A few weeks ago, I sat around a table with leaders from five nonprofit organizations whose mission is to build relationships with children and youth through mentorship. I’d been invited to this space in the spirit of partnership, and I keep showing up because of their commitment to building new pathways for young people. The adversity facing the youth they serve means those kids are disproportionately in the school-to-prison pipeline, something everyone in the room wants to change. But how does a small group of organizations bring about this change? At the Kinship Fund, our Theory of Change is not a document on a shelf. It is the roadmap helping us navigate how best to support our partners.
According to the VERA Institute’s report Freedom and Justice: Ending the Incarceration of Girls and Gender-Expansive Youth in California, research shows that incarcerating young people does not effectively address their services or safety needs, nor does it redirect them away from further legal system involvement as effectively as community-based interventions. Arresting and detaining youth in juvenile correctional facilities not only does not reduce recidivism, but is actively harmful. And often, once youth have entered the legal system, they are caught in a cycle of detention and release.
We knew we wanted to be a part of supporting the community-based solution of youth mentorship programs, but also knew we needed to clearly articulate how and why we believed we could create impact. Our theory of change connects our grantmaking and beyond-the-check support to the long-term outcomes we hope to achieve.
But why take the time to develop a theory of change when what nonprofit organizations need most is funding? There are several important reasons.
Clarity
By clearly defining our goals and understanding the steps and assumptions between our funding and the change we seek, we can stay focused on what matters most and avoid mission drift.
Alignment
It gathers our board, staff, and grant partners around shared outcomes, and every grant advances our long-term goals.
Accountability
We can evaluate whether our strategies are working and communicate what success looks like – not just for each grant, but for the larger mission.
Transparency
It helps us clearly state our vision with grantees, donors, and partners.
Learning and Adaptation
It encourages us to reflect on what is working and why, and course correct when needed.
To build long-term, trust-based relationships with partners, we started by paying attention. We found a rich tapestry of nonprofit organizations solving problems created by inequitable systems, and stretching shrinking funding to meet growing needs.
These relationships revealed two areas where we can partner with our community to deepen and strengthen our collective impact. This month, we launched the Place-Based Project to Serve Refugees and the Youth Mentorship Collaborative. The formation of these collective action projects will depend on the input of all of the grant partners, but the Kinship Fund’s role in this work led to the development of our theory of change.
At the Kinship Fund, our theory of change is not a rigid formula—it’s a living framework that guides our purpose while allowing for mutuality, listening, and flexibility in achieving that purpose.