SIL’s Social Entrepreneurship Opportunity Roundup [November 2021]
At the Social Innovation Lab, we get asked to share a lot of opportunities for social innovators. Fantastic ecosystem newsletters are going out weekly with relevant opportunities included, so we don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Moving forward, we will be using this space to share all the pitch competitions, fellowships, grants, incubator/accelerator applications, and more. Make sure to bookmark this page and visit often!
Note: When an opportunity has passed, we will delete it. When an opportunity is available, we will update it.
Have an opportunity that you’d like to add? Email us at jhtv-sil@jhu.edu or DM us on Instagram @thesocialinnovationlab.
Last updated: October 29, 2021
Idea-Stage/Incubator:
*2022 DesignFest — a partnership of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
About: DesignFest 2022 is an opportunity for nonprofits seeking design project assistance to be paired with talented designers from the MICA and T. Rowe Price network to help solve your design challenge — for free. Depending on your design challenge (i.e., from a new logo, updated brochures, to more complex projects like a website or brand story redesign), you will participate in a one-day or multiple-day engagement.
The basic concept of DesignFest remains the same: a gathering that brings together MICA student and alumni designers, design professionals, and nonprofit organizations to create design solutions that help social change organizations achieve their missions.
Deadline to apply: November 5, 2021
Accelerators:
* Conscious Venture Labs is currently recruiting for its 8th cohort.
About: A 4 month immersion program aimed at accelerating conscious entrepreneurs to traction and revenue. We invest $100K in purpose driven startups in exchange for 8% equity and the opportunity to become a part of a new community of sustainable businesses, thinkers, mentors and investors.
Deadline to apply: November 15, 2021.
*1501 Health
Healthcare system LifeBridge Health and Healthworx, the innovation arm of insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are opening applications nationally from Oct. 26-Nov. 16 for 1501 Health.
The program will select 5–7 companies for the new group of startups, which offers up to $100,000 in investment capital to participants, as well as mentorship, networking and education.
Deadline to Apply: November 16, 2021
*Fast Forward — the Accelerator for tech non-profits -is currently accepting applications.
Need to learn how to fundraise? We’ll teach you. Want to learn about open sourcing? Building a board? We can help with that too.
We bridge the tech and nonprofit worlds, providing training and resources applicable to the challenges only a tech nonprofit entrepreneur knows. Through Fast Forward’s early-stage startup Accelerator, you’ll receive funding, mentorship, and connections to people who can help you scale.
We are currently accepting applications for our 2022 early-stage startup Accelerator, which will run from roughly March 2022 through June 2022. Check out our FAQ for more information about the program and application process.
Deadline to apply: December 1, 2021.
*AccelerateBaltimore is currently recruiting 5 companies.
Accelerate Baltimore is an initiative of the ETC (Emerging Technology Centers), Baltimore’s award-winning incubator, and The Abell Foundation. ETC stands with activists, change-makers, and problem-solvers. We want to help you to create impactful solutions and improve the lives of Baltimore citizens and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for 5 startups to have everything they need to get to market quickly; access to resources, advice, and $50K in seed funding. We’re here to help make a change in 13-weeks. Now is the time to dream big, step up, voice your ideas, and get to work!
Deadline to apply: December 5, 2021.
Fellowships:
*Echoing Green Fellowship 2022
Echoing Green supports bold leaders from all over the world who see possibility in the face of the most existential challenges of our day. Together, we strive to build a world that has yet to exist: a future free from racism and its far-reaching consequences where all people can thrive.
This Fellowship is for people whose enterprises are at an early stage and who are experts on the challenge they’ve chosen to confront. We seek leaders who reflect the community they serve and bring deep knowledge of the issues into their work as they co-design solutions with and for their communities.
Deadline to apply: November 2, 2021
Grants:
* Black Founder Startup Grant Program
About: SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, Twilio, and other sponsors to make a small step towards progress by providing several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs.
To qualify, you should:
- self-identify as a Black woman or Black nonbinary entrepreneur (inclusive of multiracial Black women and multiracial Black nonbinary folks)
- have a legally registered business
- plan to seek investor financing in order to scale, now or in the future
- have a scalable, high-impact solution or idea with the ambition to be the next billion dollar business.
* 1863–3R’s Grant Program
About: A nation-wide education and grant program designed to help you rebuild your business post COVID.
All entrepreneurs and founders are eligible for the curated content in this Series. If you are a DC based Black business, you are eligible for a grant. If you live in or are incorporated in one of the eligible cities (Baltimore included) , Black and Latinx businesses are both eligible.
Deadline to apply: June 1, 2022.
* EWI Women’s Small Business Grants
About: Empowered Women International (EWI), a program of the Latino Economic Development Center. Our mission is to provide entrepreneurship training, mentoring, market access and support services to help talented and high-potential women monetize their creative or cultural assets, artistic abilities, knowledge and skills, and become change-makers in their families, communities and the world for immigrant, refugee, low-income, and at-risk women in the Greater Washington DC Metro Area.
EWI accepts applications on a rolling basis. EWI programs are scheduled at various times and locations throughout the year to best serve clients demand. Qualified applicants may participate in either one or both of the following training programs. https://www.ledcmetro.org/ewi_our_programs
Deadline to apply: Rolling admissions
Leadership Development, Networking & Learning:
Events:
* Giving Season Funding Webinar for Nonprofits (November 3, 2021)
Join Candid Learning on Nov. 3 at 2 PM for a FREE webinar training to maximize your fundraising potential and get noticed by millions of potential donors this Giving Season. Learn more.
*UMD’s Technica (November 13–14)
The world’s largest hackathon for underrepresented genders, is coming up on November 13–14th. Opportunities to participate as a hacker, mentor, and volunteer are available for the 24-hour hybrid event.
Student-Specific Opportunities:
* Innovators of Progress
About: A one-year pre-accelerator for students to explore entrepreneurship and develop their ideas through customer and product discovery. Admitted scholars are ambitious, high-achieving students that want to make a difference in their communities and their respective fields. The vision of our program is to engage students early, provide them with an environment to practice the science of entrepreneurship, and open opportunities for them to grow their businesses in the region.
Students that fully participate in our program may receive up to $15,000 in funding.
Deadline to apply: November 30, 2021
