Impact Investing. Social Entrepreneurship. Social Investment. At just two words each, these concepts have been creating a lot of positive buzz lately.
Just two words itself, non-profit Echoing Green has been investing in positive change too – and doing it since 1987.
Originally established with the goal of social change globally, Echoing Green provides “seed funding to social entrepreneurs launching bold new organizations to generate positive systemic change.”
Simple right? Yes, simple, but empowering and impactful. To date, the organization has already invested over $36 million assisting over 600 social entrepreneurs in enacting social change in more than 60 countries.
Climate Fellowship
Echoing Green has a multiple programs including a Fellowship Program and has a specific climate change fellowship – the Climate Fellowship.
With the assistance of the ZOOM Foundation, The Climate Fellowship was first introduced in 2013. Social entrepreneurs accepted into this fellowship have ‘a passion and ideas to mitigate or to help people to climate change’.
Climate Fellows receive the following when they make it into the program:
- A stipend of $80,000 for individuals (or $90,000 for two-person partnerships) paid in four equal installments over two years
- A health insurance stipend
- A yearly professional development stipend
- Leadership development and networking gatherings
- Access to technical support and pro-bono partnerships to help grow their organization and a dedicated Echoing Green portfolio manager
- A community of like-minded social entrepreneurs and public service leaders, including the Echoing Green network of more than 600 Fellows working in over sixty countries all over the world
Last year the Climate Fellowship program funded 12 fellows across the globe. These fellows are tackling issues in areas such as Environment, Food & Agriculture and Poverty Alleviation & Economic Development.
Even if you can’t see yourself becoming a fellow, it is pretty cool to read about what is going on over at Echoing Green’s Climate Fellowship program. You can help these social entrepreneurs out if you feel inclined. There is a donation page where you can contribute to the work this nonprofit is doing.
Echoing Green may be helping the next up and coming green social entrepreneur change the world!
Did one of the Climate Fellows stand out to you? What do you think of Echoing Green’s mission? Share your insights and thoughts in the comment section.
Imagery courtesy of Echoing Green