Frequently asked questions

They are related but not identical.

A Theory of Change explains the reasoning behind your work — the causal logic connecting your activities to long-term change, the assumptions you are making, and the broader context your program sits in. It answers: why do we believe this will work?

A Logic Model is the operational map of a specific program — inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes in sequence. It answers: what exactly are we doing and what do we expect to happen?

Most funders use the two terms interchangeably. The Tools For Impact builder helps you produce both from the same set of questions, in about 15 minutes.

That is the most common starting point. The free builder walks you through 8 focused questions about your population, problem, activities, and outcomes. Your answers build a structured logic model in real time. You do not need to know what a logic model is. You just need to know your program.

You can paste it directly into the Narrative Generator. The system extracts the key elements automatically and uses them to generate your report. You do not need to rebuild from scratch.

No. The Theory of Change Builder is completely open — no account, no credit card, no signup required. You complete the builder, download your logic model, and leave if you want. The Narrative Generator asks for your email before generating your first report, but that is all.

No. The Theory of Change Builder is a guided conversation. You answer questions about your program in plain language and the system structures your answers. If you can describe your program to a colleague, you can use this.

Yes — and it will make every part of the document stronger. The most credible Theories of Change are built with the communities they describe, not just about them. Even sharing three or four of the builder questions with five people you serve, and listening to how they describe the problem and what success looks like to them, will meaningfully improve your logic model. Funders who prioritize equity look for this explicitly.

The Theory of Change Builder is live and free — use it today, no account required. The Narrative Generator and KPI Tracker are live in beta — go straight to the tools and try them. No application needed. Beta closes June 15. The Board Deck Builder is in development and expected later in 2026.

The Narrative Generator and KPI Tracker move to the Pro plan at $49/month. Organizations that apply to the beta program before June 15 lock in 3 months free and 50% off Pro for life. The Theory of Change Builder stays free permanently.

Yes. No long-term contracts, no cancellation fees. Cancel anytime and you retain access through the end of your billing period.

Most AI writing tools take what you give them and make it sound better. Tools For Impact checks your program logic before writing a single word. If your activities do not support your outcome claims, the system finds it and asks you to resolve it. The narrative only gets written when the argument holds.

Everything generated is grounded in what you entered — your population, your activities, your data. Nothing is fabricated. You stay in control of the logic and the claims. The system does the structural work. You make the judgment calls.

The intake and diagnostic process takes 15 to 20 minutes for a new program, or about 5 to 10 minutes if you are uploading an existing Theory of Change. Once your logic model is complete, narrative generation takes about 30 seconds. Compare that to the 15 to 25 hours most nonprofit staff spend on reporting from scratch.

Annie E. Casey Foundation, Abell Foundation, Goldseker Foundation, and JFC monitoring reports — all calibrated to their actual reporting formats. There is also a Board Report template and a General Progress Report that works for any funder.

You can also paste your funder's exact reporting questions and the system will answer each one directly from your logic model and impact data.

SAMHSA, WIOA, and Annual Report formats are on the roadmap. If your funder is not yet supported, email us and we will prioritize based on demand.

Right now each session handles one program at a time. Multi-program accounts — where you can manage separate logic models, KPIs, and reports for each program from one dashboard — are in development. If you work across multiple programs and want to shape how that feature is built, reach out.

Yes. Your program information is never shared with third parties, never sold, and never used to train AI models. That is a firm commitment, not a default setting. We know many of your programs serve people in vulnerable situations — your program data never leaves your control. If you want to delete your data at any time, email hello@toolsforimpact.ai and we will take care of it within five business days.

Yes. Your logic model belongs to you. When you complete the Theory of Change Builder, you download an HTML file that works anywhere — open it in a browser, print to PDF, paste sections into Word, or share with your team. Nothing is locked inside the platform.