that fit in the Impact Measurement Handbook, and report them honestly to funders.