Change Course
Change Course is a Des Moines-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a free, six-month career training program across 9–10 tracks for under-resourced job seekers, structured in Growth, Certification, and Land the Job phases, and funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Change Course does
Change Course is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit career training organization headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in February 2022 by Joseph Johnson. It operates a free, six-month career training program structured around three sequential phases — Growth, Certification, and Land the Job — and currently spans 9–10 career tracks aimed at under-resourced job seekers in central Iowa. Participants pay nothing for the program; the organization is funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and network-affiliated support.
The program is delivered through multi-person cohorts that have scaled rapidly since inception: the inaugural Class of 25 launched in November 2022, a second cohort of 50 followed in July 2023, and ongoing classes run 50–60 participants. Change Course is a member of the CrossPurpose Network, a broader federation of faith-based workforce development nonprofits, and has secured founding sponsorship from Foster Group alongside other corporate partners including MidAmerican Energy. It holds 1–10 employees and has set a 2024 fundraising target of $700,000 with a three-year goal of $2,000,000.
The organization earned the Platinum Transparency 2025 designation from Candid, signaling recognized governance and financial disclosure standards to donors. Its business model is grant- and donation-funded with no participant pricing; revenue mechanics depend on annual fundraising cycles, employer sponsorship pipelines, and the credibility conferred by network affiliation and transparency certifications. The employer partner channel functions as both a funding source and a downstream placement channel for program graduates.
Change Course firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Change Course
- Legal name
- Change Course
- Website
- https://change-course.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Change Course is a Des Moines-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a free, six-month career training program across 9–10 tracks for under-resourced job seekers, structured in Growth, Certification, and Land the Job phases, and funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Change Course is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Change Course business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support the career training program. Monthly recurring donations through the 100 at 100 program ($100/month) and one-time gifts.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support and employment pipeline opportunities. Sponsors include Foster Group, Emerge Academy, Valley Church, Shindler Anderson Goplerud and Weese PC, Ambrosia Digital, and Seneca Tank.
- Recurring Monthly Giving: Monthly gifts typically between $10-$300 support equipment (work boots, scrubs), transportation, tuition, computers, and career coaching for participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free career training program for eligible participants |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Change Course product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Change Course provides a tuition-free, six-month career development program for adults in Des Moines facing employment barriers. The program combines a six-week personal development phase, professional certification in one of nine career tracks (Energy, Medical Administration, CDL, IT, Customer Service, Skilled Trades, Administrative Assistant, Medical Healthcare/CNA, Culinary Services, Animal Care), and job placement with employer partners. Participants receive free training, one-on-one coaching, 100+ hours of personal development, transportation support, and post-graduation access to an Alumni Association.
Product overview
Change Course is a nonprofit organization offering a single integrated career training program rather than a software product. The core offering is a six-month career development program consisting of three phases: a six-week personal development phase (covering emotional intelligence, physical, spiritual, social, psychological, and professional development), professional certification through one of nine career tracks (Energy, Medical Administration, Commercial Driver CDL, Information Technology, Customer Service, Skilled Trades, Administrative Assistant, Medical Healthcare/CNA, Culinary Services, or Animal Care), and job placement assistance. Students receive free training, transportation stipends, one-on-one coaching, and access to an Alumni Association upon graduation. The program is offered at no cost to participants and aims to place graduates in jobs earning $18 or more per hour with benefits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Career Training Program A six-month career development program providing free training in highly sought-after skills along with leadership and personal development for people in Des Moines. The program includes a six-week personal development phase, professional certification in a chosen career track, and job placement assistance. Participants receive one-on-one coaching, 100+ hours of personal development, up to 35 life and career skills, transportation stipend, and a performance-based stipend of up to $100 every two weeks.
- Energy Career Track Career track training for energy industry roles including Meter Reader/Technician, Heavy Equipment Operator, Gas Distribution Technician, Plant Operations Assistant, and Solar PV Installer/Technician across electric, natural gas, oil, and renewable energy sectors. For adults seeking employment in energy occupations in Des Moines.
- Medical Administration Career Track Certificate program introducing roles in patient access/registration and coding and billing in healthcare settings, covering medical terminology, basic computer skills, insurance regulations, medical coding, HIPAA, and workplace skills. For adults preparing for medical administration positions.
- Commercial Driver (CDL) Career Track Commercial Driver's License training program comprising 160 hours of online theory and behind-the-wheel driving coursework meeting FMCSA standards for Entry-Level Driver Training. For adults pursuing commercial driving careers.
- Information Technology Career Track Technical support and IT professional training covering assistance with technology problems, hardware and software troubleshooting, slow performance issues, connection troubles, and data access. For adults pursuing IT support roles.
- Customer Service Career Track Customer service representative training covering customer complaints handling, product information delivery, order processing, and returns management. For adults pursuing customer service roles with employers such as Hy Vee, Walmart, and Kum & Go.
- Skilled Trades Career Track Skilled trades training covering skilled industrial trades (welders, machinists, mechanics, tool and die makers), skilled construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC, network cable installers), and pre-apprenticeship programs. For adults pursuing skilled-trade careers.
- Administrative Assistant Career Track A 60-hour course covering office skills, computer training, effective communication, customer service skills, telephone etiquette, and Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). For adults pursuing administrative assistant roles.
- Medical Healthcare Career Track Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training with 45 hours of classroom/lab and 30 hours of clinical work in a nursing home, preparing students for Direct Care Worker registry exams. For adults pursuing CNA and direct care roles.
- Culinary Services Career Track Culinary training including 5-week Safe-serv certification, 8-week apprenticeship with employer site tours, 3-week career launch and interviewing, and 2-week paid internship at an employer. For adults pursuing culinary careers.
- Animal Care Career Track Animal care training covering bathing, conditioning, drying, nail trimming, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, grooming and styling of pets according to owner instructions or standard styles. For adults pursuing animal care careers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates earn $18+ per hour with benefits including health care and paid vacation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Change Course
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Change Course technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Change Course partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Emerge AcademycoreEducation partner providing educational support and pathways for program participants.
- Valley ChurchminorCommunity partner providing volunteer support and spiritual development opportunities.
- Shindler Anderson Goplerud and Weese PCminorCorporate sponsor providing legal services and community support.
- CrossPurpose NetworkcoreAffiliated network of similar career training programs including CrossPurpose Denver, UpRise Nashville, Neighborhood Chesapeake, and Summit Career Center Stevensville. Shares best practices and success stories.
- DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College)coreEducation partner providing certification courses and educational pathways for career training programs including CDL training.
- GooglecoreEducation partner providing certification opportunities and digital skills training for program participants.
- IowaWorkscoreGovernment workforce development partner providing career services and referral pathways for program participants.
- Mid-American EnergycoreEmployer partner providing job opportunities for Energy and Customer Service career track graduates.
- Executive Outdoor SolutionscoreEmployer partner providing employment opportunities for program graduates.
- OpportUNITY - United WaycoreCommunity partner and nonprofit alliance member working to address poverty in Des Moines.
- Evelyn K. Davis CentercoreCommunity partner providing workforce development services and referral pathways.
- St. Vincent DePaulminorCommunity partner providing support services for people in poverty.
- Freedom for YouthminorCommunity partner organization serving youth and families.
- Ruth HarborminorCommunity partner providing services for women and families.
- Many Hands Thrift StoreminorCommunity partner providing clothing and household items support.
- The WellminorCommunity partner providing support services for people in need.
- Hope MinistriescoreCommunity partner and board member Kim Smith's affiliated organization providing poverty relief services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Change Course competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- National Skills Coalition: Nonpartisan policy organization focused on employer-led skills training and workforce development for under-skilled workers. Conceptually adjacent to Change Course's mission and the source of the cross-state policy context that supports tuition-free workforce training models.
- Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC): Local public community college that is an explicit education partner to Change Course, delivering certification courses and CDL pathways to program participants. Adjacent rather than competitive, since Change Course refers participants into DMACC courses.
- IowaWorks: Iowa's statewide public workforce development network; an active referral and government-services partner to Change Course. Functions as a feeder into the program rather than a direct competitor for career-track training.
Broad incumbents
- Genesys Works: National nonprofit that prepares under-resourced high-school and young-adult populations for career success through corporate-internship-based skills training. Comparable mission and employer-anchored curriculum structure to Change Course, though youth-facing.
- JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) Boston: Regional nonprofit running tuition-free career training, coaching, and job placement for low-income and immigrant adults. Shares Change Course's tuition-free, multi-track, employer-partnered training and placement approach.
- Per Scholas: National tuition-free IT and technology skills training provider for low-income adults, with employer-sponsored career-track placement. Directly comparable to Change Course's IT career track and its tuition-free, employer-anchored placement model.
- Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing transitional employment and career training for people returning from incarceration, a population Change Course explicitly serves. Compares on reentry focus, paid-work-and-coaching structure, and employer partnership.
- Year Up: National nonprofit running a year-long workforce training and corporate internship program for young adults from low-income backgrounds. Conceptually analogous to Change Course in target population and employer-driven placement, but at far greater scale and longer duration.
Direct peers
- CrossPurpose: Flagship affiliate of the CrossPurpose Network alongside Change Course; operates the same six-month workforce-readiness model for adults facing employment barriers in Denver, sharing curriculum, employer outreach, and alumni practices.
- UpRise Nashville: CrossPurpose Network sister site running the same holistic career training model in Nashville. UpRise is the cited source for the $19,600 average graduate pay increase and 120% income uplift benchmarks that Change Course references.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Change Course social profiles
Digital presenceChange Course financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Change Course leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Change Course funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Change Course M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Change Course
What does Change Course do?
Change Course provides a tuition-free, six-month career development program for adults in Des Moines facing employment barriers. The program combines a six-week personal development phase, professional certification in one of nine career tracks (Energy, Medical Administration, CDL, IT, Customer Service, Skilled Trades, Administrative Assistant, Medical Healthcare/CNA, Culinary Services, Animal Care), and job placement with employer partners. Participants receive free training, one-on-one coaching, 100+ hours of personal development, transportation support, and post-graduation access to an Alumni Association.
Is Change Course a public or private company?
Change Course is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Change Course founded?
Change Course was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Change Course based?
Change Course is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Change Course make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and recurring Monthly Giving.
Who are Change Course's main competitors?
Others on record are National Skills Coalition, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and IowaWorks. Broad incumbents are Genesys Works, JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) Boston, Per Scholas, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and Year Up. Direct peers are CrossPurpose and UpRise Nashville.
Does Change Course have an API?
No public API is recorded for Change Course.