Design 21: Social Design Network

Programs

• Identify Visionaries: Through a highly competitive selection process, Echoing Green identifies talented yet unproven social entrepreneurs who are dedicated to addressing the root causes of social problems.

• Invest in Innovation: Each year, we invest at least $1 million to help Echoing Green Fellows transform innovative ideas into action. By applying entrepreneurial principles to social sector investment, we help launch cutting-edge organizations that transform communities.

• Provide Hands-on Support: We provide technical assistance and consulting to help new leaders build organizations, increase their organization’s capacity, and manage growth. We also facilitate peer-to-peer learning to enhance leadership skills and ensure organizational sustainability.

• Connect People: We harness the experience and expertise of our global network of social entrepreneurs to share best practices and ensure success.

History

Echoing Green was established in 1987 by the senior leadership of General Atlantic, LLC and The Atlantic Philanthropies (APS). General Atlantic, LLC (GA) is a leading global private equity firm providing capital for growth companies driven by information technology or intellectual property. Founded in 1980, General Atlantic manages approximately $10 billion, investing between $800 million and $1 billion per year in growth, recapitalization, and buyout opportunities worldwide. The Atlantic Philanthropies was founded in 1982 to work globally to identify and support leaders, institutions, and organizations dedicated to learning, knowledge-building, and solving pressing social problems.

Echoing Green’s founders had great success in the private sector and were looking to bring proven venture capital investment strategies to the social sector. Through the creation of Echoing Green, GA and APS have helped pioneer the strategy of applying entrepreneurial principles to social sector investing.

Named from a William Blake poem, Echoing Green opened its doors in 1987 and supported two successful recent business school graduates to work in the social sector. Although Echoing Green’s program evolved throughout the years, we have consistently supported visionary leaders and their innovative ideas for social change.

Like venture capital firms, Echoing Green is in the business of investing money in start-ups. The difference is that we invest in mostly nonprofit start-up organizations that will deliver a social return as opposed to a financial one. The concept of risk is inherent in taking chances on new, unproven ideas and concepts. We believe that taking risks up front is important because we believe that the next big idea for social change will come from a robust pipeline of new leaders with innovative, new solutions.

Like some venture capital firms, we consider ourselves active investors — not just providing funding, but also helping our social entrepreneurs achieve their maximum potential through a range of supports including contacts, advice and technical assistance. Similarly, we view our fellows as investment partners, partners with whom we collaborate as they build and grow their organizations and with whom we hope to have a long-term relationship.

Still supported by our original founders, Echoing Green has celebrated numerous 10th Anniversary parties with some of our oldest former fellows and continues to search the world for the next new idea that has the potential to create positive social change.

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