Changing Woman Initiative

What Changing Woman Initiative does

Changing Woman Initiative (CWI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that provides culturally centered reproductive wellness and maternal health services to Indigenous families. The organization operates as a decentralized entity led by four directors working in close conjunction with an engaged board of directors, with a lean operational footprint of approximately five staff members.

CWI's core service offerings include White Shell Woman Birth Services (homebirth midwifery care) and the Corn Mother Easy Access Clinic (reproductive health services), both delivering care to Indigenous families with 98% of families served receiving free care. These core services are supported by the Three Sisters Nutrition Program & Farmer Collaborative—which partners with 10+ Native American/Indigenous farms to provide traditional foods—and the Rematriating Apprenticeship program, a decolonized midwifery training model designed to replace colonial approaches with rematriation-based education. The All Our Relatives Community Engagement program connects these services with the broader community through events, health fairs, and cultural activities.

The organization has served over 300 families and trained 86+ Indigenous Doulas through a partnership with the Zaagiidiwin Indigenous Doula program. CWI operates on a donation- and grant-funded revenue model rather than fee-for-service, serving families across 30+ Indigenous communities in central, northern, and western New Mexico, including Acoma, Diné, Cochiti, Laguna, Zuni, and many others. Founded by Nicolle Gonzales, who announced her departure at the end of 2023, the organization now operates under board leadership including President Shayai Lucero (Acoma/Laguna).

Name

Changing Woman Initiative

Legal name

Changing Woman Initiative

Website

https://cwi-health.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Changing Woman Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing culturally centered midwifery care, reproductive health services, and Indigenous doula training to Indigenous families across 30+ communities in New Mexico, with 98% of families receiving free care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Indigenous maternal health
• Midwifery care services
• Reproductive health clinic
• Community birth services
• Doula apprenticeship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: CWI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations to continue life-saving services for communities.
2. Free Healthcare Services: The organization provides midwifery care with 98% of families receiving free care, indicating a grant-funded or donation-funded service model rather than fee-for-service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Changing Woman Initiative is a nonprofit that provides free, culturally centered midwifery, birth, and reproductive healthcare to Indigenous families in New Mexico. Its offerings include a community birth services program, an easy-access reproductive health clinic, a nutrition and farming collaborative, a midwifery apprenticeship, and broader community engagement and advocacy work.

Product overview

Changing Woman Initiative operates as a culturally centered reproductive wellness organization offering a suite of interconnected maternal and reproductive health services. The core offerings include White Shell Woman Birth Services (homebirth midwifery care) and Corn Mother Easy Access Clinic (reproductive health services), both providing free care to Indigenous families. These are supported by the Three Sisters Nutrition Program which provides traditional foods to growing families, and the Rematriating Apprenticeship program which trains Indigenous midwives. The All Our Relatives Community Engagement program connects these services with the broader community through events and partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• White Shell Woman Birth Services: Homebirth services provided by Changing Woman Initiative
• Corn Mother Easy Access Clinic
• Three Sisters Nutrition Program & Farmer Collaborative
• Rematriating Apprenticeship

Products and services

• White Shell Woman Birth Services Culturally centered midwifery and birth services program providing Indigenous families in New Mexico with prenatal, birth, and postpartum care, including home birth support, grounded in traditional knowledge and community-based practice.
• Corn Mother Easy Access Clinic Community-based reproductive health clinic offering low-barrier, culturally appropriate reproductive and wellness care to Indigenous patients, designed to remove financial and access obstacles to care.
• Three Sisters Nutrition Program and Farmer Collaborative Nutrition and food sovereignty program combining traditional Indigenous foods with local farming partnerships to support maternal health, family wellness, and community food resilience for Indigenous families.
• Rematriating Apprenticeship Midwifery apprenticeship program training the next generation of Indigenous midwives through hands-on clinical mentorship combined with cultural and traditional knowledge education.
• All Our Relatives Community Engagement Community engagement and advocacy program that builds awareness, partnerships, and policy support for Indigenous maternal and reproductive health through outreach and community events.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Zaagiidiwin Indigenous Doula ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to train Indigenous Doulas; over 86 doulas have been trained through this collaboration, expanding birth worker capacity in Indigenous communities
• Local Farm PartnerscoreOthersPartnership with Native American/Indigenous farms including Chispas Farm, Elate Mi Lem, Toad's Acre Farm, Indigenous Farm Hub, Del Valle Organic Pecans, Farm Flourish, Atrisco Community Farm, Tierra Sagrada Farm, JX Ranch, and Red Barn Ranch to provide traditional foods to families

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Center for Traditional Childbearing: Indigenous midwifery training and advocacy organization that, like CWI, focuses on decolonized midwifery, Black/Indigenous birth worker development, and culturally centered maternal care.
• Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center: Native-led organization addressing Indigenous women's reproductive health, maternal care, and birthing practices — closely aligned with CWI's mission and target population.
• Tewa Women United: Indigenous women-led organization based in New Mexico focused on reproductive justice, cultural preservation, and Indigenous maternal health — operating in the same geography and serving similar communities as CWI.
• Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture: Alaska Native maternal and child health program focused on Indigenous cultural birth practices and community-based support — parallels CWI's model in a different regional context.

Broad incumbents

• Indian Health Service: Federal agency providing healthcare to Native Americans/Alaska Natives including maternal health services — competes for and complements CWI's patient population across a much broader service footprint.
• National Indigenous Women's Resource Center: Broader national organization addressing Indigenous women's safety and well-being, including reproductive justice — overlapping mission but with a wider portfolio beyond maternal care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/changingwomaninitiative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/changing-woman-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Changing Woman Initiative