Echoing Green was founded in 1987 by leaders of General Atlantic. Since then it has supported more than 500 social entrepreneurs who have worked to improve life on the planet.
According to the organisation’s website, legend has it that the name comes from William Blake’s poem Echoing Green.
The poem combines the joy of life with the realisation that we are only here for a short time. We can nurture and care for the Earth so that others may enjoy it in the future.
Echoing Green therefore supports people who aim to encourage both present and future generations. Below is a summary of excerpts from its website.
About Us
Our mission is to unleash next generation talent to solve the world’s biggest problems.
We believe positive change is only possible when you live boldly, taking responsibility for finding your unique role in making the world a better place.
Echoing Green’s premier program is its highly competitive global Fellowship, which provides more than $2 million in seed support to a diverse group of emerging social entrepreneurs every year.
From thousands of applicants, typically fewer than one percent are ultimately selected to receive up to $90,000 over two years to support the launch of their new organizations.
Below is a video of selected pitches for the 2012 Fellowships. Here is a summary of the themes.
These game-changing ideas include:
Creating a community-driven emergency medical response system in India.
Fortifying staple flours with micronutrients in Africa.
Providing legal counsel for death row prisoners in Pakistan.
Using social media to find affordable healthcare in America.
Empowering African-American college students to be leaders in the green job movement.
Building an accessible distribution platform for high-quality products for rural communities in China.
Below is a summary of the website’s introduction to one of its latest ventures Work on Purpose.
Here is a link to the book on this theme by Lara Galinsky.
Work on Purpose
Our newest program, Work on Purpose, inspires and equips the next generation of social innovators.
This challenges Millennials – the largest generation in history – to build careers that are right for them and good for the world.
We have produced tools like the Work on Purpose book, discussion and activity guides, Echoing Green-led workshops and a newly-launched website featuring a suite of resources and interactive activities.
We’ve used these to help thousands of young people take steps to shape their paths and leave a social footprint on the world.
Here is another video about the work of Echoing Green.
Leave a Reply