Is It Impact or BS?
15% funding cuts are coming. Are you ready?
Funders aren’t asking for more effort — they’re asking for proof of outcomes.
You need a way to explain your impact — clearly, credibly, and without the BS.
This isn’t about polishing your annual report.

It’s about proving — to funders, boards, and your team — that your work is actually making change.
That’s what I do.
I help you build a real measurement framework that aligns with IRCC priorities and reflects what actually changed.
Is it Impact — or Just BS?
This looks impressive… until a funder asks: “So what actually changed for the people you served
If your annual report says “we served 10,000 clients,” you’re not alone. I help IRCC-funded orgs move from outputs to outcomes — so you can finally show what changed, not just what you did.
I work with IRCC-funded orgs across Canada — especially those delivering frontline settlement, employment, and language services — to make measurement doable, credible, and useful. You’re not the problem — your measurement system is.
Let’s fix it.
Still unsure what makes something “BS”? Here’s the difference — and why outcomes beat activity every time.
Book a Call With Me
Why Me?
I’m Gord — with 15 years of experience helping organizations like yours, I cut through the "impact fluff" to prove what's truly changing.
Before founding Leaders Who Break Barriers, I led national measurement and strategy initiatives at LIFT Impact Partners, working extensively with IRCC-funded organizations across Canada.
This journey led me to build this platform.
The recurring question from organizations is clear:
"How do we move from outputs to outcomes without burning out our team?"
Let's get you that answer.
What You Wish You Could Say
Imagine your next annual report opens with this — and you’ve got the data to back it up.
I help orgs move from “we served” to “here’s what changed" — and how we know.
Most orgs want to tell this kind of story — real change, not just busywork. But to say this with confidence, you need alignment, tools, and a real framework.
That’s where I come in.
The Problem Isn’t You. It’s the System
You’ve developed impactful programs. But when report season hits, the annual scramble begins. You're left pulling data from disconnected sources, struggling to show real change. The result? Reports filled with outputs, not outcomes—leaving everyone feeling like it’s just fluff.
Sound familiar?
Unclear Outcomes
You have a theory of change somewhere, but no shared understanding of what outcomes to track across teams.
Disjointed Data
Different teams are collecting different data, or worse, no data at all, creating inconsistencies and gaps.
Reporting Mismatch
You know what IRCC wants (language, belonging, employment), but your systems aren’t built to demonstrate it effectively.
Reporting Burden
Funders demand results, the board wants dashboards, and your team just wants it over. Measurement feels like a heavy burden.
Measurement shouldn't be a burden; it could be your biggest strategic asset. Let’s flip the script and build a measurement system that works.
This is for Executive Directors, senior leaders, and program teams in IRCC-funded orgs who want to stop faking impact and start showing real outcomes.
How We Work Together
You don’t need more jargon. You need a plan. I work with IRCC-funded organizations to cut through the noise and build measurement systems that actually work — for funders, boards, staff, and (most importantly) your clients.
1
3-Month Advisory: Build Your Measurement Framework
We start by identifying the headlines you wish you could publish next year — then build the system to get you there.
This is a hands-on consulting engagement to get your house in order.
We co-create:
  • An organizational Theory of Change that isn’t just shelfware
  • A clear, visual Results Chain that aligns with IRCC priorities
  • Practical tools to collect the right data (using what you already have)
  • Team-wide alignment so everyone’s pulling in the same direction
You’ll leave with a framework you can actually use — to report, improve, and grow.
2
Virtual Workshop Series: Teach the Team What Good Looks Looks Like
Not ready for full advisory? Start with the basics.
In three tailored virtual sessions, we help your team:
  • Understand the difference between outputs vs outcomes
  • Build confidence using ToC and Results Chain thinking
  • Learn how to spot, collect, and communicate real change
It’s strategic measurement 101 — delivered with empathy, humour, and zero pretense.
What You’ll Walk Away With
No fluff. No filler. Just the tools, clarity, and confidence to talk about what actually changed.
Whether you bring us in for advisory or workshops, you’ll walk away with:
A clear, org-wide Theory of Change that connects your programs to your purpose.
A Results Chain mapped to IRCC’s outcome language — so your reports land clean.
Data collection tools that are realistic, useful, and won’t overwhelm your team.
Alignment across staff, leadership, and board — so no one’s guessing what matters.
A credible story of impact you can tell in reports, grant proposals, and board decks.
It’s not about looking good. It’s about being clear, honest, and funder-ready.
If you’re working under an IRCC contribution agreement and you’re tired of inventing “impact” at report time — we should talk.
What We Build Together
You’ve seen the kind of headlines you wish you could write.
This is how we help you get there — with a clear, honest framework that shows what’s changing and why it matters.
We start with a Theory of Change — a high-level map that answers the big questions:
What problem are we solving? For whom? And what’s the long-term change we want to see?
It connects your programs to your purpose — and aligns your whole team around what success really looks like.
Then we build a Results Chain — the practical, IRCC-aligned roadmap that shows how your activities lead to skills, behaviours, and long-term outcomes.
Together, these tools shift you from scrambling for stats… to confidently reporting on real change.
Want to try it yourself first?
Download the editable & free Theory of Change + Results Chain templates — the same ones we use with clients.
Built for IRCC-funded orgs.
Download these simple, practical tools to kickstart your outcome journey:
Canva-based editable template
Customize every element to fit your organization's unique needs, ensuring a perfect visual and functional match.
Easy prompts to walk your team through it
Simple, guided prompts help your team collaborate effortlessly, making complex concepts accessible to everyone.
Built for IRCC-funded orgs (no translation needed)
Specifically designed with IRCC requirements in mind, streamlining your reporting process and ensuring compliance.
Why It Works
I'm not here to lecture you on logic models. We’ve been in the sector, building these systems inside organizations like yours. We know how to make measurement work in the real world — with limited capacity, shifting funder demands, and frontline staff who sometimes roll their eyes at anything that sounds “strategic.”
This works because:
Practical, Not Academic
We deliver real-world tools that fit your existing capacity and team, providing solutions you can implement immediately, not just abstract theories.
Collaborative, Not Top-Down
We co-create systems tailored to your unique context, ensuring buy-in and shared ownership from frontline staff to leadership.
Designed to Last
Our frameworks are built for sustainability, transforming measurement from a one-off report into a continuous strategic asset for your organization.
I've helped organizations move from duct-taped spreadsheets and annual “report panic” to confident, credible reporting that truly reflects what actually changed.
See How I Talk About This in the Real World
I recently joined the Grow for Change interview series to talk about why measurement isn’t just a reporting burden — it’s your best strategic advantage. We covered real-world challenges IRCC-funded orgs face, and how to build systems that actually reflect what’s changing.
Ready to Stop Faking It?
You can keep making up impact headlines and praying no one reads the fine print. Or, you can build a measurement system that actually reflects the good work you’re doing.
We’ll help you:
Align Your Team
Foster a unified vision and ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction with shared measurement goals.
Impress Your Funders
Deliver clear, credible reports that genuinely demonstrate your impact and secure future funding opportunities.
Simplify Reporting Season
Transform annual report preparation from a dreaded chore into a streamlined, less stressful process (we won't promise you'll love it, but you'll certainly dread it less!).
👉 Book a Discovery Call — it’s free, useful, and entirely BS-free 😀
(Just want the templates? Grab them here)