The Initiators Fellowship is designed for idea and early-stage entrepreneurs in Greater Minnesota eager to tackle a social or environmental challenge while pursuing leadership growth.
Donor Name: Initiators Fellowship
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Fellowship
Deadline: 06/16/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Initiators Fellowship fosters the development of a social enterprise, a venture with social or environmental good built into the mission and operations of the business. Entrepreneurs who care about their communities are important to communities, but they are not the same as social entrepreneurs.
This program offers Fellows wrap-around support and guidance in their enterprise and leadership journey via individual support and a collective cohort format.
- Training and Development
- Fellows attend regular virtual trainings and quarterly in-person, multi-day fellowship retreats. The Fellowship provides each Fellow with a $3,000 annual stipend to fund professional development and technical assistance based on their unique needs. Fellows develop an individualized plan in consultation with the Initiators Fellowship Program Manager for use of these funds
- Mentorship and Consulting
- Each Fellow is paired with an industry mentor and business coaching and consulting to support their personal, professional and enterprise growth. Through these connections, program trainings and signature events, such as the annual Brain Trust, Fellows accelerate a lifetime network of advocates, colleagues and friends
- Stipend to Support Time Investment
- The expectation is that Fellows dedicate 20 hours per week to the work of the Fellowship and the development of their vision. The Fellowship compensates each Fellow with an annual stipend of $30,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Most individuals who are in the process of starting a social enterprise are eligible to apply, as long as they meet the criteria below. There is no nomination process; applications will be publicly available online. Eligible applicants:
- Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the Fellowship cycle
- Can be a recent college graduate, a young professional, mid-career or in their encore years
- Can be in a partnership enterprise, but only an individual partner with controlling interest may apply to the Fellowship
- Cannot be immediate family of any current board or staff members of the four Minnesota Initiative Foundation program partners. Immediate family includes spouse, parent, grandparent, great grandparent, child, grandchild, great grandchild, and spouses of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren
- Must live and work in and their social enterprise must serve one of the four Minnesota Initiative Foundation regions covered by the Fellowship, or within a tribal nation adjacent to one of the four defined regions. They’re looking for individuals committed to Greater Minnesota’s rural renewal
- Must have English-language proficiency; all programming will take place in English
- Must be eligible for work in the United States. Can be United States citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents or persons legally residing within the region and who have the following immigration status: refugee, asylee, temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status.
- Come with diverse backgrounds experiences, ability, economic status, and perspectives. Women, non-binary people, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Diversity is a core program value.
For more information, visit Initiators Fellowship.
