StepUP Navigation
Take a peek or jump in with both feet

What Are You Looking For?

Explore what matters to you right now

⚡ Got 5 Minutes? Start Here
Pick a Focus Area
▼
Addiction Recovery and Harm Reduction Affordable Housing Adult Education and Literacy Air Quality and Industrial Regulation Animal Welfare, Protection and Advocacy Arts, Culture and Creative Expression Bail Reform and Pretrial Justice Bridging Across Difference Career and Technical Education Child Protection and Family Justice Civic Dialogue and Depolarization Civic Literacy and Education Civic Rituals, Holidays and Public Memorials Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Clean Energy Access and Sustainability Clean Water and Sanitation Access Climate Justice and Environmental Resilience Collective Impact and Network Organizing Community Health and Preventive Care Community Wealth Building Creative Economy and Cultural Workforce Criminal Justice Reform Cross-Sector Civic Innovation Culturally Responsive Curriculum Data Equity and Community Mapping Data Privacy and Digital Rights Digital Equity and Internet Access Digital Literacy and Online Safety Disability Justice and Accessibility Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Early Childhood Development Elder Abuse Prevention Elder Care and Aging in Place Environmental Health and Pollution Prevention Faith and Interfaith Collaboration Family Stabilization and Parenting Support Financial Literacy and Asset Building Food Justice and Sustainable Food Systems Food Security and Hunger Relief Freedom of Speech and Expression Frontline Community Environmental Justice Gender Equity and Safety Government Accountability and Transparency Higher Education Access and Affordability Homeownership and Wealth Building Homelessness Response and Prevention Human Trafficking Prevention Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Services Indigenous Rights and Sovereignty Infrastructure Investment and Equity Institutional Culture Change Intergenerational Programs Internships, Apprenticeships and Fellowships Judicial Reform and Court Access K–12 Public School Equity Land Use, Zoning and Development Justice Language Access and Multilingual Services LGBTQIA+ Rights and Inclusion Living Wage and Job Access Long-Term Disaster Recovery Maternal and Infant Health Equity Media Literacy and Disinformation Mental Health and Emotional Wellness Mobility Justice Narrative Strategy for Systems Change Neighborhood Resilience and Identity Pandemic Response Philanthropy Transformation Policing and Public Safety Policy Advocacy and Campaigns Power-Sharing and Participatory Governance Predatory Lending and Debt Justice Prison Reform and Incarceration Alternatives Public Benefits Access Public Space and Community Design Public-Private Partnership Design Race, Class, and Social Equity Redistricting and Representation Reentry and Reintegration Support Reparations, Truth and Reconciliation Reproductive Health and Rights Restorative and Transformative Justice Root Causes of Poverty Rural Equity and Community Access School Discipline Reform Small Business and Cooperative Development STEM Education and Science Advocacy Storytelling and Narrative Power Student Debt Relief Substance Use Prevention Tax Equity and Public Investment Tenant Rights and Eviction Protection Transportation Access and Equity Trauma-Informed Care and Healing Justice Universal Basic Income Universal Healthcare Access Urban Farming Urban Greening and Green Infrastructure Veteran and Military Family Engagement Veteran Transition and Support Services Voting Access and Election Integrity Worker Rights and Fair Labor Workforce Training and Upskilling Youth Leadership and Voice Youth Wellness and Support Services
NEWS THECHANGELAB NEWS THECHANGELAB

Funding Narrative Change

Who gets to tell the story of your community? For too long, outside voices have shaped narratives about Black and Brown neighborhoods. But a new wave of grassroots organizations is taking back the pen—and the camera, the podcast mic, and the social media account—to tell their own stories and drive real change.

Why This Matters for Organizers

  • Stories Drive Change: Narrative power is as important as economic or political power

  • Tools Are Accessible: You do not need Hollywood budgets—TikTok, podcasts, and community theater work

  • Community Expertise: Those closest to the problems are best positioned to tell the stories

  • Proven Strategies: Case studies show what works across different communities

  • Funder Interest: Philanthropy is increasingly supporting narrative change work

Read More
LEARNING CENTER THECHANGELAB LEARNING CENTER THECHANGELAB

Your Guide to State Lawmaking

Want to track a bill? Research how a law came to be? Find out who your state representative is? The Texas Legislative Reference Library gives you free access to all of this and more. It is your window into how state government works.

Why This Resource Matters

  • Track Legislation: Follow bills from filing to becoming law

  • Research History: Access bill files dating back to 1907

  • Understand Process: Learn how the Texas Legislature works

  • Free for Everyone: No subscription or special access needed

  • Authoritative Source: Official legislative records and documents

Read More
ORGANIZATIONS THECHANGELAB ORGANIZATIONS THECHANGELAB

Disagree Better

"We can disagree and stand firm for our beliefs and principles, but we should never forget the dignity of the other human being. I'm proud to join Governors across the nation in demonstrating that civility is not a weakness."

— Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee

Read More
NEWS THECHANGELAB NEWS THECHANGELAB

The Dangerous Mindset Spreading Across America: Cultural Nihilism Among Gen Z

A German thinker named Friedrich Nietzsche had a word for this feeling: "nihilism" (say: NYE-ill-ism). It means believing nothing really matters. But this feeling is now so common among young Americans that experts call it "cultural nihilism."

Warning Signs

  • Fewer young people trust democracy than ever before

  • Young people don't trust big institutions like government

  • Entire online groups are built around being super negative

  • Young people have stopped believing things can get better

Read More
LEARNING CENTER THECHANGELAB LEARNING CENTER THECHANGELAB

The Dignity Index

What Is The Dignity Index?

The Dignity Index is a simple tool that helps you measure whether communication shows dignity or contempt. It uses a scale from 1 to 8, where higher scores show more dignity and lower scores show more contempt.

In our current world, public conversation has become harsh and divisive. Politicians, media figures, and everyday people often use contempt when talking about others. This makes problems worse and prevents us from finding solutions.

Read More

SUBMIT A RESOURCE