Change.org Raises $30 Million from Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, Others

After laying off 30% of its staff late last year, Change.org has raised a $30 million round of venture capital.

The funding hails from a lineup of prominent leaders, including Greylock partner Reid Hoffman, Y Combinator’s Sam Altman, and Bill Gates.

“[Change.org] helps enable a world where you don’t need to hire a lobbyist to have real impact on the issues and policies that matter to you,” Hoffman says. “It’s accessible, it’s transparent, and it’s flexible enough to help people collectively pursue everything from lower monthly banking fees to better criminal justice system policies for sexual assault survivors.”

Change.org has 180 million users. The platform has powered more than one million petitions, which have resulted in more than 21,000 policy changes by government agencies, corporations, and other organizations, according to Hoffman.

“Because of Change.org’s intrinsic architecture of participation, it harnesses the full power of its users’ knowledge and interests,” says Hoffman. “Petition signers become petition creators, and Change.org effectively becomes a marketplace of civic engagement, where many campaigns are presented and the most relevant and powerful ones achieve traction.”