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Nonprofiteer
← ROOT CHANGE

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by ROOT CHANGE.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,056,604
Total expenses
$1,942,151
Contributions and grants received
$16,008
Grants paid
$308,590
Program service revenue
$2,040,793
Investment income
-$947
Other revenue
$750
Total assets, end of year
$611,475
Total liabilities, end of year
$543,212
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$68,263
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,529,279
Management and general expenses
$412,872
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,529,279

Program services were 78.7% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $16,008

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUE

    total $2,040,793 · related or exempt $2,040,793

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    other assets $947

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    other assets -$947

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$947 · excluded -$947

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $750 · excluded $750

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $750

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $97,442 · program services $97,442

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $71,718 · program services $71,718

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $139,430 · program services $139,430

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $224,210 · program services $155,285 · management and general $68,925

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $187,984 · program services $122,169 · management and general $65,815

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $5,810 · program services $3,776 · management and general $2,034

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $14,343 · program services $9,321 · management and general $5,022

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $27,922 · program services $18,146 · management and general $9,776

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $24,382 · management and general $24,382

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $1,001,405 · program services $825,394 · management and general $176,011

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $12,356 · program services $1,054 · management and general $11,302

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $24,779 · program services $7,191 · management and general $17,588

  • 17 · Travel

    total $85,463 · program services $75,589 · management and general $9,874

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $55 · management and general $55

  • 20 · Interest

    total $20,799 · management and general $20,799

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,289 · management and general $1,289

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $2,764 · program services $2,764

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $166,304 · end of year $266,927

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $388,136 · end of year $328,751

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $3,103 · end of year $14,843

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $1,431

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $477

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $1,759 · end of year $954

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $59,002 · end of year $67,097

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $14,000

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $92,090 · end of year $0

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $454,400 · end of year $451,247

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $10,868

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$46,190 · end of year $68,263

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

ROOT CHANGE'S MISSION IS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO QUESTION ASSUMPTIONS, THINK DEEPLY, TEST IDEAS, AND LEAD THE WAY TO A WORLD BUILT ON SOCIAL JUSTICE PRINCIPLES.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO IDENTIFY, DEVELOP, AND SCALE PATTERN-BREAKING STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

  • BUILDING ON THE MOMENTUM OF 2023, ROOT CHANGE DEEPENED AND EXPANDED ITS EFFORTS IN 2024 TO PROMOTE EQUITY BOTH IN THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY. DOMESTICALLY, WE CONTINUED OUR WORK AIMED AT BRIDGING COMMUNITY DIVIDES AND ADDRESSING POLITICAL POLARIZATION, FOCUSING ON BUILDING CONNECTIONS ACROSS DIFFERENCES AND FOSTERING UNITY WITHIN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THESE U.S.-BASED INITIATIVES AIMED TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL COHESION AND ENHANCE DEMOCRATIC RESILIENCE AT A TIME WHEN POLARIZATION IS INCREASINGLY PREVALENT.INTERNATIONALLY, ROOT CHANGE CONTINUED ITS WORK THROUGH USAID GLOBAL PROGRAMS CENTERED ON EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THESE PROGRAMS AIMED TO EMPOWER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND FOSTER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BY INTEGRATING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH AND RAPID EXPERIMENTATION. OUR WORK IN REGIONS LIKE GUATEMALA, KENYA, MALAWI, AND CAMBODIA FOCUSED ON ENHANCING LOCAL CAPACITY, AMPLIFYING YOUTH-LED MOVEMENTS, AND PROMOTING INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH.THROUGH STRENGTHENED COLLABORATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, INTERNATIONAL NGOS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, AND DONOR AGENCIES, ROOT CHANGE ADDRESSED PRESSING CHALLENGES SUCH AS POLITICAL POLARIZATION, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, AND SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY. OUR EFFORTS PLACED SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EMPOWERING MARGINALIZED GROUPS, FORTIFYING DEMOCRATIC PRACTICES, AND BUILDING CAPACITY ACROSS DIVERSE REGIONS GLOBALLY, INCLUDING THE U.S.COLLABORATION WITH THE CARTER CENTER: IN 2024, WE DEEPENED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CARTER CENTER TO SUPPORT THEIR DOMESTIC CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS. ROOT CHANGE'S LEARNING-FOCUSED APPROACH, EMPHASIZING PARTICIPANT-CENTERED LEARNING, PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN FOSTERING LOCAL ENGAGEMENT AND EXPANDING DEMOCRACY RESILIENCE NETWORKS IN SIX STATES. BY INTEGRATING METHODOLOGIES LIKE ACTION RESEARCH, PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION, AND LEAN EXPERIMENTATION, WE CO-DESIGNED DYNAMIC LEARNING SESSIONS THAT ENABLED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE, TEST, AND APPLY LOCALLY-CENTERED KNOWLEDGE.A KEY ASPECT OF OUR COLLABORATION WAS THE INTEGRATION OF ROOT CHANGE'S SOCIAL LAB APPROACH, DESIGNED TO BRIDGE DIVIDES AND FOSTER DEPOLARIZATION. THIS MODEL BROUGHT TOGETHER DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS INTO A SHARED SPACE TO IDENTIFY COMMON GROUND AND COLLABORATIVELY DEVELOP SOLUTIONS AIMED AT REDUCING POLARIZATION AND FOSTERING UNITY. THE SOCIAL LABS FOCUSED ON BRIDGING DIFFERENCES BY ENCOURAGING PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN OPEN DIALOGUE, IDENTIFY SHARED CONCERNS, AND CO-CREATE INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESSED THE ROOT CAUSES OF POLARIZATION. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, TEAMS FORMED AROUND KEY ISSUES, TESTING AND REFINING THEIR IDEAS USING LEAN EXPERIMENTATION IN THREE-MONTH CYCLES. THESE EXPERIMENTS, CONDUCTED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALLOWED FOR REAL-TIME LEARNING AND ADAPTATION OF STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE DEPOLARIZATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION.CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: WE CONTINUED TO ASSIST THIS OFFICE WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION PLANNING, ORGANIZING COMMUNITY-BASED FOCUS GROUPS, PRODUCING ANALYTICAL DIGESTS, AND PROVIDING DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGERS WORKING ON COMMUNITY RESILIENCE INITIATIVES.IDEA INITIATIVE: ROOT CHANGE CONTINUED ITS WORK WITH USAID'S INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITABLE ASSISTANCE (IDEA) PROGRAM FOR A 5-YEAR GLOBAL INITIATIVE AIMED AT ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS. ROOT CHANGE LED EFFORTS IN CAPACITY STRENGTHENING, DEVELOPING INCLUSIVE METRICS, CONDUCTING NETWORK MAPPING, AND SUPPORTING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY.YOUTHPOWER YOUTH EXCEL PROGRAM: WE CONTINUED OUR COLLABORATION WITH IREX TO IMPLEMENT THE YOUTH EXCEL PROGRAM, A GLOBAL INITIATIVE LED BY USAID. THIS PROGRAM EMPOWERS YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO DRIVE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT BY USING IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH TO STRENGTHEN DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS. AYL-CHEMONICS: IN 2024, ROOT CHANGE JOINED THE USAID ADVANCING YOUTH LEADERSHIP (AYL) PROGRAM. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, ROOT CHANGE LED SOCIAL LABS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER CAMBODIAN YOUTH BY GUIDING THEM THROUGH A HANDS-ON, TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. THE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN FOUR HUBS ACROSS CAMBODIA, INCLUDING PHNOM PENH, SIEM REAP, TAKEO, AND RATANAKIRI. ECONOMIC RECOVERY CORPS (ERC): ROOT CHANGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (IEDC) DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED AN IMMERSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY CORPS (ERC) FELLOWSHIP. THE ERC IS A NEW COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS LONG-STANDING ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN DISTRESSED AND HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. OVER A 30-MONTH FELLOWSHIP, 65 FELLOWS WORK WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE. ROOT CHANGE CO-DESIGNS TRAINING, SUPPORTS FELLOWS' ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS, PROVIDES LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND CREATES A LEARNING FRAMEWORK AND CURRICULUM FOR FUTURE COHORTS.AS THE TRAINING AND LEARNING PARTNER FOR ERC, ROOT CHANGE FACILITATES CONNECTION AND EXCHANGE AMONG NATIONAL PARTNERS, HOSTS, AND FELLOWS IN URBAN, RURAL, AND TRIBAL AREAS. WE ALSO SUPPORT FELLOWS IN APPLYING ACTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES TO IDENTIFY LOCAL ASSETS, TEST SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY CHALLENGES, ENGAGE IN PARTICIPATORY PLANNING, AND GENERATE DATA FOR PROGRESS MONITORING. THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IS DESIGNED TO ELEVATE NEW PRACTICES AND TRANSFORM THE FIELD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHILE BUILDING CAPACITY IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES TO DRIVE MORE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, ROOT CHANGE IS DEVELOPING AN EQUITY-FOCUSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM THAT WILL BE USED BY AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOR YEARS TO COME.COMMUNITY POWER LEARNING INITIATIVE: IN 2024 WE CONTINUED THE COMMUNITY POWER LEARNING INITIATIVE (CPLI) WITH FUNDING FROM THE ROBERT WOODS JOHNSON FOUNDATION. THIS INITIATIVE BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, ACTIVISTS, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPLORE NEW WAYS OF STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY POWER. THROUGH CPLI, ROOT CHANGE FACILITATES PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING, COACHING, AND ACTION RESEARCH, ENABLING PARTICIPANTS TO OFFER-UP AND EXPLORE STRATEGIES FOR ADVANCING EQUITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR ROLE IN CPLI EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE-SHARING, PARTICIPATORY DECISION-MAKING, AND GRASSROOTS-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS, ENSURING THAT COMMUNITIES ARE EQUIPPED TO LEAD THEIR OWN FUTURES AND RESPOND TO EVOLVING CHALLENGES.

    Expenses $1,529,279 · Grants $308,590 · Revenue $2,040,793

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Evan Bloom

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $170,343
    From this org
    $156,800
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,543
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $156,800
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $4,800
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,743
    Filer's total
    $170,343
  • Claudia Liebler

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $53,867
    From this org
    $53,867
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    10.4
  • Tara Rao

    CHAIRPERSON

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Tanja Bjelanovic

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Meg Kinghorn

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Libby Hoffman

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jeff Thindwa

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 5
BOARD MEMBER AND CO-FOUNDER, CLAUDIA LIEBLER, PROVIDED CONSULTANCY SERVICES ON CERTAIN PROJECTS. HER COMPENSATION FOR THIS WORK WAS CALCULATED BASED ON THE REVENUES GENERATED FROM THOSE PROJECTS. THE ARRANGEMENT WAS DOCUMENTED IN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT AND WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WITH THE INTERESTED BOARD MEMBER RECUSED FROM THE DECISION. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, EVAN BLOOM, WHO IS A NON-VOTING BOARD MEMBER, RECEIVES A FIXED SALARY. HIS COMPENSATION IS NOT CONTINGENT ON THE REVENUES OR NET EARNINGS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • THE HARRIET TUBMAN EFFECT

    $11,250

    TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

    $11,250

    TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

  • TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED U.S.-BASED COMMUNITY POWER GROUPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TRUSTED LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOBILIZED THEIR CONSTITUENCIES TO SHIFT PUBLIC DISCOURSE, INFLUENCE POLICY, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
2 October 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202542799349300219

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