Echoing Green Fellowship to stump up $90k for social start-ups

Social start-ups are being encouraged to apply for the Echoing Green Fellowship, which provides up to $90,000 in capital for entrepreneurs to launch their start-ups and build capacity.

The fellowship, structured as a two-year program, is an initiative of Echoing Green, a New York-based organisation that invests in standout social entrepreneurs to launch new organisations.

To date, Echoing Green has invested nearly $30 million in seed funding to almost 500 social entrepreneurs and their organisations.

The Echoing Green Fellowship provides a stipend of $80,000 for individuals and $90,000 for two-person partnerships, paid in four equal installments over two years.

In addition to technical support and pro bono partnerships, recipients are invited to conferences led by organisational development experts.

They also receive a health insurance stipend and a yearly professional development stipend.

Applicants can be citizens of any nationality and their organisation can be based in any country. However, organisations must have been in operation for no longer than two years.

“Applicants who have only worked on their organisation on a part-time basis or have yet to start the organisation are generally considered eligible,” Echoing Green says.

“Applicants must make a full-time commitment to the organisation’s development for the duration of the two-year fellowship.”

“It is expected that all selected fellows resign from their current employment to dedicate themselves fulltime to their initiatives.”

Applicants must also attend all training conferences held throughout the program, although Echoing Green covers all related expenses, and announces the dates several months in advance.

“The Echoing Green Fellowship selection process is highly competitive. Applicants progress through three application stages, with eliminations after each phase,” the organisation says.

“By the end of the process, Echoing Green will have narrowed the 2500-plus applications to 12-20 fellowships. The 2012 Fellows will begin their fellowship July 2012.”

Applications will be open online from December 5 to January 9.

Meanwhile, applications are now open for the School for Social Entrepreneurs 2012 program, held in Sydney and Melbourne, and aimed at socially or environmentally-minded entrepreneurs.

“The next two nine-month… incubator programs will both commence in March 2012, one being run from Melbourne and one from Sydney,” a school spokesperson says.

“The 2012 programs have seven three-day face-to-face blocks, and the other elements of the program are time and place-flexible.”

“This structure allows for those outside of Melbourne and Sydney to participate with more ease than ever before.”