ChangeLab Solutions
Healthier communities for all through equitable laws & policies
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
At ChangeLab Solutions, we believe that the most powerful risk factors in health are laws and policies that have perpetuated racism, discrimination, and segregation throughout our nation’s history. Using the tools of law and policy, we can undo the fundamental drivers of inequity and thereby increase health equity.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Good Governance
Laws and policies are powerful tools for making our communities healthier and more equitable. A good governance process is inclusive, transparent, and effective, fostering a clear understanding of policy landscapes, local resources, and potential partnerships. Our resources explain the essentials of public health law and policy that can help create meaningful, lasting change in your community.
Healthy Neighborhoods
Evidence shows that where people live plays a key role in their health. Housing, workplaces, street design, and transportation all influence prominent health factors such as safety, physical activity, access to healthy food, community engagement, and affordable living. ChangeLab Solutions has the tools to connect the dots between neighborhood resources and to help communities achieve their policy goals.
Food & Beverages
A healthy diet is key to maintaining good health. But many low-income children and families — those at greatest risk for preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease — don’t have access to healthy foods and beverages in their neighborhoods. We work on a variety of policy strategies that make it easier for everyone to access healthy foods and beverages at home, at work, at school, and in stores.
Child Care & Schools
Families have tremendous influence over the health of their children, but children are also cared for by other adults in their community. Child care and school environments often determine what children are offered to eat and drink outside the home, as well as how much time they have for physical activity. We work on a variety of child care and school policy strategies that can support families in raising healthy children.
Tobacco Prevention
Limiting access to tobacco products is the first step in preventing tobacco-related diseases. Effective strategies include eliminating the sale of tobacco products to minors, regulating electronic cigarettes, increasing enforcement of existing laws, and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. We offer a wide range of resources to help communities tailor and implement policy options for tobacco prevention.
Health Care
Health care systems and hospitals have opportunities to get involved in community public health initiatives. Partnering with advocates and local agencies, providing healthier foods and beverages, and leveraging community benefits allocations from hospitals can help keep people healthy and out of emergency rooms. Our resources can help health care organizations and hospitals work toward community-based prevention.
Where we work
Awards
Startup Nonprofit in Childhood Nutrition/Health 2010
Philanthropedia/http://wwww.myphilanthropedia.org
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
ChangeLab Solutions is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that uses the tools of law and policy to advance health equity. We partner with communities across the nation to improve health and opportunity by changing harmful laws, policies, and systems. Our interdisciplinary team works with community organizations, governments, and local institutions to design and implement equitable and practical policy solutions to complex health challenges.
We envision healthy, equitable communities where every person is economically secure and can attain their full health potential because
-Laws and policies are equity-focused, inclusive, and just;
-Systems and institutions, including government, facilitate meaningful participation and work to eliminate unjust disparities; and
-Investments prioritize people and places most affected by injustices and inequities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our core strategies include:
• Demystifying law and policy to increase community knowledge, capacity, and power;
• Connecting across sectors to facilitate organizational learning, shared understanding across disciplines, and an expanded network of changemakers addressing health inequities;
• Strengthening the leadership, skills, and capacity of changemakers to advocate for and implement laws, policies, and investments that support people in meeting their basic needs;
• Developing interdisciplinary policy and legal tools to improve programs, places, and systems;
• Elevating practical, evidence-based, and community-centered tools, solutions, and successes, to scale interventions that will improve health equity and advance social and economic mobility.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
ChangeLab pursues these strategies by providing the following key services to community and government stakeholders across the state, and nation:
• Research & Analysis: Policy analysis and legal research to answer critical questions about feasibility, financing, enforcement, and impact.
• Policy & Strategy Development: Tailored development of model policies and laws and strategies for change.
• Technical Assistance: In-depth technical assistance, strategic consultation, and one-on-one coaching.
• Tailored Trainings: Trainings and webinars for community and government stakeholders on public health law, equitable, inclusive policy development, implementation, and enforcement, and specific policy issues.
• Practical Resources: Resource center for 1,500+ legally sound, evidence-based model laws and policies, fact sheets, how-to guides, and more that translate complex legal and policy concepts into actionable solutions.
• Communities of Practice: Collaborative interdisciplinary workgroups and peer learning communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Capturing the full extent of who/how resources are being used.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
ChangeLab Solutions
Board of directorsas of 08/25/2023
Oxiris Barbot, MD
United Hospital Fund
Term: 2021 - 2026
Rayid Ghani
Center for Data Science and Public Policy, University of Chicago
Julie Stoss, JD
Kaiser Permanente
Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, JD
National Partnership for Women & Families
Meryl Chertoff, JD
Georgetown Project on State and Local Government Policy and Law (SALPAL)
Lydia Isaac, PhD, MS
National Urban League
Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP
CVS Health
Nicolas Terry, LLM
McKinney School of Law, Indiana University
Lindsay Wiley, JD, MPH
UCLA School of Law
Adolph Falcon, MPP
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
Audrey Tayse Haynes, MSW
Health care expert
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/31/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.