50+ Fellowship Programs for Social Innovators

Whether you are an experienced social innovator or are looking to build your skill set, a fellowship can help take you to the next level--through curriculum, mentorship, collaboration, and connecting with other talented and motivated fellows.

Here is a list of 50+ fellowship programs. The first 17 or so fellowships have rolling admission deadlines. The remainder are grouped by the month the application is due.  The fellowships support social innovation to varying degrees and have varying requirements---so take a stroll and click through the links to continue your research.

You can add other social innovation fellowships in the comments section. Look for a list of start-up accelerator and incubators for social entrepreneurs here. 

50+ Fellowship Programs for Social Innovators

1. Ashoka Fellows Program. Apply anytime.
2. Deshpande Foundation India Fellowship Program. Apply anytime. 
3. Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. Apply anytime.
4. Mind Trust Education Entrepreneur Fellowship. Apply anytime.
5. Rainer Arnhold Design Fellowship Program. Apply anytime.
6. REDF Farber Fellowship. Apply anytime.
7. Reynolds Fellowships Harvard University.  
8. Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program. 
9. PopTech Science and Public Leadership Fellows Program. Apply by invitation.
10. TED Senior Fellows Program. Selected from Past Fellows.
11. IDEO Fellowship Program. 
12. Teach for America. Multiple deadlines.
13. Ashoka Senior Fellows & Members. Apply anytime.
14. Ashoka Global Fellows. Apply anytime.
15. Ashoka Social Investment Entrepreneur Fellows. Apply anytime.
16. Ashoka Invention and Technology Fellows Program. Apply anytime.
17. Ashoka News & Knowledge Fellows. Apply anytime.
18. MicroEmpowering Social Innovation Fellowship. Apply anytime.
19. Teach for India. Multiple deadlines
20. MacArthur Fellows Program. Apply by invitation.
21. Aspen Institute First Movers Fellowship Program. Apply by January.
22. MIT Legatum Center Fellowship. Apply by January.
23. IDEX Fellowship. Apply by January.
24. Echoing Green Fellowship. Apply by January.
25. American India Foundation Fellowship. Apply by January.
26. Greenlining Institute Legal Fellows Program. Apply by January.
27. NYU Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowship. Apply by January or February.
28. Greenlining Institute Fellowship Program. Apply by February.
29. Engineers for Social Impact. Apply by February.
30. City Hall Fellows Program. Apply by February.
31. Crowley Fellowship in International Human Rights. Apply by February.
32. Public Allies Teachers Fellowship Program. Apply by February.
33. Stanford - NBC News Fellowship in Media and Global Health. Apply by February.
34. Cordes Fellowship for Opportunity Collaboration. Apply by March.
35. Global Health Corps. Apply by March.
36. Grassroutes India Fellowship Program. Apply by March. 
37. Indicorp Fellowship. Apply by March.
38. PopTech Social Innovation Fellows Program. Apply by March.
39. Changing Our World Fellowships. Apply by March.
40. Acumen Fund East Africa Fellows Program. Apply by April. 
41. Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. Apply by April.
42. Global Citizen Year. Apply by May.
43. Villgro Fellowship. Apply by May.
44. D.Light Design Fellowship. Apply by May.
45. Rolex Awards Supporting Enterprising Individuals. Apply by June.
46. Humphrey Fellowship Program: Journalism Fellowships. Apply by June to September. 
47. TED Fellows Program. Apply by July.
48. Synergos Senior Fellows Program
. Apply by July.
49. LGT Venture Philanthropy iCats Fellowship Program. Apply by July.
50. Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship. Apply by July.
51. Open Society Fellowship. Apply by August.
52. Piramal Fellowship for Sustainable Business. Apply by September.
53. Skadden Legal Fellowship Program. Apply by October.
54. Kiva Fellowship. Apply by October.
55. Buckminister Fuller Challenge. Apply by October.
56. StartingBloc Fellowship Program. Apply by October.
57. EmergeCA Democratic Fellowship Program for Women. Apply by October.
58. Fuse Corps Fellowship.  Apply by October.
59. Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowships. Apply by October.
60. PresenTense Social Entrepreneur Fellowships. Apply by October or November.
61. Smithsonian Institute Fellowship. Apply by November.
62. Unreasonable Institute. Apply by November.
63. Acumen Fund Global Fellows Program. Apply by November.
64. Fried Frank Legal Fellowship Program. Apply by November.
65. Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Apply by November.
66. New Leaders Council. Apply by November.
67. Fellowship for Women Scholar-Practitioners from Developing Nations. Apply by November.
68. Sauvé Scholars Program. Apply by November.
69. TEDGlobal Fellows Program. Apply by December.
70. Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society Fellowship Program. Apply by December.
71. Nieman Journalism Fellowships at Harvard University. Apply by December
72. Rhode Island Innovation Fellowship. Apply by December.
73. LeapFrog Investments Global Fellows Program. Apply by December.
74. M121 Fellowship for Sustainable World Change. Apply by December.
75. Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program. Concluding in 2013.

See Also

• Ashoka Advantage: Lists of Social Innovation Awards and Funding
• University of Pennsylvania Law School Listing of Social Innovation Fellowships [PDF]
• Riches For Good Listing of Social Entrepreneurship Fellowships
• Change.org List of Fellowship Opportunities for Social Entrepreneurs
• Beyond Profit List of Social Entrepreneur Fellowships

*Updated 12/8/12