Community Service Should Never Be a Financial Barrier.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our mission includes ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent anyone from fulfilling their court-ordered service requirements.
Why There Is an Administrative Fee
The Foundation of Change is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 33-5003265). We do not receive government funding. Our administrative fees are used exclusively to sustain the real costs of operating our community service platform: including secure server infrastructure, verified time tracking systems, anti-fraud architecture, certificate generation, the independent verification portal, and ongoing program compliance.
We recognize that for some individuals, even a modest administrative fee can present a genuine barrier. For this reason, we operate The Second Chance Fund, which waives the administrative fee in full for qualifying participants. Fund recipients receive the exact same program: the same coursework, the same verified hour tracking, the same signed certificate: at no cost. The fund covers a set number of waivers each month and is reviewed quarterly; if demand exceeds a month's funding, qualified applicants are placed at the front of the following month.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility is objective: no essays, no judgment calls. If any of the following apply, your fee is waived in full, as fund capacity allows.
Public Defender or Court-Appointed Counsel
Individuals represented by a public defender or court-appointed attorney have already been determined by the court to meet financial eligibility thresholds. A short referral email from your attorney is the only verification we need.
Legal Aid Organization Referral
Clients referred by recognized legal aid organizations, legal defender associations, or pro bono legal clinics are eligible. Your legal representative can confirm your referral by emailing our office directly.
Court Fee Waiver or Public Benefits
If a court has granted you a fee waiver (in forma pauperis status), or you are currently enrolled in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or TANF, one document verifies your eligibility. Email a copy to our office to receive your waiver code.
How to Apply
Most waivers are issued the same business day. If you have an attorney, they handle it in one email; if not, one document does it.
Your Attorney Contacts Us
Your public defender, court-appointed counsel, or legal aid representative emails info@thefoundationofchange.org to refer you to The Second Chance Fund. If you do not have an attorney, you can email us yourself with a copy of your court fee waiver or proof of current enrollment in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or TANF.
We Verify and Provide the Code
Our team verifies the referral or document and issues a single-use waiver code, typically within the same business day.
You Enroll at No Cost
Enter your waiver code at checkout when enrolling at thefoundationofchange.org/start-now and the fee is waived in full. Nothing to pay, now or later.
What's Included
Second Chance Fund recipients receive the full, unmodified program with no reductions in service, documentation, or verification.
No reduced service. No separate certificate. The same program, with the fee waived in full.
For Attorneys & Legal Aid Organizations
If you represent clients who qualify for The Second Chance Fund, a short referral email is all we need; we issue a waiver code the same day, per client, so your clients enroll at no cost. Waivers are funded monthly, and referrals beyond a month's funding move to the front of the next month.
info@thefoundationofchange.orgView full attorney resources →The Foundation of Change is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 33-5003265) holding a Platinum Transparency Rating from Candid. Our financial disclosures, governance documents, and organizational details are publicly available. All administrative fees are used exclusively to sustain platform operations, compliance infrastructure, program delivery, and The Second Chance Fund, our fee-waiver program for qualifying individuals.