The Change Engine | The Change Lab
Civic & Social Infrastructure

Community life,
organized.

The Change Engine is civic and social infrastructure that connects neighbors who want to get involved with onramps and pathways to engage in their community—to learn, to serve, to access resources, and to understand who's responsible.

0
Focus Areas
7
Themes
4
User Journeys
8
Action Types

Most people want to help.
They just don't know how.

Research reveals a disconnect between civic intention and civic action—leaving communities under-resourced and individuals disconnected.

67%

of Americans are the "Exhausted Majority"—tired of polarization, willing to compromise, but lacking clear pathways to engagement.

More in Common, Hidden Tribes Study
50%

of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness—with health impacts comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes daily.

U.S. Surgeon General Advisory, 2023
75.7M

Americans formally volunteered in 2023—yet many who want to help don't know where to start or how to find the right fit.

AmeriCorps / U.S. Census Bureau, 2024

People are ready.
The paths aren't.

90% of Americans want to help their community. Only 28% actually do. The gap isn't motivation—it's navigation.

We

Build

  • Navigable civic infrastructure
  • 312 focus areas, 7 themes
  • Common language across systems
  • Interoperable with 211, SDGs, federal taxonomy
Partners

Distribute

  • Embedded in trusted institutions
  • Libraries, schools, nonprofits, employers
  • People find it where they already are
  • No new app to download
People

Engage

  • Low-friction entry points
  • Matched to interests & capacity
  • Progressive pathways
  • Identity shift: bystander → participant
Communities

Transform

  • Participation becomes the default
  • Neighbors know neighbors
  • Divides bridged through service
  • Civic fabric rebuilt

Core Beliefs

Motivation isn't the problem. People already want to help—they just can't find where.
Navigation is the barrier. Civic life is scattered. No common language, no clear entry point.
Trust comes through partners. People engage through institutions they already know.
Small actions build identity. One volunteer shift changes how you see yourself—and your community.

How the Change Engine works

Building the organizational backbone to support the vibrant civic and social fabric in American communities—reducing division through service and learning, nurturing mutual aid in our neighborhoods.

01

Aggregate

Content flows in from government databases, nonprofit registries, community partners, and direct organizational input.

10,000+ Organizations
02

Process

AI classifies content by theme, action type, and geography. Every piece rewritten to 6th grade reading level—eliminating intellectual bias.

312 Focus Areas
03

Map

Content tagged to precise geographies—from neighborhoods to congressional districts—and cross-referenced to federal taxonomies.

9 Geographic Levels
04

Deliver

Neighbors access personalized civic pathways through web, mobile, API, or partner integrations—meeting them where they are.

4 User Journeys
Vector Database

AI-Powered Semantic Search

The Change Engine doesn't just match keywords—it understands intent. Ask "help with rent" and find utility assistance, emergency funds, housing programs, and financial counseling.

6th Grade Reading Level All content accessible to everyone
Real-Time Updates Continuously refreshed from sources
Auto-Classification Mapped to all major taxonomies
Precision Geo-Tagging Every boundary that matters

Trusted Data Sources

Aggregating the best information from across the civic ecosystem

Government Databases
Nonprofit Registries
10,000+ Organizations
Community Partners
Direct Submissions
Foundation Data

Seven themes of community life

Every civic issue, service, and opportunity organized into an intuitive framework that speaks to how people actually experience their communities.

Our Health
48
focus areas
Our Families
43
focus areas
Our Neighborhood
49
focus areas
Our Voice
43
focus areas
Our Money
48
focus areas
Our Planet
43
focus areas
The Bigger We
38
focus areas

Four ways neighbors engage

Meeting people where they are—whether they want to give time, gain understanding, access resources, or hold institutions accountable.

1
Get Involved
"How can I help?"

Volunteer opportunities, community events, and organizations matched to interests, skills, and availability.

2
Learn
"How can I understand?"

Educational resources, research, videos, and guides at appropriate reading levels and languages.

3
Explore Options
"What's available to me?"

Services, benefits, and programs with eligibility matching—connecting people to resources they may not know exist.

4
Who's Responsible
"Who makes decisions?"

Elected officials, agencies, and policies at every level—from city council to federal government.

Eight ways to take action

Every opportunity tagged by action type—so people can contribute in ways that match their capacity and preferences.

Volunteer
Give your time to serve
Donate
Financial support
Advocate
Speak up for change
Learn
Build understanding
Vote
Exercise your voice
Connect
Build relationships
Organize
Lead collective action
Create
Art & storytelling

Built for the ecosystem

Every focus area maps to established taxonomies—enabling seamless integration with funders, government systems, and service providers.

UN SDGs
17 Global Goals connecting local action to international impact measurement.
NTEE Codes
IRS nonprofit classification enabling foundation database integration.
211 Taxonomy
Human services classification powering referral networks nationwide.
Federal Taxonomy
Government program categories from HHS, HUD, DOL, and more.

Every level of place

From your block to your ballot—content tagged to the exact geographies that matter for civic engagement.

Neighborhood
Hyperlocal community boundaries
Census Tract
Statistical precision for equity analysis
City / Municipality
Local government jurisdiction
School District
Education boundaries & boards
County
Regional services & courts
Voting Districts
Precincts, wards, commissioners
State Districts
State house & senate
Congressional
U.S. House districts
State & Federal
Statewide & national scope

Every piece of content in the Change Engine is tagged to its relevant geographies—so users see exactly what applies to them, and partners can filter by the boundaries that matter to their work.

Secure by design

User accounts enable personalized civic journeys while protecting privacy and building trust in the platform.

Account-Based System

Secure user accounts enable personalized experiences—saved interests, tracked progress, and curated recommendations based on location and preferences.

Privacy First

Users control their data. No selling information to third parties. Transparent policies about what we collect and why. GDPR and CCPA compliant.

Verified Organizations

Every organization in the platform is vetted. Users can trust that volunteer opportunities and services come from legitimate, accountable sources.

Enterprise Security

SOC 2 compliant infrastructure. Encrypted data at rest and in transit. Role-based access controls for partner organizations.

Create Account
Location & interests
Get Matched
Personalized onramps
Take Action
Engage & contribute
Track Progress
See your impact

What people are saying

Early feedback from community members and partners who've seen what we're building.

"We don't have time to wait for change—we need to be the change now. This gives us a map to do exactly that."

K
Kegan
University Student

"It makes the whole civic landscape more accessible. People can finally see where they fit in the bigger picture."

M
Michelle Avalos
Impact Hub Houston

"This is the hub I've been looking for—connecting all the dots between what I care about and how I can actually help."

P
Patricia
Community Member

Ready to organize
community life?

The Change Engine launches Q2 2026. Let's build civic infrastructure together.

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