Global Changemakers

What Global Changemakers does

Global Changemakers is a Switzerland-headquartered international nonprofit, founded in 2007 by the British Council and operating independently since 2014, that supports youth-led sustainable development through a multi-product ecosystem targeting young people aged 18-30. The organisation delivers its programmes through three primary pillars: (1) Changemakers School, an online learning platform on Teachable offering a paid Project Management course at 150 USD alongside free courses in Ecology, Menstruation/Sexual/Reproductive Health, and Facilitation Tools, plus downloadable multilingual toolkits in 11+ languages; (2) a Grant Funding Programme awarding up to 1,000 CHF per project on a bi-annual cycle to eligible participants who have completed training; and (3) Global and Regional Youth Summits held across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, including a fully virtual edition in 2020 that convened 1,432 changemakers.

The underlying technology stack is deliberately conventional and lean, consisting of Teachable for course hosting, Wix-based web properties, standard webinar tools, and Spotify/multichannel podcast distribution — supporting a distributed team of just 5-6 people across four continents and five time zones. Complementary offerings include the Young Changemakers Podcast, an extensive webinars library, a virtual Mentorship Programme, and GCMx training events. The organisation operates as a hybrid legal entity with a US 501(c)(3) (EIN: 92-2391475) and a Swiss registered nonprofit association (CHE-267.866.703, Global Changemakers Association), headquartered in Zurich.

The business model combines three revenue streams: individual donations through Global Giving, PayPal, and Donor Advised Funds; modest course fees (only one paid course at 150 USD); and programme sponsorships from foundations such as ER10 and SE Foundation underwriting specific free courses. Customers/beneficiaries span individual young changemakers (primary), educational institutions accessing toolkits and webinars, and donors and funders. The organisation reports 1,400+ changemakers across 180+ countries, 570+ funded youth-led projects benefiting 16M+ people, 944M+ media impressions, and holds the Candid Gold Transparency Seal (2025 and 2026) alongside Global Giving Vetted, Effective, and Top-Ranked status. No public financials are disclosed.

Name

Global Changemakers

Legal name

Global Changemakers Association

Website

https://global-changemakers.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Changemakers is a Zurich-headquartered international nonprofit founded in 2007 that supports youth-led sustainable development for changemakers aged 18-30 across 180+ countries. It delivers online courses, grants up to 1,000 CHF, and global/regional summits, reaching 16M+ beneficiaries through 570+ funded projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Stakeholder, Communication & Change Management (EDABAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD)

Keywords

• Youth leadership programs
• Youth development services
• Youth grants funding
• Online learning courses
• Capacity building training

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Global Changemakers operates as a 501(c)(3) organization in the US (EIN: 92-2391475) and registered non-profit in Switzerland (CHE-267.866.703). Donations are accepted via Global Giving marketplace, PayPal, bank transfer (Swiss bank account), and Donor Advised Funds. The organization relies heavily on charitable donations to fund youth programs and grants.
2. Online Course Fees: Revenue generated from paid online courses. The Project Management for Changemakers course is priced at 150 USD. Some courses (Ecology, Menstruation/Sexual Health) are offered free of charge. Scholarship sponsorships are available to make courses accessible.
3. Program Sponsorships and Grants: Corporate and foundation sponsors fund specific programs, grants, or scholarship positions. The Ecology for Changemakers course acknowledges support from ER10 and SE Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Global Changemakers is a nonprofit youth development organization that equips young leaders aged 18-30 with practical training, mentorship, and seed funding to launch community action projects. Its core offerings include the Changemakers School (online courses in project management, facilitation, ecology, and sexual/reproductive health), the Grant Funding Programme (up to 1,000 CHF per project), Global and Regional Youth Summits, mentorship, podcasts, webinars, and free multilingual toolkits.

Product overview

Global Changemakers is a nonprofit youth development organization offering a multi-product portfolio centered around youth-led sustainable development. The core offerings include: the Changemakers School platform (providing online courses including Project Management for Changemakers, Facilitation Tools, Menstruation/Sexual Health, Ecology, and free downloadable Toolkits); the Grant Funding Programme (providing up to 1,000 CHF/USD to eligible youth-led projects); and annual/international summits (Global Youth Summit and Regional Summits). Supporting products include the Young Changemakers Podcast, a library of Webinars, a virtual Mentorship Programme, and GCMx training events. All programmes work together to provide skills development, capacity building, mentoring, and grants to young leaders aged 18-30 worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Changemakers School: Online learning platform providing courses in project management, facilitation tools, ecology, and menstrual health for young changemakers.
• Young Changemakers Podcast
• Global Youth Summit (GYS)

Products and services

• Changemakers School Online learning platform offering free and paid courses in leadership, project management, community action, and social impact for young changemakers aged 18-30. Includes eligibility for grant funding upon course completion.
• Project Management for Changemakers Course Paid online course (150 USD) teaching the five phases of project management through lessons by experienced changemakers from over 15 countries. Includes virtual office hours, discussion forums, and eligibility to apply for grant funding.
• Facilitation Tools for Changemakers Lifetime access to over 40 downloadable ice-breakers, group energisers, and team-building activities for in-person and online events. Includes video demonstrations and facilitation guides.
• Menstruation, Sexual and Reproductive Health Course Free comprehensive course providing accurate, science-based knowledge on menstruation, sexual health, and reproductive health. Available in English, Spanish, and French with lifetime access.
• Ecology for Changemakers Course Free online course helping changemakers root their activism in nature through understanding ecology, climate issues, biodiversity, and sustainable living practices.
• Toolkits Free multilingual downloadable resources covering project management, fundraising, design thinking, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainable living. Available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Korean, German, Italian, Indonesian, Tagalog, and Malaysian.
• Grant Funding Programme Grant programme providing up to 1,000 CHF or USD to youth-led Community Action Projects. Supports young changemakers aged 18-30 who have completed training or the Project Management course. Grants open twice yearly.
• Global Youth Summit Annual four-day in-person summit bringing together young leaders from around the world for skill-building workshops, networking, and collaborative learning. Recent summits held in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Regional Summits Regional summit events including African Youth Summit (Cape Town), Latin America Summit (Mexico), and Virtual Youth Summit. Bring together young changemakers from specific regions for collaborative learning and skill development.
• Young Changemakers Podcast Podcast sharing stories of fearless young people from across the world working to create lasting change in their communities.
• Webinars Library of educational webinar recordings covering topics including leadership, climate action, mental health, fundraising, networking, and youth activism.
• Mentorship Programme Virtual mentorship programme connecting budding young changemakers with experienced professionals and mentors for guidance and support throughout their social impact initiatives.
• GCMx Training Events Training events conducted both online and in-person, supplementing the core summit programme with additional skill-building opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 570+ youth-led projects funded globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and supporting.

• British CouncilfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Global Changemakers was created in 2007 by the British Council with the aim of empowering youth to catalyze change. The British Council was the founding partner that established the organization. Global Changemakers became an independent organization in 2013/2014.
• Global GivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Giving serves as the primary donation and fundraising platform for Global Changemakers. The organization holds Vetted, Effective, and Top-Ranked status on Global Giving. Donations are processed through Global Giving projects including 'Fund Her Future' and 'Online Learning for 1000 Changemakers'.
• PayPalsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayPal is accepted as a donation method for supporters contributing to Global Changemakers' mission.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global pioneer in supporting social entrepreneurs including young changemakers, with a much larger endowment and fellowship network. Highly comparable mission around youth-led social change, but operates as a broader, more established incumbent rather than a youth-only focused organization.
• Global Citizen: Global movement ending extreme poverty, with a youth-skewed audience and a focus on youth advocacy at major policy forums. Shares Global Changemakers' positioning around youth-led sustainable development and is directly connected via board member Simon Moss.
• International Youth Foundation: Global nonprofit working with young people to prepare them for life and work. Operates a much larger global portfolio of youth programmes and provides comparable training, grants, and network infrastructure, but at materially greater scale.

Direct peers

• Do Something: US-based nonprofit activating young people (under 25) around social causes through campaigns, grants, and digital engagement. Closely comparable model combining digital training content, small grants, and youth-led community action projects.
• AIESEC: Global youth-led organization providing leadership development, cross-cultural exchanges, and volunteer experiences in 100+ countries. Comparable in target demographic (18-30), global footprint, and leadership training focus, though with a heavier emphasis on exchange programmes.
• Peace First: Nonprofit investing in young leaders (13-25) driving change in their communities through grants, mentorship, and a digital platform. Closely comparable integrated model of small grants (~$250-2,500) plus training plus community for young changemakers.
• TakingITGlobal: Digital community for young leaders driving social impact, with courses, grants, and a global network. Direct peer in combining online learning, youth-led grants, and a multilingual global community platform.
• Echoing Green: Organization identifying and supporting emerging social entrepreneurs including young leaders through fellowships and seed funding. Comparable in seeding youth-led changemakers, though with a higher grant size and longer-term fellowship model.
• Resolution Project: Global youth-led social impact organization providing venture-style support (grants, mentorship, fellowship) to young social entrepreneurs. Closely comparable in target demographic, grant-plus-mentorship model, and global network structure.

Emerging players

• HundrED: Global nonprofit identifying and spreading impactful K-12 education innovations, including youth-led and leadership programmes. Comparable in spotlighting youth changemaker stories and operating multilingual global content, with partial overlap in audience and mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreGCM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GlobalChangemakers
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/WeAreGCM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-changemakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/globalchangemakers
• TikToktiktok.com/@globalchangemakers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Changemakers