{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Investing in Impact | Impact Investing","title":"The First Check: How Echoing Green Backs Bold Ideas Early","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":431,"description":"In this solo episode of Investing in Impact, host Grant Trahant explores how Echoing Green identifies and supports social entrepreneurs before their success becomes obvious.\nFounded in 1987, Echoing Green has helped launch more than 1,000 social innovators, including leaders connected to Teach For America, Last Mile Health, One Acre Fund, City Year, and other influential organizations.\nIts approach goes beyond providing a grant. Echoing Green combines early-stage capital with leadership development, expert guidance, well-being support, and lifelong access to a global community of social entrepreneurs.\nThe organization’s latest fellowship cycle shows both the demand for this type of support and the growing capital gap facing early-stage impact founders. Echoing Green received more than 4,100 applications from 139 countries for its 2026 Fellowship, but selected only 18 entrepreneurs. Each Fellow receives $100,000 in seed funding over 18 months.\nIn This Episode\nHow Echoing Green identifies promising founders before traditional investors do\nWhy proximity to a problem can be more valuable than a polished business plan\nHow the Fellowship combines capital, capacity building, and community\nWhy 53 percent of 2026 applicants had not raised any outside funding\nWhat Echoing Green’s applicant data reveals about the global social impact pipeline\nHow recoverable grants can support early-stage for-profit social enterprises\nHow follow-on funding and the Signal Fund create a broader continuum of capital\nWhy the first check is often the most important and difficult capital to secure\nWhat impact investors can learn from Echoing Green’s approach to evaluating overlooked founders\nKey Figures\nMore than 4,100 applications received for the 2026 Fellowship\n139 countries represented\n18 social entrepreneurs selected\n$100,000 in seed funding for each Fellow\n18 months of fellowship support\nMore than 1,000 Fellows supported throughout Echoing Green’s history\n53 percent of 2026 applicants had...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xH2V0wRai2vSs5BEN2Ofr_Xx5JRthVsX0ReYVPkrd1k/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZmE5/Y2UyMDQzMGQwZGMx/YmI2ZjgyOTViYzcy/MTViMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}