California ChangeLawyers

What California ChangeLawyers does

California ChangeLawyers is an independent California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation (EIN 94-3104546), founded in 1990 and headquartered at 1 Embarcadero Center, Suite 1200, San Francisco. The foundation funds scholarships, fellowships, and grants for BIPOC, First-Generation, and LGBTQ+ law students and early-career attorneys pursuing social-justice legal careers in California. Core programs include the Next Gen Scholars Program (scholarship + holistic support), Next Gen Fellowships (placements with progressive legal organizations), the Legal Empowerment Fund (capacity-building grants for smaller legal-aid organizations), the California Immigration Legal Fellowship, Legal Aid Grants, the Leaders Forum (skill workshops), Community Conversations (activist dialogues), and semi-annual Next Gen Awards. Distribution is California-only, and selection is supported by partnerships with California law schools (Berkeley Law, UCLA Law, Stanford Law, USC Gould, UC Hastings) and underwriting from major law firms (WilmerHale, Morrison & Foerster) and foundations (Stupski Foundation).

The foundation does not sell a commercial product; revenue is generated through donations from individuals, law firms, corporations, and other supporters (including Cy Pres awards). Cumulative funding deployed since 1990 totals approximately $16M, including $6.3M in scholarships, $500K awarded in 2021, and $210K in fellowships awarded in 2020. The organization reports 1,300+ cumulative Fellows and Scholars supported, 42 total Fellows, 10 Deportation Defense Fellows, and a 99% rate of awards directed to First-Generation students. It holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating and is governed in part by an Alumni Leadership Council of former scholars and fellows. Leadership is led by Executive Director Chris Punongbayan.

Go-to-market is community- and partnership-driven: marketing is anchored by changelawyers.org, supplemented by events, webinars, alumni engagement, and law-school partner channels. Recent strategic emphasis has shifted toward holistic scholar support, organizational capacity-building via the Legal Empowerment Fund, and civic engagement (e.g., a Proposition 50 voter guide), indicating a broadening of program scope beyond pure individual grant-making.

Name

California ChangeLawyers

Legal name

California ChangeLawyers

Website

https://changelawyers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California ChangeLawyers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, founded in 1990 and headquartered in San Francisco, that funds scholarships, fellowships, and grants for BIPOC, First-Generation, and LGBTQ+ law students and early-career attorneys pursuing social-justice legal careers in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education Funding Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Legal education scholarships
• Law student fellowships
• Nonprofit legal foundation
• Public interest law
• Diversity legal grants

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

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 and Foundation Funding: California ChangeLawyers is a nonprofit foundation that generates revenue through donations from individuals, law firms, corporations, and other supporters. The organization awards scholarships, fellowships, and grants to support BIPOC, First Generation, and LGBTQ+ law students and early-career attorneys working on social justice issues.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

California ChangeLawyers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides scholarships, fellowships, and grants to BIPOC, First Generation, and LGBTQ+ law students and early-career attorneys in California. The foundation also administers legal aid grants to community-based legal organizations and offers leadership development programming. Since 1990, it has raised $16 million and supported more than 1,300 Fellows and Scholars, with 99% of awards directed to First Generation students.

Product overview

California ChangeLawyers is a nonprofit community foundation offering a portfolio of programs supporting BIPOC, first-generation, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented law students and early-career attorneys in California. The core offerings include the Next Gen Scholars Program (scholarship and holistic support), Next Gen Fellowships (work placements with progressive organizations), Legal Empowerment Fund (capacity building for legal organizations), Next Gen Awards (celebrations and networking), Leadership Development through the Leaders Forum (skill workshops), Community Conversations (activist dialogues), and targeted programs like the California Immigration Legal Fellowship and Legal Aid Grants. The organization does not offer a commercial tech product; it provides grant-making, fellowships, scholarships, and community programming for social justice advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Next Gen Scholars Program Scholarship program that provides financial awards to BIPOC, First Generation, and LGBTQ+ law students pursuing legal education in California, with 99% of awards going to First Generation students.
• Next Gen Fellowships Fellowship program that provides financial support and professional development opportunities to law students and early-career attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds in California's legal community.
• Legal Empowerment Fund Grant program that provides funding to community-based legal aid organizations serving underrepresented and underserved communities in California.
• Next Gen Awards Annual awards ceremony that recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Scholars, Fellows, and community leaders advancing diversity in the legal profession.
• Leadership Development (Leaders Forum) Structured leadership development program that complements the foundation's financial awards by providing training, mentorship, and professional development for Scholars and Fellows.
• Community Conversations Community engagement programming that brings together Scholars, Fellows, donors, legal professionals, and community members for dialogue on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.
• California Immigration Legal Fellowship Specialized fellowship program that supports attorneys and law students providing immigration legal services to immigrant communities in California.
• Legal Aid Grants Direct grants provided to California-based legal aid organizations to support their advocacy and service delivery for underrepresented communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1300+ Fellows and Scholars supported since inception
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Berkeley LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw school partner that hosts scholars. ChangeLawyers supports students at Berkeley Law through scholarships and fellowship programs, with alumni working in various social justice roles.
• UC Hastings College of the LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner law school that ChangeLawyers supports through its scholarship and fellowship programs for students pursuing social justice careers.
• UCLA School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner law school with ChangeLawyers supporting scholars and fellows in their legal education journey toward social justice careers.
• Public CounselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading public interest law firm and frequent collaborator on events and organizational protection resources. Public Counsel provides pro bono resources for nonprofits and legal services organizations.
• We The ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert organization on organizational security that partners with ChangeLawyers to provide resources protecting nonprofit organizations from government scrutiny.
• Alumni Leadership CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernance body of ChangeLawyers alumni that sponsors events and provides ongoing community leadership and engagement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Bar Association: Predominantly Black American bar association that administers scholarships and supports law students from underrepresented backgrounds entering the legal profession. Direct peer in legal education pipeline funding.
• Hispanic National Bar Association: National bar association advancing Hispanic and Latino representation in the legal profession through scholarships, mentorship, and pipeline programs. Comparable peer serving a specific underrepresented legal demographic.
• Equal Justice Works: National nonprofit that funds fellowships for lawyers serving low-income communities and underrepresented populations. Direct peer in mission-driven legal fellowship and scholarship funding for public interest careers.
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association: Bar association focused on APA representation in the legal profession with scholarship and pipeline programs. Comparable to ChangeLawyers' demographic-targeted scholarship model.
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association: Organization dedicated to advancing diversity in the legal profession, including scholarship and pipeline programs for underrepresented law students. Comparable programmatic model focused on legal diversity funding.

Regional players

• Public Counsel: California's largest pro bono public interest law firm and a direct ChangeLawyers collaborator. Peer in the California legal aid ecosystem with overlapping fellowship placement and capacity-building missions.

Others

• Law School Admission Council (Diversity Initiatives): Administers programs promoting diversity in legal education, including fee waivers and pipeline initiatives. Adjacent funder in the legal diversity ecosystem rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Foundation: Research and grantmaking organization supporting empirical legal research and access to justice. Overlaps with ChangeLawyers in funding programs that advance diversity and equity in the legal profession.
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: Major civil rights legal organization with broader scope that also runs pipeline programs supporting BIPOC law students and lawyers pursuing civil rights work. Larger scale and more litigation-focused than ChangeLawyers.

Emerging players

• Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in the Legal Profession: Smaller foundation focused on increasing diversity in the legal profession through scholarships and mentorship. Comparable niche focus with narrower scale than ChangeLawyers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChangeLawyers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw8GjRfJlDq6h7L8ZqQB6YA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChangeLawyers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/changelawyers
• Instagraminstagram.com/changelawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 California ChangeLawyers