Outcomes funding

• What outcomes are
• Why are outcomes important?
• Useful resources

Voluntary and community organisations are familiar with describing what they do and identifying who they work with. But they also need to identify the changes that come about from the work that they do. These are called ‘outcomes’.

Many funders want to show that grants can make a real difference to the lives of the communities they support. It can also help organisations plan, develop and improve their work.

Identifying outcomes will help decide what work your organisation should be focusing on and what projects, services or activities you need funding for.

This section is based on the good work developed by the Charities Evaluation Service and Big Lottery Fund on outcomes funding and helps to explain what outcomes are and why they are important. More detailed guidance on how you identify outcomes and measure outcomes is available by accessing the useful resources at the end of this section.