Deadline: December 2, 2014
Applications are now open for the 2015 Echoing Green Black Male Achievement (BMA) Fellowship. The BMA Fellowship is an innovative Fellowship for individuals who are dedicated to improving the life outcomes of black men and boys in the United States. Founded and supported in partnership with the Open Society Foundations since 2012, the BMA Fellowship is the first fellowship program in the world for social entrepreneurs who are starting up new and innovative organizations in the field of black male achievement.
BMA Fellows are currently at work building innovative solutions to the barriers facing black men and boys in the United States: generating new ideas and best practices in the areas of education, family, and work, such as initiatives related to fatherhood, mentoring, college preparatory programs, community-building, supportive wage work opportunities, communications, and philanthropic leadership.
Benefits
The BMA Fellowship will be awarded annually to individuals or partners who will receive:
- 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 Open Society Foundations and the Echoing Green network of more than 600 Fellows working in over sixty countries all over the world.
Eligibility
- Over 18 years old
- Fluent in English
- Able to commit a full 35 hour work week to their organization.
- The original idea of the applicant(s)
- In its start-up phase, usually within the first two years of operation
- Independent and autonomous
Selection Criteria
Successful applicants not only present an innovative way of addressing social issues, but also explain why they as individuals have what it takes to succeed. Echoing Green is not a grant-making organization. We are a fellowship program because we believe in the importance of the individual social entrepreneur as well as his/her project. As such, we look at both the applicant and the applicant’s idea.
Applicant Criteria
- Purpose / Passion
- Resilience
- Leadership
- Ability to Attract Resources
Organization Criteria
- Innovation
- Importance
- Potential for Big, Bold Impact
- A Good Business Model
For more information, visit the Black Male Achievement Fellowship.
