What CHANGE Illinois does

CHANGE Illinois is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Chicago, with a related 501(c)(4) Action Fund for direct lobbying and grassroots advocacy. The organization operates as a broad coalition of public servants, philanthropists, community organizers, and political reformers working to advance democracy reform in Illinois across redistricting reform, voting rights, ethics, automatic voter registration, and government efficiency. It serves Illinois voters and communities — with particular emphasis on communities of color — through voter registration, civic education, and ballot initiative support.

The organization's "products" are a portfolio of advocacy programs and civic engagement tools rather than commercial offerings. These include policy advocacy campaigns, an interactive legislator lookup map, a first-of-its-kind ward remapping candidate survey co-sponsored with 12 community organizations, voter information resources and guides, volunteer and community organizing programs (voter registration training, deputy registrar certification, text banking, voting street teams), and published redistricting analysis reports including racial equity, partisan bias, and compactness assessments. It has driven the passage of multiple Illinois statutes (SB2090 for jail ballot access, HB2265 middle school civics, HB2541 re-entering citizens civics) and secured a $29 million 2020 Census appropriation, with active steering committee participation in the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 coalition.

Revenue is sourced from tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) and non-deductible donations to the Action Fund (501(c)(4)). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization is led by Executive Director Ryan Tolley, with a lean staff of 1-10 supplemented by a coalition of partner organizations including NAACP East St. Louis Branch, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Chicago Urban League, Hispanic Federation, Common Cause Illinois, and Union League Club of Chicago. Geographic reach spans 10+ Illinois townships, with the densest activity in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Name

CHANGE Illinois

Legal name

CHANGE Illinois

Website

https://changeil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHANGE Illinois is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2010 in Chicago, that runs a coalition of community organizations advancing democracy reform in Illinois through redistricting advocacy, voting rights campaigns, civic education, and voter engagement programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Advocacy and Government Reform

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Civic advocacy nonprofit
• Democracy reform advocacy
• Redistricting policy reform
• Voter rights education
• Government efficiency advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations - 501(c)(3): Tax-deductible donations to CHANGE Illinois, a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit that educates and engages Illinoisans about ethics and efficiency in government.
2. Donations - 501(c)(4) Action Fund: Non-tax-deductible donations to the CHANGE Illinois Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that engages in direct and grassroots advocacy for democracy reform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CHANGE Illinois is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that educates Illinois residents and engages them on democracy reforms including redistricting reform, automatic voter registration, ending prison gerrymandering, ethics, and efficient government. It operates a companion 501(c)(4) Action Fund that conducts direct legislative and grassroots advocacy, publishes policy analysis and reports, runs an interactive legislator lookup tool, and sponsors volunteer and community organizing programs across Illinois.

Product overview

CHANGE Illinois is a nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy organization (501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4)) focused on democracy reform in Illinois. Rather than a traditional SaaS product company, CHANGE Illinois offers a portfolio of advocacy programs and civic engagement tools including policy priorities advocacy on redistricting reform, automatic voter registration, efficient government, and ethics reforms; an interactive legislator map tool for constituents to find their representatives; ward remapping candidate surveys for Chicago elections; voter information resources and guides; volunteer and community organizing programs; and educational materials including reports and FAQs. These programs work together as an integrated civic engagement ecosystem aimed at improving elections, ethics, and government efficiency in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interactive Legislator Map A web-based tool allowing Illinois residents to enter their address and locate their state and U.S. representatives, view district boundaries, and access elected official contact information. Intended for Illinois voters seeking civic engagement.
• Ward Remapping Candidate Survey A first-of-its-kind survey of Chicago mayoral and aldermanic candidates documenting their positions on independent ward mapping and redistricting reform. Intended for Chicago voters and policymakers evaluating candidate stances on redistricting.
• Voter Information Resources Educational resources and voter guides covering vote-by-mail instructions, early voting information, voter registration deadlines, and polling place lookup tools for Illinois elections. Intended for Illinois voters.
• Volunteer and Organizing Programs Programs including voter registration training, deputy registrar certification, voting street teams, text banking teams, and community event organizing to engage Illinoisans in democracy reform. Intended for Illinois residents and volunteers.
• Educational Resources and FAQs Publications, FAQs, slide decks, and reports on redistricting reform, Chicago ward remapping processes, and democracy topics to educate the public and policymakers. Intended for Illinois residents, journalists, and legislators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully passed 2020 Census appropriation of $29 million for outreach and public awareness
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Muslim Civic CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Endorsing organization for Alderman La Spata's ordinance to establish a City of Chicago Redistricting Commission.
• Illinois Black Advocacy InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Endorsing organization for Chicago Redistricting Commission ordinance.
• Urban Village ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Endorsing organization for Chicago Redistricting Commission ordinance.
• Equity and TransformationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Endorsing organization for Chicago Redistricting Commission ordinance.
• Illinois Voting Rights CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Broad nonpartisan coalition of civil rights, voting rights, disability justice, faith-based, and community organizations working together to pass the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026. Steering committee includes Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, Lugenia Burns Hope Center, CHANGE Illinois, NAACP East St. Louis Branch, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
• Asian Americans Advancing JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of the first-of-its-kind ward remapping survey of Chicago mayoral and aldermanic candidates, advocating for resident-centered ward boundaries.
• Chicago Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of Chicago ward remapping survey to help Chicago residents understand where candidates stand on independent ward mapping.
• Common Cause IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of candidate survey on ward remapping, supporting transparent and equitable redistricting processes.
• Hispanic FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of candidate survey advocating for independent, resident-led Chicago ward mapping process.
• NAACP East St. Louis BranchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Illinois Voting Rights Coalition working to protect voting rights and prevent vote dilution for Black voters.
• Coalition for a Better Chinese American CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of candidate survey and partner in Chicago ward remapping reform efforts.
• Latino Policy ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in candidate survey and co-sponsor of Chicago ward remapping ordinance advocacy.
• Union League Club of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-sponsor of ward remapping survey coalition working toward transparent, resident-centered redistricting.
• McCormick FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPledged $3 million in private donations to fund middle school civics education program statewide in support of HB2265.
• Transform IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition member promoting government streamlining and efficiency in Illinois. CHANGE Illinois Executive Director Madeleine Doubek moderates panel discussions for the coalition.
• Chicago United for Equity FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program through which CHANGE Illinois Advocacy Director Liliana Scales completed a Racial Equity Impact Assessment of Chicago's ward remapping process.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RepresentUs: National nonpartisan anti-corruption and voting reform organization that pushes state-level democracy reforms including redistricting and ethics. Comparable grassroots coalition model and policy agenda to CHANGE Illinois, though operating nationally.
• League of Women Voters of Illinois: Nonpartisan civic engagement organization focused on voter education, voter registration, and election reform in Illinois. Shares CHANGE Illinois' voter rights and redistricting priorities and serves overlapping Illinois constituencies.
• FairVote: Nonpartisan organization focused on ranked choice voting and electoral reform, including redistricting. Operates in multiple states with similar reform priorities to CHANGE Illinois' redistricting and voting rights work in Illinois.
• Transform Illinois: Illinois-based coalition advocating for government consolidation and efficiency reform. Coalition partner of CHANGE Illinois with overlapping focus on efficient, ethical government in the state.
• Illinois PIRG: Statewide consumer and public interest advocacy organization that engages in voting access, government reform, and civic engagement campaigns. Comparable nonprofit advocacy model and Illinois-specific mission overlap with CHANGE Illinois.
• Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights: Civil rights legal organization operating in Chicago with a strong focus on voting rights and redistricting litigation. Sits alongside CHANGE Illinois on the Illinois Voting Rights Coalition steering committee and pursues overlapping reform objectives.
• Common Cause Illinois: State affiliate of Common Cause, a national nonpartisan government reform organization. Directly comparable to CHANGE Illinois as both pursue redistricting reform, voting rights, ethics, and campaign finance advocacy in Illinois through coalition-based grassroots campaigns.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago: Asian American civil rights organization with active voting rights and redistricting advocacy in Illinois. Coalition partner with CHANGE Illinois on the ward remapping survey and Illinois Voting Rights Coalition.

Broad incumbents

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: National civil rights legal organization with major voting rights and redistricting portfolio. Coalition partner of CHANGE Illinois via the Illinois Voting Rights Coalition and operates at national scale with overlapping mission areas.
• Brennan Center for Justice: National law and policy institute at NYU that conducts research, litigation, and advocacy on voting rights, redistricting, and campaign finance. Operates at significantly larger scale but addresses the same democracy reform issues CHANGE Illinois tackles at the state level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHANGEIL
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHANGEIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/change-illinois
• Instagraminstagram.com/change_il/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Illinois