Theory of Change: Workshop and Visual Summary
Date:
September 2, 2024
Overview
Gabriel’s Angels, an organization improving children’s lives through pet therapy, has been navigating organizational growth and change with guidance from Jessica Flowers of A Creative Leap. As part of this journey, Mindflower Studio facilitated a Theory of Change (ToC) workshop to help them define the key elements guiding their future direction.
What is a Theory of Change?
A Theory of Change is a visual and strategic roadmap that helps organizations articulate how and why an organization will create a positive community impact.
For Gabriel’s Angels, the Theory of Change focused on defining their Vision, Global and Proximal Outcomes, Values, Mission, Strategies, and Grounding Truths, enabling them to:
it- make mission-aligned decisions
- illustrate their desired impact, and
- understand how all organizational elements fit together.
The Workshop
Mindflower Studio guided Gabriel’s Angels through exercises to define their Vision and desired Global and Proximal Outcomes. The team explored Grounding Truths and developed strategies from inputs like programs, systems, resources, and people. This collaborative process helped align the organization’s mission with their values and future goals.
The Visual Summary
Following the workshop, we created a Visual Summary that translated these insights into an engaging tool. The visual is now displayed in their office and shared with remote team members, keeping everyone grounded in the mission and serving as a powerful communication piece to inspire supporters.
Impact
The Visual Summary is more than a reflection of their Theory of Change—it’s a lasting source of inspiration and alignment. Gabriel’s Angels continues to use it to foster internal focus and share their vision with the community, ensuring they remain on course to create meaningful change in the lives of children.
We are so grateful to partner with fabulous organizations like Gabriel's Angels, who are truly on a mission to change the world. Learn more about Gabriel’s Angels (and donate!) at Gabriel's Angels.
Cara Kiggins
Chief Program Officer
,
Gabriel's Angels
"Not only was Abby (in collaboration with Jessica Flowers) a fantastic Theory of Change workshop facilitator, the visual outcome has kept the inspiration from the workshop flowing! We’ve all experienced workshops where we feel fired up for our mission while in the moment, only for that fire to fade in the grind of daily work. The visual, however, has allowed that inspiration to remain as a coal we can tap into when we need to get fired up again.
As a hybrid workplace, we have copies of the visual Theory of Change in our offices and remote locations across the State, helping us stay connected to our mission and vision no matter where we are. It’s also an incredible tool to share with our community! We are sharing our new Theory of Change visual left and right, and getting great feedback from potential supporters and our loyal community alike."
Three words to describe the experience:
Collaborative, Supportive, Inspiring.
