Change Is Simple

What Change Is Simple does

Change Is Simple is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Lauren and Patrick Belmonte, headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts. The organization delivers hands-on, experiential climate change and sustainability education to K-8 students across 36-38 partner schools in 13 communities in Eastern Massachusetts, reaching 7,000-8,000 students annually and 65,000+ students cumulatively since founding. Its core product is an NGSS- and Common Core-aligned curriculum delivered through recurring classroom visits throughout the school year, augmented by SCiLL (Sustainability & Climate Innovation Learning Lab), a mobile learning lab launched in June 2022 that brings immersive stations on biodiversity, biomimicry, energy, food and soil, and pollination directly to schools and community events. Supporting products include DESE-certified teacher professional development, hydroponics and SEL curriculum units, green chemistry recipes, and bilingual student/family resources, with program effectiveness validated through a third-party evaluation partnership with Northeastern University's Evaluation Institute (since 2019).

The organization operates on a donation-funded, free-to-schools business model. Revenue streams include individual donations at tiered membership levels (ChangeMaker $1,500/year, Ambassador $2,500/year, Charter $5,000-$10,000), corporate and foundation grants (EBSCO, Cell Signaling Technology, Highland Fleet Services, Comb Family Foundation, and others), annual fundraising events (the 2026 'It All Adds Up' Gala raised over $180,000), and planned giving including stock gifts processed via Morgan Stanley. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals from principals and administrators, supplemented by event-driven major donor cultivation. The organization employs 11-50 staff and draws on a mentor pipeline of college students from Northeastern University and Endicott College to extend delivery capacity.

Strategic posture emphasizes institutional validation (Northeastern evaluation, alumni longitudinal study), regional entrenchment in Eastern Massachusetts, and publicly stated intent to expand across New England and the broader United States. The model is operationally asset-light on the technology side — a human-delivered, in-person education service — but capital-light for partner schools, who receive programming at no direct cost. Key risks are donor concentration (a small set of corporate and foundation funders), geographic concentration in a single U.S. region, and the absence of disclosed AI/ML capabilities that could enable digital scaling of curriculum content beyond current on-site delivery.

Name

Change Is Simple

Legal name

Change is Simple, Inc.

Website

https://changeissimple.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Change Is Simple is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers hands-on, standards-aligned climate and sustainability education to K-8 students across 36-38 partner schools in Eastern Massachusetts, reaching 7,000-8,000 students annually through classroom visits and a mobile learning lab, funded entirely by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Climate & Sustainability Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAB

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPABALAK

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site)

Business & Public Services/Facilities Management & Building Services/Waste, Recycling & Sustainability Programs (On-site)

Keywords

• Climate education programs
• K-8 sustainability curriculum
• Mobile STEM learning lab
• Teacher professional development
• Environmental nonprofit education

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals at various giving levels, including monthly recurring donations and one-time gifts. ChangeMaker donors give $1,500+ annually (or $125/month).
2. Corporate & Foundation Support: Corporate partnerships and foundation grants provide significant funding. Includes annual giving levels, event sponsorships, and in-kind support from companies like EBSCO, Cell Signaling Technology, and Highland Fleet Services.
3. Annual Fundraising Events: Gala events like 'It All Adds Up' raise significant funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, and live auctions. The 2026 event raised over $180,000.
4. Planned Giving & Stock Gifts: Accepts planned giving, gifts of stock (via Morgan Stanley DTC# 0015), and donor-advised fund contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Change Is Simple provides hands-on, experiential K-8 climate and sustainability education integrated into partner schools' core curriculum in Eastern Massachusetts. Programs are delivered through on-site classroom visits throughout the school year and via the SCiLL mobile learning lab, and are supported by teacher professional development and student resources. All services are offered free to schools, with the organization funded entirely through donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

Change is Simple is a nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of environmental and climate education programs for K-8 students. The core offerings include hands-on climate change education programs integrated into school curricula and SCiLL (Sustainability & Climate Innovation Learning Lab), a mobile learning lab that travels to schools. These are supported by professional development training for teachers, student and family resources, teacher curriculum materials, and specialized programs including a college student mentor/internship program, Green Chemistry Recipes, Hydroponics Curriculum, Composting Resources, and Social Emotional Learning activities. The organization focuses on experiential learning that connects environmental science with real-world action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCiLL: Sustainability & Climate Innovation Learning Lab - mobile learning lab that brings immersive, climate-focused education directly to schools

Products and services

• Climate Change Education Programs Standards-aligned, hands-on, experiential climate and sustainability education programs integrated into core K-8 curriculum at partner schools in Eastern Massachusetts, reaching approximately 7,000-8,000 students annually through recurring classroom visits throughout the school year.
• SCiLL (Sustainability & Climate Innovation Learning Lab) Mobile learning lab that brings immersive, climate-focused education directly to schools, camps, and community events, featuring interactive stations on biodiversity, biomimicry, energy, food & soil, and pollination topics.
• Professional Development for Teachers DESE-certified training program that equips K-8 teachers with knowledge, tools, and strategies to integrate environmental lessons into existing curricula, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core, including workshops on hydroponics, solar, and Green Classroom audits.
• Teacher Curriculum Resources Curriculum materials, lesson plans, worksheets, and extension packets for teachers to deliver environmental education in conjunction with Change Is Simple programs and throughout the school year.
• College Student Mentor/Internship Program Structured mentorship and internship program placing college students from Northeastern University and Endicott College as classroom educators to deliver hands-on STEM and environmental education in partner K-8 schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ students reached since 2011 with climate education programs
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Northeastern University (Evaluation Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2019Partnership with Northeastern University professors Dr. Sara and Dr. William Ewell from the Evaluation Institute to conduct program evaluation. Initial 3-year third-party evaluation starting February 2019 measuring Change is Simple's impact on student learning outcomes. Evaluation continues in-house using best practices established during the third-party evaluation.
• EBSCOmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing climate and sustainability content access to students and teachers through EBSCO's products. EBSCO CEO is quoted as supporting climate education as aligning with company values and mission.
• Cell Signaling TechnologymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner that hosted the First Annual Summer Stem Summit for Change is Simple. Company has produced a partnership video with the organization and provides ongoing support.
• Highland Fleet ServicesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold-level sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala, supporting Change is Simple's fundraising efforts.
• TruNorth Bank (North Shore Community College)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• East Coast Asset Management (ECAM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• Marshall Dackert PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala. Provided event photography services.
• Columbia SportswearcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• DalkiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• Endicott CollegecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala. Partner institution for college student mentors.
• Koiles PrattminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• Sterling InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala.
• Black Earth CompostminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriend sponsor of the 2026 It All Adds Up Gala. In-kind supporter of composting resources.
• Northeastern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Northeastern University for college student mentors and interns. Many past mentors came from Northeastern. The organization also partnered with Northeastern professors for program evaluation.
• Endicott CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Endicott College for college student mentor placements. Organization works with institutions interested in internships or co-op programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SubjectToClimate: Provides standards-aligned, free climate education resources for K-12 teachers. Comparable in content focus and audience, but operates as a digital resource library rather than in-person school programming.

Direct peers

• EcoRise: National nonprofit providing K-12 sustainability education, teacher curriculum, and student-led sustainability projects funded by foundations and corporate sponsors. Highly comparable program design, funding model, and target customer.
• Captain Planet Foundation: Funds and supports hands-on, project-based environmental learning in K-12 schools through grants and programming. Comparable donor-funded K-12 environmental education focus, though the operating model is grantmaking rather than direct instruction.
• Ten Strands: California-based nonprofit working to bring environmental literacy into K-12 classrooms through district partnerships and standards-aligned curriculum support. Closest direct peer in mission, model, and customer base (school districts, not students directly).
• Project Learning Tree: National environmental education program that provides standards-aligned curriculum and teacher training for K-12, with state-level coordinator networks. Comparable in curriculum-plus-PD model serving schools, though national in scale.
• Green Education Foundation: Nonprofit that provides K-12 environmental and sustainability curriculum, lesson plans, and Green Challenge programs. Comparable curriculum-led, school-targeted nonprofit education model.
• EarthEcho International: Environmental education nonprofit that equips K-12 students and teachers with science-based resources on water, climate, and ocean issues, with strong foundation and corporate funding. Comparable nonprofit education model and donor-supported delivery.
• The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education: Provides K-12 sustainability education curriculum, teacher professional development, and school sustainability plans. Closely comparable standards-aligned curriculum and PD offerings, also nonprofit-supported.

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA: Large nonprofit's K-12 sustainability certification and curriculum program with national reach. Comparable audience and content, but operates as a program within a much larger advocacy organization with a broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Watershed Management Group: Regional nonprofit delivering hands-on, community-based environmental and water education programs with strong K-12 and teacher engagement in the Southwest. Comparable delivery model and audience, but in a different U.S. region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/changeissimple
• Facebookfacebook.com/changeissimpleinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Change Is Simple