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A new lens for Impact in the

Optimism Collective

✨ Introducing Theory of Change: Aligning Actions with Intent

🔁 What is a Theory of Change?

A Theory of Change is a clear, strategic framework that explains how and why specific efforts lead to long-term impact. It lays out the chain of logic from current challenges, to targeted actions, to the positive outcomes we want to see—while making transparent the assumptions, risks, and stakeholders involved.
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For Optimism Season 7, this Theory of Change focuses on achieving the Collective's Intent: A set of interoperable Stage 1 chains doing $250m per month in cross-chain asset transfers.Using the Theory of Change framework helps funders, builders, and the broader community align on what matters, identify high-leverage opportunities, and evaluate what meaningful progress to completing this intent looks like.

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    1.

    Clarity:

    ToC helps contributors zoom out to see how their work connects to Collective Intents.

    • Encourages everyone to articulate not just what they’re building, but why it matters and how it creates change towards the Intent.
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    2.

    Alignment:

    It aligns diverse projects and stakeholders around common outcomes—even if their methods differ.

    • Builders can tailor their roadmaps to reinforce key milestones in Optimism’s broader journey.
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    3.

    Transparency:

    By making assumptions and intended outcomes explicit, ToC reduces ambiguity.

    • By surfacing unstated beliefs, it enables meaningful critique and iteration—not just of projects, but of the ecosystem’s own strategy.
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    4.

    Adaptability:

    As the Collective evolves, ToC helps track whether our theory still holds—or needs an update.

    • If an initiative doesn’t produce expected outcomes, we can revisit our logic and assumptions. Learning loops, not rigid plans.
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    5.

    Stronger Governance:

    Theory of Change provides badgeholders and the Grants Council a clearer lens for making funding decisions.

    • It shifts the conversation from “Who do we like?” to “What change are they driving—and how useful is this for the Intent?

Theory of Change isn't a one-size-fits-all

✨ How you use it depends on the role YOU play in the Collective. Whether you're funding impact or generating it, ToC offers a framework to sharpen your focus and increase your effectiveness. ✨

Choose your path to explore how Theory of Change applies to your role in the Optimism Collective 🧭:

FundersBuilders
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These are two perspectives that feed into the same Mission !

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