The Echoing Green Fellowship

Through our two-year Echoing Green Fellowship program, we provide start-up capital and technical assistance to help new leaders launch their organizations and build capacity of their social enterprise. We offer:

•    A stipend of $80,000 for individuals (or $90,000 for 2-person partnerships) paid in four equal installments over two years
•    A health insurance stipend
•    A yearly professional development stipend
•    Conferences led by organizational development experts
•    Access to technical support and pro bono partnerships to help grow your organization
•    A community of like-minded social entrepreneurs and public service leaders, including the Echoing Green network of nearly 500 alumni working all over the world

Application Cycle & Dates

The Echoing Green Fellowship selection process is highly competitive. Applicants progress through three application stages with eliminations after each phase. By the end of the process, Echoing Green will have narrowed the 3000+ applications to 15-25 fellowships. The 2013 Echoing Green Fellows will begin their fellowship July 2013 and continue until June 30, 2015.

The application for the 2013 Echoing Green Fellowship is available online now through January 7th 2013.
2013 Application Cycle:
•    December 4th 2012: Phase 1 of application opens to all eligible applicants.
•    January 7th 2013: Phase 1 of application closes
•    Early February 2013: Semifinalists announced and invited to complete expanded application.
•    Late February 2013: Semifinal applications due.
•    April 2013: Finalists announced.
•    May 2013: Finalist interviews in NYC.
•    June 2013: Fellows announced.
To be notified as specific dates are made public, sign up for email updates about the 2013 Echoing Green Fellowship.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for an Echoing Green Fellowship:

•    Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
•    Applicants must have sufficient English fluency to participate in interviews and Echoing Green events.
•    Organization must be the original idea of the applicant.
•    Organization must be in a start-up phase. To be considered a start-up, the organization may have been in operation for up to two years, and Echoing Green's financial support should qualify it as significant early funder. Applicants who have only worked on their organization on a part-time basis or have yet to start the organization are generally considered eligible.
•    Organization must be independent and autonomous. Organizations cannot be considered independent or autonomous if they are started under the direction of an existing organization. The applicant must be the primary decision maker for the organization’s development and management. Generally, organizations with fiscal sponsors are still considered autonomous.
•    Applicants must make a full-time commitment (minimum 35 hours per week) to the organization'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 full-time to their initiatives. Students will not be eligible for their fellowship stipend if their organization is put on hold due to conflicts with their studies.
•    Partnerships (organizations co-founded and led by two individuals) may apply. Both partners must meet all eligibility requirements and make a full-time commitment of no fewer than 35 hours per week to the development of the organization.
•    Applicants can be citizens of any nationality and their organizations can be based in any country. However applicants based in the US must have legal status to work in the US. If you are authorized to work in the US, but this status is granted to you through your current employer and you are only authorized to work for that employer, you are not eligible to apply for a US-based proposal.
•    Applicants must commit to attending Echoing Green's training conferences if selected as fellows. All new fellows attend a conference in summer the year they are selected, as well as a winter conference for two years. Echoing Green covers all expenses related to these events and will announce the dates a few months prior to each conference.

Note: Organizations may be for-profit or non-profit.

The following proposals are not eligible for consideration for an Echoing Green Fellowship:

•    Expansion of an existing organization that is past its start-up phase
•    Research projects
•    Lobbying activities
•    Faith-based initiatives (In this context, faith-based implies that you are associated with a religious institution or are promoting a specific faith; if your work has a spiritual basis but is not tied to any specific religion or faith, you may be eligible for consideration)
•    Recipients of prior Echoing Green funding

Assessment Criteria

Applications for the Echoing Green Fellowship are evaluated on several criteria to assess both the strength of the applicants as well as the strength of the idea. Here are the main components of assessment.
1. The Applicant(s):

•   Purpose / Passion – Applicant exhibits strong passion and commitment for the program area in which they plan to work, as well as personal integrity
•   Resilience – Applicant has demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles
•   Leadership – Applicant has demonstrated leadership potential
•   Ability to Attract Resources – Applicant is a “Resource Magnet,” capable of attracting money, people and other resources to cause
2. The Organization / Idea:

•   Innovation – Organization is innovative and demonstrates new approach
•   Importance – Organization addresses serious social problem
•   Potential for Big, Bold Impact – Organization has clear potential for tangible impact to the beneficiary population and either has potential for effecting systemic change (e.g., policy change, societal change, influence in their field) and/or demonstrates potential for replication and growth
•   A Good Business Model – Organization has clear and compelling mission and objectives, and has given real thought to program development and delivery, ways to measure success, raising money, and other key factors indicating potential for sustainability.
Additionally, for applicants applying as a partnership, Echoing Green evaluates the strength of the partnership and the commitment of both individuals to the organization.

Looking for more information? Visit our FAQ page.
If you have a question that is not answered on the FAQ page, you can send it to marybeth@echoinggreen.org.