PLATINUM2023

GameChangers.World

Play. Thrive. Together.

aka Pod of Gold   |   NEW YORK, NY   |  www.gamechangers.world

Mission

GameChangers builds a better world through the magic of play. We raise ecological consciousness and social responsibility through games and workshops that inspire participants to distinguish core values, explore connections, balance diverse interests, steward resources, and grapple together with complex challenges like climate change, scarcity, and social unrest. As an educational nonprofit, we create hands-on experiences that naturally develop holistic and long-term thinking, cooperative learning, social-emotional acuity, and STEM skills. All of our programs are easy to access, integrate, and scale within existing school standards and ESG frameworks.

Ruling year info

2018

Co-Founder

Mel Wymore

Co-Founder

Stefanie Overbeck

Main address

120 W 70TH ST #7B

NEW YORK, NY 10023 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

83-2525711

NTEE code info

Secondary/High School (B25)

Economic Development (S30)

Citizen Participation (W24)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Recognizing that extreme climate and economic disparity are rooted in everyday economics, GameChangers seeks to transform commerce into a force for good. Our high-impact games make it easy for students, organizations, and communities to: Build economic and financial literacy Discover connections between nature and commerce Discern the structural inequities in global exchange Explore the power of consumer choices Develop skills of collaboration, stewardship, and long-term thinking Because high-need communities are disproportionately affected by wealth disparity and climate change, our educational interventions are design to be accessible, affordable, and quickly integrated into existing curricula and deployed at scale.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Crystal Island Learning Game

Crystal Island is a face-to-face digital game that enables middle and high school students to:
• Civic engagement: participate in a "micro-society" through negotiation, trade, and collaboration
• Global awareness: experience global challenges in a context that is free of anxiety and bias
• Critical thinking: explore complex problems through the lens of societal systems
• Collaborate: work effectively together to restore economic and ecological balance
• Financial literacy: develop economic awareness and basic money management

Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Adults

Pod of Gold highlights activists and experts addressing systemic causes of climate change, inequity, and social unrest. Guests hail from communities throughout the world and focus on practical solutions to improve inclusion, resilience, and sustainability.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Activists

World Pieces is a tabletop trading game that transforms the winner-take-all training mindset of games like Monopoly into a challenge of collaboration, stewardship, as well as individual and collective survival. Students discover the hidden effects of production/consumption/disposal on our social, economic, and ecological well-being. Key learnings include:
• Global awareness
• Systems thinking
• Hidden costs
• Diverse perspectives
• Negotiation
• Collaboration

Population(s) Served
Families
Children and youth

Where we work

Awards

Finalist 2023

Games For Change

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of national media pieces on the topic

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, Social and economic status

Related Program

Pod of Gold Podcast: On the Road from Wasteland to Wonderland

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

In 2020, we launched the Pod of Gold podcast to highlight the work of pioneers creating inclusive and sustainable local economies. With 50 episodes, the show achieved a top ranking in 5 countries.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

GameChangers is laser-focused on developing conscious consumers, responsible business leaders, and resilient communities. Our aim is to empower future leaders to discern unfair and unsustainable commercial practices and replace them with regenerative systems in which everyone participates and everyone counts.

GameChangers is deeply rooted in the value and effectiveness of experiential education. Our games are easily integrated into most classroom settings. They are affordable, accessible, and free of gender, racial, or cultural bias. In the risk-free context of interactive games, kids can explore and discover how society works and experiment with solutions that might better serve people and planet.

GameChangers also produces a podcast (Pod of Gold) that highlights the work of pioneers around the world, all employing practical methods to achieve more inclusive and sustainable communities. Every 2-3 years, we organize a The Care Economy Meet-Up, allowing practitioners and activists to exchange ideas and benefit from peer support.

Finally, the GameChangers team offers consulting services to communities committed to creating vibrant and eco-friendly local economies. As green architects, engineers, and activists, we provide robust methodologies to include citizens, create common vision, and develop the practical capacity necessary to achieve success.

GameChangers has a full team of experts in urban design, architecture, community leadership, software development, economics, communication, and education: https://www.gamechangers.world/about/.

GameChangers got started with the creation of a game about local economics. It was played by university students and community groups around the world. Many of the early players became involved in community development projects involving complementary currencies. Subsequently, GameChangers convened the first World Care Economy Meet-Up in Switzerland (June 2018) at which local practitioners exchanged lessons learned.

Over the past two years, GameChangers developed a digital version of that original board game called Crystal Island. Our next steps include introducing the digital game to middle schools and high schools, starting in major cities like New York, Newark, and San Francisco.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

GameChangers.World
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

GameChangers.World

Board of directors
as of 10/28/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Ms Stefanie Berchtenbreiter


Board co-chair

Mr. Mel Wymore

Patrick Zumwald

Stefanie Overbeck

Mel Wymore

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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 ? Not applicable
  • 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? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/17/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Transgender
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/26/2020

GuideStar 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

Data
  • 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 disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • 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 disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • 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.