Echoing Green has been on the front lines of solving the world’s biggest problems for over 35 years by raising up transformational leaders who challenge the status quo. The organisation provides unrestricted seed-stage funding and strategic foundational support to emerging leaders working to bring about positive social change. Echoing Green invests in Fellows to help build and shift power in their communities, drive inclusive and intersectional solutions forward, and fuel radical leaps of imagination that transform systems and power social movements. The organisation has supported nearly 1,000 Fellows worldwide who work across issue areas to advance equity, including education, climate justice, human rights, and health. Echoing Green prioritises funding leaders and communities less likely to connect with traditional investment and cultivates a diverse network of social impact talent across a breadth of ethnic, gender, religious, and economic backgrounds. Fellows are lifelong members of Echoing Green’s community.
FUnding Amount
- Individual Fellows: US$80,000-100,000 over 18 months (recent cohorts receive $100,000)
- Partner Fellows (two-person partnerships): US$90,000 over 18 months
- Funding paid in instalments over the fellowship period
- Unrestricted funding that can be used at the Fellow’s discretion
For for-profit organisations: funding structured as recoverable grants (must be repaid if organisation achieves US$2 million in revenue with positive net income, or is valued at over US$5 million within 5 years)
Additional Support Available:
- Follow-on Funding: Catalytic and Transformational Funding available for Fellows from 2022 and earlier classes
- Signal Fund: Funding to accelerate growth and reach breakthrough success
Target
- Emerging social entrepreneurs and leaders (18 years or older)
- Original founders or leading members of founding teams with decision-making power
- Leaders building early-stage organisations (typically within the first 2-5 years of operation)
- Social entrepreneurs launching bold new organisations to generate positive systemic change
- Leaders working with and for their communities
- Individuals from any nationality, working in any country
- Both individual founders and two-person partnerships are eligible
- Leaders who can commit full-time (minimum 40 hours per week) to their organisation
Closing Date
Annual application cycle. Recent deadlines have been in October/November (e.g., 2026 cycle deadline: 8 October 2025 at 2:00 PM EDT). Applications accepted through the online portal.
- Climate justice and climate change mitigation/adaptation
- Education
- Human rights
- Health
- Economic mobility and empowerment
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental sustainability
- Systemic inequality and oppression
Special Fellowship Tracks:
Global Fellowship: Open to leaders from anywhere in the world with innovative solutions for any issue
Black Male Achievement (BMA) Fellowship: Supports leaders dedicated to improving life outcomes of Black men and boys in the United States
Climate Fellowship: Supports leaders committed to mitigation and adaptation to climate change
Core Mission Focus: Building a future free from racism, colourism, colonialism, white supremacy, and other oppressive systems through collective action across issues and geographies
Eligibility Criteria
Personal Requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must be proficient in English (all programming and support offered in English)
- Must be able to attend Echoing Green’s training conferences
- Must be available to work full-time (40 hours per week minimum) in the organisation throughout the 18-month fellowship
- If a full-time student, must complete studies by July at the beginning of the fellowship period
- US-based applicants must have legal status to work in the US
Organisation Requirements:
- Must be in early-stage/start-up phase (typically within first 2-5 years of full-time operation)
- Organisation must be the original idea of the applicant(s)
- Applicant must be an original founder or a leading member of the founding team (cannot have assumed leadership after founding)
- Applicant must be the primary decision maker with ultimate authority over the organisation’s growth and strategic vision
- Organisation must be independent and autonomous (not started under the direction of an existing organisation)
- Can be a non-profit, for-profit, or hybrid structure
- Organisations still in the idea phase are eligible
- Do not need to establish 501(c)(3) status or register organisation before applying (but must do so if selected)
- Organisations with fiscal sponsors are eligible if the sponsor has no authority over work and decision-making
Not Eligible If Organisation Has: Well-defined programme model, initial strategic plan, basic organisational infrastructure (bank account, payroll, job descriptions), staffing plan, initial funding sources, and active board of directors that meets regularly (may be too advanced)
Ineligible Organisations/Projects:
- Student projects, scholarships, or research projects
- Organisations whose primary purpose is lobbying (supporting specific political candidates, parties, or legislative bills)
- Organisations that have grown past the start-up phase
- Organisations where the applicant is not a founder or does not have decision-making authority
