Visionaries Institute
Ready to Change the world?
Join the Visionaries Institute, our leadership program for adult innovators ready to build and launch high-impact nonprofits and social ventures!​
calling all innovators
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Are you passionate about a social justice issue and want to make an impact, but don't know where to begin?
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Are you considering a career change oriented towards meaning and purpose?
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Do you have an existing, early-stage nonprofit or social enterprise you'd like to build and grow?
Wherever you are on your journey, the Visionaries Institute can support you in making a meaningful impact on the cause that's most important to you.
program details
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From October through May, we provide the tools, funding, and mentorship you need to design, build, and launch the nonprofit or social venture of your dreams.
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Alongside the support of an incredible community of like-minded innovators, you'll receive:
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Research-based, accessible online curriculum (see below)
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Live workshops each month where you'll meet experts in the social enterprise and nonprofit world, including foundation leaders, fundraising professionals, and founders (every 1st Saturday from Oct.-May, from 8-9am PST).
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Templates, tips, and tools to help you set up a successful nonprofit or social venture
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Personalized feedback on your strategic plan
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The opportunity to pitch your project for funding at Global Pitch (Feb. 9th)
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Optional add-on: Edit + review of your first grant by a grant-writing professional
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Optional add-on: 1:1 coaching sessions over the course of the program to support you in building your venture
curriculum:
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STRATEGY: Visioning, developing SMART goals, strategic planning, and proof of concept validation (all rooted in Stanford's Design Thinking process)
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BRAND: Design fundamentals in logo and website design, social media strategy, communications, and video-based storytelling
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LEGAL: Building a board, setting up a legal entity, applying for 501(c)3 status and trademarks
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FUNDRAISING: Measuring impact, creating an organizational budget, grant-writing, sponsorships, and donor cultivation
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RELATIONSHIPS: Engaging board and volunteers, building partnerships, team management, managing donors and stakeholders, Non-Violent Communication (NVC) core skills and training
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VALUES: Examining intersectionality of social justice issues, defining organizational values and ethics
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GROWTH: Building confidence and resilience, mindfulness training, self-care tools, and weekly reflection exercises
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Mentors:
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Throughout the course, we interview guest speakers from across the non-profit sector to share their expertise on everything from starting a nonprofit to managing a team, writing grants, marketing, and handling all the legal aspects of setting up an entity. Click each photo to read our mentor bios:
lauren Ornelas
Founder + President
Food Empowerment Project
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Meghan O'Brien Lowery
Partner & Director
The Greenbaum Foundation
Annmarie Hylton Head Marketing Strategist at Project Good Work
Christina Oatfield
Kurt Collins
Co-founder
The Hidden Genius Project
Melody Hernandez
Nonprofit Grant Consultant
Grant Professionals Association Treasurer
Sarah Moore Partner & Director of Brand Strategy at Mission Minded
Ariel Nessel
Co-founder
The Pollination Project
Founder
Mobius
course facilitator:
AnnaLise Hoopes
Founder, Executive Director
The Changemaker Project
AnnaLise is an educator, artist, and entrepreneur. She holds a bachelor's in philosophy and art from the University of Notre Dame, a master's in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a California teaching credential. She has been a classroom teacher, environmental educator, nonprofit director, and sustainable food startup founder.
AnnaLise believes that education is the most powerful tool for achieving social change, which is why she launched The Changemaker Project in 2017. TCP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit which has provided over 2000 youth in 35+ countries with the tools, mentorship, and funding to make an impact in their communities. Her vision is to empower changemakers all over the world to find their voice, take action on the issues they care about, and create a more equitable and compassionate world. ​
Outside of TCP, AnnaLise is pursuing a PhD in Comparative International Education at UCLA. She was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study how schools around the globe foster empathy.
TESTIMONIALS:
The Visionaries Institute is a unique opportunity to learn all of the steps in moving your nonprofit program from vision to reality. My cohort provided me with a sense of community and new ideas that helped me transition my project to the next stage of its development, all while helping me become personally more motivated to live out my ideals and make the world a better place.
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-Greg, founder of Charity Elections
​​I must extend my heartfelt gratitude to AnnaLise, the visionary founder behind this initiative. Her dedication to nurturing the next generation of change-makers has made a profound difference in my life and the lives of many others. AnnaLise, thank you for believing in us and for providing such a monumental opportunity to grow, learn, and lead. To anyone aspiring to make a difference, the Changemaker Visionaries Institute program is a beacon of hope and a powerhouse of knowledge. It equips you with the tools, confidence, and support network needed to turn visionary ideas into reality. My participation in this program has been a pivotal chapter in my story, filled with learning, growth, and boundless possibilities. Here's to the endless pursuit of making the world a better place, one project at a time. ​
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-Crystal, founder of Holistic Wellness and Health
Questions? Get in touch!
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Click here to get in touch with us, tell us about your project, or have your questions answered.
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The Changemaker Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and all fees support our work of empowering youth around the world to be the change they wish to see.
