Echoing Green Funds Future Changemakers

Our world is constantly evolving. To keep up with the changes, and continue to provide help to people who need it, we need to identify the most promising solutions and innovations, and come up with new models to transform our society into the world we want to live in.

For many nonprofits, it’s tough to shift business models at the drop of a hat. Though groups may have the best intentions, they often stick with the tried-and-true methods of operation, rather than taking chances on unique worldchanging strategies.

However, several nonprofit groups are using their funds and name recognition to take chances on promising individuals who have the power to revolutionize the nonprofit world by investing in social entrepreneurship. One such organization, the Echoing Green Foundation, has invested in nearly 500 promising innovators since their 1987 launch—and their gambles have paid off in many ways.

Similar to a venture capital firm, Echoing Green invests in promising innovations and ideas from people who don’t have the funds to launch such ventures on their own. However, the only return on investment that Echoing Green seeks is the opportunity to build a better world.

Since its foundation, Echoing Green has identified and helped launch some of the world’s most promising and innovative social change entrepreneurs, including the founders of Teach for America, City Year, and SKS Microfinance. The organization has been so successful in identifying future changemakers, in fact, that President Obama recently met with the group’s president, Cheryl Dorsey, and nine of its current fellows to discuss ways that the government can implement social innovation programs and work with the nonprofit sector for social good.

Some of Echoing Greens current Fellows include Dhruv Lakra, who has created a program in India called Mirakle Couriers, which provides employment as couriers for deaf Indians who typically have a great deal of trouble finding work; Eric Glustrom, who is creating an innovative two-year leadership program for youth in Uganda called Educate!; and Jacob Colker, who just launched an innovative organization called The Extraordinaries, which aims to get young people involved in “micro-volunteerism” through text messaging. Visit Echoing Green’s website to learn more about the organization’s amazing Fellows and their world-changing work.

How you can help: If you’d like to support the best and brightest new social entrepreneurs in programs that could change the way we live, make a donation to Echoing Green through Razoo to help fund future Fellows.