Change Collective

What Change Collective does

Change Collective is a nonpartisan civic leadership development organization launched in 2023 as a 501(c)(3) initiative of Civic Nation. It recruits emerging local leaders aged 18+ across five U.S. cities — Chicago, Detroit, Jackson, Memphis, and San Antonio — through applications, nominations, and partner referrals, then runs a six-month Leadership Fellowship that combines monthly in-person Local Change Lab convenings (Saturdays), virtual training, individualized coaching, and a Civic Action Plan project tailored to each fellow's community. Tuition is $950 per fellow, payable over six months or fully waivable, which structurally prioritizes access over revenue capture.

Graduates enter a recurring $10/month Change Collective Membership Network that will be reinforced by a Resource Library, Events Calendar, and Member Directory launching in 2026. The organization is funded through a tiered corporate and foundation sponsorship stack ranging from $1,000 (Fellow) to $100,000 (City Launch), individual tax-deductible donations, and fellowship/membership fees. Its 2025 National Change Lab in Baltimore served as a flagship recruiting and brand event, and the operations are supported by an Executive Director, Managing Director, Director of Learning Design & Membership, Manager of Program Operations, and five dedicated City Cohort Leads, with a 12-person external Advisory Council providing governance-level expertise.

Name

Change Collective

Legal name

Civic Nation

Website

https://change-collective.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Change Collective is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) civic leadership initiative of Civic Nation that runs a six-month fellowship in Chicago, Detroit, Jackson, Memphis, and San Antonio, training emerging local leaders aged 18+ to design Civic Action Plans addressing community challenges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Leadership Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organizational Change & Transformation Coaching (EDABANAG)

Keywords

• Civic leadership training
• Community fellowship program
• Nonprofit leadership development
• Local changemaker program
• Civic action planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Enrollment Fees: One-time $950 fee per fellow for the six-month leadership development program. Fee supports training, resources, curriculum, and convening event costs. Payment plans available over 6 months; full fee waivers offered for participants who cannot afford enrollment.
2. Membership Dues: Monthly membership fee of $10/month for graduates joining the national network after completing the fellowship. Covers ongoing in-person and virtual programming.
3. Sponsorships and Donations: Corporate and individual sponsorships at multiple tiers (Fellow sponsorship $1,000, Event sponsorship $5,000, Cohort sponsorship $25,000, City Launch sponsorship $100,000). General donations also accepted. All contributions to Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3), are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Change Collective operates a six-month civic leadership fellowship for emerging local changemakers across five U.S. cities (Birmingham, Chicago, Detroit, Newark, and Oakland). Fellows participate in monthly in-person convenings built around the Local Change Lab curriculum, develop a Civic Action Plan addressing a local issue, and graduate into a national Membership Network for continued peer learning, events, and resources.

Product overview

Change Collective is a dynamic civic leadership development organization offering a single integrated program focused on training, connecting, and elevating local changemakers across the United States. The core offering is the Six-Month Leadership Fellowship Program, which combines in-person Local Change Labs, expert-led training, mentor access, and Civic Action Plan development. Upon completion, fellows join the Change Collective Membership Network for continued learning, networking, and leadership opportunities. The organization also hosts an annual National Change Lab, provides exclusive member resources including a Resource Library, Events Calendar, and Member Directory (all launching 2026), and offers Speaker/Training and Partnership services. Change Collective currently operates in five cities: Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Jackson, MS; Memphis, TN; and San Antonio, TX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Six-Month Civic Leadership Fellowship A six-month civic leadership fellowship for emerging local changemakers (ages 18+) in Birmingham, Chicago, Detroit, Newark, and Oakland, combining monthly in-person Local Change Lab convenings, structured civic training, mentorship, and a Civic Action Plan capstone project.
• Change Collective Membership Network A national post-fellowship network for alumni and supporters that offers ongoing peer connection, alumni programming, events, and continued access to civic leadership resources.
• National Change Lab An annual national convening that brings Change Collective fellows, alumni, sponsors, and partners together for shared learning, collaboration, and recognition of Civic Action Plan work.
• Local Change Labs Monthly in-person training sessions held in each of the five fellowship cities that form the core curriculum delivery mechanism for the fellowship, including Civic Action Plan workshops and skill-building modules.
• Partnership and Sponsorship Program A structured sponsorship and partnership offering for companies, foundations, and civic-minded brands that want to support Change Collective through cohort underwriting, National Change Lab sponsorship, and named programming benefits.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Civic NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChange Collective is an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. This parent organization provides operational support and infrastructure for the Change Collective program, connecting it to broader civic engagement initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Emerson Collective: Philanthropic and impact organization with programs in civic engagement, leadership, and community investment; comparable in civic leadership development mission but operates at much larger scale and scope.
• Higher Ground Labs: Invests in and accelerates civic and political technology and training organizations targeting the progressive civic-engagement space; functions as an ecosystem peer and potential sponsor.
• Civic Nation: Parent 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that houses Change Collective and other civic-engagement initiatives; comparable in mission space and provides the back-office infrastructure for the program.

Direct peers

• Arena (formerly Arena Initiative): Digital-first civic engagement platform training and mobilizing a national network of local organizers, with overlapping emerging-leader audience and fellowship-style engagement.
• New Leaders Council: National nonprofit that runs a leadership training fellowship for emerging local leaders, with local chapters and a multi-month curriculum - directly comparable in target audience, fellowship structure, and civic-leadership positioning.
• Run for Something: Recruits and trains young, diverse candidates to run for down-ballot office; targets a similar emerging-leader demographic with structured training and ongoing support, though with an explicit electoral focus.
• New American Leaders: Nonprofit training first- and second-generation Americans to run for office and lead civic change through a fellowship model. Already a named partner of Change Collective and operates a comparable emerging-leader pipeline.
• Blue Future: Trains and organizes young people (16-35) in civic engagement and political leadership through fellowships and campaigns - closely aligned target demographic and fellowship-based training model.

Emerging players

• Egalitarian / Let America Lead (Egalitarian Group): Nonprofit developing a national network of local civic leaders through training and resource support - similar emerging-leader pipeline thesis, though currently narrower in geographic scope.
• Bridge the Divide / AllSides Foundation: Organizations promoting cross-ideology collaboration and civic literacy; comparable in nonpartisan, bridge-building framing and overlap with Change Collective's differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/change-collective-civic-nation
• Instagraminstagram.com/chngecollective

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 Collective