Organization:Echoing Green

Overview

Echoing Green’s roots can be traced to one of the most influential philanthropists in modern history, Charles Feeney.  Charles Feeney and Robert Warren Miller reached considerable financial status after the success of their joint venture, the Duty Free Shopper’s Group.  

Feeney’s personal beliefs led him to donate the majority of his wealth to launch a philanthropic foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies.  In 1980, General Atlantic was founded as a private investment firm which would be responsible for investing Charles Feeney’s considerable wealth.  General Atlantic is now a leading global growth and private equity firm which maintains its founding commitments to philanthropy. 

In 1987, the board of General Atlantic, in an effort to maximize philanthropic and social impact, founded Echoing Green.  This name might be familiar if one considers oneself to be a poetry aficionado.  Echoing Green was named after the William Blake poem, “The Echoing Green,” which describes the cycle of life through play and reflection.  

Echoing Green began by supporting one individual, Diana Propper de Callejon, in creating alternative livelihoods for Amazonian people that were not based on deforestation. Since then, Echoing Green has supported over 500 fellows, investing over $30 million dollars in seed funding.  Programs and organizations which have stemmed from an Echoing Green fellowship include Teach For America, Public Allies, Family Van, and Jumpstart.  

In 2002, Cheryl Dorsey guided the organization out of possible dissolution and into a new role as a global nonprofit.  A Harvard Business School Case Study detailing the involvement of Cheryl Dorsey with Echoing Green shows how the organization regained stability and broadened its base of funders.

As of today, Echoing Green remains a leader in encouraging young people to pursue social entrepreneurship.  Echoing Green fellowships have been awarded to individuals and teams launching social ventures dealing with youth development, education, health services, civil rights, environmental justice, food security, and immigration. Echoing Green has also added new programs to support their mission, including the Work on Purpose program, the Black Male Achievement Fellowship and the Fellowship Search Partnership program.

Purpose

Echoing Green’s mission is to, “unleash next generation talent to solve the world’s biggest problems.”

The organization currently pursues this mission through their prestigious and well founded Echoing Green Fellowship program, as well as through curricula that engages young people in discourse about working with passion and purpose.  In 2006, Echoing Green released “Be Bold,” a publication aimed towards emboldening young people to construct a career path geared towards social entrepreneurship.  This publication lead the way for the Work on Purpose program, which is a simple yet effective structure for encouraging and emphasizing social impact when designing a career path. 

Distinct Differences From Other Offerings

Echoing Green offers an impressive track record in seed funding for social venture startups.  With over 500 fellows, and approximately 65% of the organizations originally seed funded by Echoing Green still in existance, Echoing Green has created a massive network of like minded entrepreneurs.   Additionally, Echoing Green's partnerships with universities, non-profits, and other organizations through the Work on Purpose program have established an even more expansive network of resources and opportunities to reach and engage with young social entrepreneurs.

Echoing Green Fellowship

• A stipend of $80,000 for individuals (or $90,000 for two-person partnerships) paid 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
• Access to a large community of social entrepreurs and public service leaders

Work on Purpose

• Accessible curriculum designed to engage young people in discourse about socially impactful careers
• Workshops and trainings to facilitate engagement of curricula and target audiences
• Online community dedicated to supporting the Work on Purpose program
• Work on Purpose publication

Black Male Achievement Fellowship

• A stipend of $70,000 paid over 18 months
• A health insurance stipend
• A yearly professional development stipend
• Conferences led by organizational development experts
• Access to a large community of social entrepreurs and public service leaders

Impact Achieved For Students and Campus

Universities and organizations involved with the Work on Puropose program include the following:

Acumen Fund
African Leadership Academy
American Associate of University Women
Arizona State University
Arizona State University Public Allies
Ashoka U
Ask Big Questions
Barnard College
Bonner Foundation
Brown University
Centre College
Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
Citizen Circles
Civic Ventures
Clinton Foundation
Columbia University
Commongood Careers
Concordia University, Wisconsin
CUNY Hunter College
Dartmouth University
Davidson College
DonorsChoose.org
Dream Now
Emory & Henry College
Fordham University
Generation Citizen

Genocide Intervention Network
George Mason University
Give to Get Jobs
GO Project
GOOD
GovLoop
Harvard University
Harvard University Business School
Haverford College
Health Leads
Idealist
Indiana Campus Compact
Lawrence University
Management Leadership for Tomorrow
Marian University
Marquette University
Michigan Campus Compact
Mobilize.org
More Than Money
Moxie Camp
Net Impact
New Leaf Initiative
Northwest Earth Institute
NYU Polytechnic Institute
NYU Gallatin
NYU Research Center for Leadership and Development
NYU Stern
NYU Wagner
Oberlin College
Open Society Foundations
Oregon State Service Corps
Peer Health Educators
Penn State University
PhilanthroTeach, Inc
Prep for Prep
Princeton University
Providence College
Public Allies
Rider University
Roosevelt Campus Network
Rutgers University
School of Visual Arts
Seinfeld Scholarship Program

Smith College
Spelman College
St. Norbert College
SUNY Levin Jumpstart NYC
Swarthmore College
Teach For America
The College of New Jersey
Transformative Action Institute
Trinity Wall Street
Tulane University
University of Florida
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
University of Portland
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of the Pacific
University of Waterloo
USC Marshall Society & Business Lab
Warren Wilson College
Wesleyan University
Widener University
William Jewell College
Wisconsin Private College Career Consortium
Year Up

To learn more about forming a partnership email:     workonpurpose@echoinggreen.org

Steps Required To Bring Resource to Campus

To apply for the Echoing Green Fellowship:

• Read the requirements and eligibility here.
• Sign up for the Echoing Green newsletter to receive information on the next application deadline

To bring the Work on Purpose program to any campus follow these steps:

• Check out a sample workshop online here.
• Schedule a training session by following this link.

To apply for the Black Male Achievement Fellowship:

• Read the requirements and eligibility here.

Contact Information

Website:

http://www.echoinggreen.org

Mailing address:

Echoing Green
494 Eighth Avenue
Second Floor
New York, NY 10001

Phone Number:

212-689-1165:

Email:

info@echoinggreen.org

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/echoinggreen