India Acumen Fellowship

– You are a social entrepreneur or senior decision-maker solving problems of poverty.

– You have 5 years of work experience (minimum) and are able to demonstrate commitment towards solving issues of poverty. On average our Fellows have 10-15 years of work experience with 10 years working on problems of poverty.

– You have a reliable internet connection and will be fully available to participate throughout the entirety of the program.

Q: Can I apply if my organization has only one team member?

No, to be eligible for this opportunity, your organization must have at least two team members. We believe collaboration and shared responsibilities are key to the growth and success of social enterprises, and having a minimum of two team members ensures a stronger foundation.

Q: What percentage of my target group needs to be below the poverty line?

At least 50% of your target group, including beneficiaries and stakeholders, should fall below the poverty line. Our mission is to create meaningful impact in underserved communities, and ensuring a majority of your beneficiaries come from low-income backgrounds is a crucial requirement.

Q: Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

Our goal is to foster inclusive growth by empowering those from underserved areas and marginalized identities. Everyone is eligible to apply, and we actively encourage individuals with diverse identities to apply. Our focus will prioritize:

– Organizations working in rural areas, especially those who have lived most of their lives in such regions.
– Women and non-binary individuals leading or working within impact focused organizations.
– For-profit social enterprises that focus on creating a positive social impact.

Q: What are the academic qualifications for the program?

There are no specific academic prerequisites.

Q: Are there minimum or maximum age requirements?

You must be over the age of 18 to apply for the Fellowship.

Q: Is English proficiency a requirement?

Yes. All sessions and training are conducted in English, with the exception of the Colombia and Spain programs, which are offered in Spanish. To give and receive most from the experience, proficiency in the language is a requirement.

Q: I’m not from any region where Acumen currently has a Fellowship… Can I still apply?

No. At this time, we are targeting individuals whose work has a direct impact in the regions below:

• Colombia
• East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan)
• India
• Malaysia
• Pakistan
• Spain
• UK
• West Africa (Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia)

Q: Can someone who has participated in one Acumen Fellows program apply and participate in another? (for example, can a Global Fellow join the Colombia, East Africa, India, Pakistan, or West Africa program?)

No. Each cohort of Acumen Fellows must be composed of individuals who have not previously taken part in an Acumen Fellows program. This is specific to Acumen’s programs; candidates who have participated in other fellowships or leadership programs, or who have taken Acumen Academy courses, are welcome to apply.

Q: Can I apply if I have graduated from an Acumen Academy Accelerator? 

If you have graduated from one of the following Leadership Accelerators, you won’t be eligible for the Fellowship as the content and experience are quite similar for both these programs. These Leadership Accelerators are: Leadership Essentials for Innovative Builders; Inclusive Economy Leadership SEA Program; Resilient Small-Scale Fisheries Leadership Accelerator; Leadership Program for Climate Resilience Innovators Pakistan; Leadership Essentials for Social Innovators India;  or Social Impact Leadership Accelerator-Vietnam.

Q: Can I apply if I have taken Acumen Academy courses?

Absolutely! Taking Acumen Academy courses prior to the Fellowship is strongly encouraged.

Q: Can two people from the same organization apply for the Acumen Fellowship?
The Acumen Fellowship is a significant investment in an individual’s leadership journey. As the Fellowship is competitive and only ~20 spots per year in each region are available, we aim to amplify our impact through the Fellows by asking them to take learnings from the Fellowship back to their teams and communities.

This means that in a given year, while multiple people from the same organization may apply, should you all meet our basic eligibility criteria, we will only be able to select one of you to advance in the selection process. We suggest keeping this in mind as you make the decision regarding whether one or more of you will apply in the same year.
This also means that, within a 3 year period, we will not be able to accept more than one person as a Fellow from the same organization. If somebody from your organization has been an Acumen Fellow in the last 3 years, we will not be able to accept your application this year (except if you are part of  a large organization (i.e. UN, WHO), then we’d consider if your role and team are significantly different and removed from the other Fellow.)

Fellowship Selection

No. Although the majority of our Fellows are leading social enterprises, our Fellows also work at other types of organizations.
Fellows mostly fall into these three categories:

• Entrepreneurs who have founded or are leading a for-profit or non-profit organization that provides critical goods and services to the underserved.
• Organizational builders who are playing an integral role (i-e CEO, MD, COO) in the growth of poverty- focused organizations from within, but not as the Founder or CEO.
• Intrapreneurs who are in decision making roles building innovative solutions to tackle poverty at existing institutions (governments, corporations, etc.) by shifting culture, strategy, and building new collaborations.

Q: Do I need to be currently involved in a social impact organization/initiative?

Yes. The Fellow Candidates we look for are individuals who are currently leading initiatives or working full-time in organizations aimed at creating social impact and eradicating poverty.

We know that the path of social impact is long, and often it is a great challenge to just begin. If you have taken the courageous step of just beginning on your social impact journey, you have an idea that you are hoping to work on, or you want to develop an idea, we offer many other learning opportunities through Acumen Academy, our online school for social change, that may interest you.

Q: Can you please share more about your selection criteria?

The Acumen Fellowship is for builders who are committed to solving the problems of poverty and want to build a world based on dignity. Beyond the basic eligibility requirements (stated on the website), we are looking for the following when selecting Fellow Candidates:

Commitment towards solving problems of poverty

The builders we seek are individuals who are deeply embedded in the community they serve and are already leading or building organizations/initiatives to solve the problems of poverty. They have decided that the world needs to change and have already taken steps to drive the change they wish to see. They are in a position of influence in the work that they are doing, have demonstrated impact, and have a clear vision about the impact they want to create in their communities. We invite you to ask yourself: “Can I demonstrate my commitment towards solving problems of poverty and show the impact of my work? What’s my vision to take this work forward?

Leadership and Growth Potential

We are looking for individuals who have purpose alignment with the work that they are doing. They demonstrate self awareness, ability to learn from their mistakes, and persist on the path they are pursuing. These individuals are able to demonstrate their leadership capacity through past examples, sharing their life experiences. We invite you to ask yourself: “Does this program match my current leadership development needs? Can I learn and grow in service of my purpose?”

Values Alignment and Readiness

The Fellowship is an educational leadership program, and requires an individual to ask difficult questions and learn in a cohort setting. We are looking for individuals who are willing and able to take on this leadership and be part of a cohort that brings together different identities, beliefs, and experiences.

We believe in accompanying our Fellows as they continue to work on creating impact around the world. We expect applicants to demonstrate that they will be able to share their skills, knowledge, and experience with the Foundry, and similarly be able to benefit from the Foundry offerings. We invite you to ask yourself: “Am I aligned with Acumen’s values? Is this the right time to undertake this journey? Does this seem like the right next step to follow to get to the next level?”

Q: Do I need to currently be involved in work focused on poverty?

Yes. Our  program is designed for individuals who are currently leading or are an integral part of building an organization/initiative whose mission is to eradicate poverty. We can only accept individuals who are already on this path on a full-time basis. We will, on an exceptional basis, consider applicants who are working part-time, as long as they demonstrate a full-time commitment to fighting poverty*.

*Poverty is a complex concept and we believe it is not defined merely by economic measure (you can read more about how we think about poverty/injustice here – “The Opposite of Poverty”). 

Q: How many Fellows are selected each year in each region? 

On average, we select ~ 20 Fellows per year in each region.

Q: I meet the preliminary requirements and basic eligibility, but I am in the middle of a job switch right now. How would that affect my application?

Our program is designed for individuals who are currently leading or are an integral part of building an organization/initiative whose overarching mission is to eradicate poverty and injustice within their community/country/region. We look for individuals who are currently committed to the work full-time and are able to bring back what they learn in the first year of the program to their work for direct application.

If you believe that you have significant prior experience in social change work and have plans to stay in the work of tackling poverty, we would encourage you to apply. If not, please consider applying next year. You can always start investing in your capacity to create effective change with other offerings by Acumen Academy made available to anyone passionate about creating change in the world.

Keep the following tips in mind as you approach your application.

• Be concise. Please be mindful of stated word limits as the application will not allow you to exceed them. It is strongly recommended that you compose your responses in a word processor with a character count feature.

• Save your draft often. From the beginning, make a habit of clicking the SAVE DRAFT button at the bottom of the page to avoid losing your work. You can always return to your application form when you save it as a draft, however you will not be able to make changes after you complete the submission.

• Save an offline copy. We strongly recommend you read through the entire application form first. Enter and save your background information, then spend time offline composing your responses to the essay questions. When you are ready to submit, copy and paste your responses into the online form. Acumen is not responsible for any lost text, so save early and save often.
• Apply early. Start well in advance to avoid any last-minute technical difficulties or connectivity problems. We do not accept applications after the deadline.

Q: I might not be in India next year. Should I still apply?

Our Fellowship requires you to fully participate in the sessions that will happen throughout the year. Some Immersives will require in-person participation and we will only be able to fund your travel to and from a city within the country. International travel will not be provided. If you believe that you will be able to attend all sessions, we would encourage you to apply.

If you plan to be away from your country/region next year to move on from the initiative you have been working on, then we encourage you to apply in the future when you are back in the region/the country.

Q: Do I have to be a resident of the region/country to which I am applying? (For example, Indian to apply to the India Fellows Program?)

Yes. We seek applications from residents of the country/region. Depending on our local team’s capacity, we do make exceptions for applicants who demonstrate a concrete connection to the region/country (ie. long-term employment, and/or focus of the social impact initiative project).

Q: What are the technology requirements for accessing and completing the application? 

To apply to the Acumen Fellowship, applicants will need a stable internet connection as the application is meant to be completed on an online platform. Additionally, we highly recommend applying through a laptop as the mobile experience is not recommended. All application documents and components must be submitted through the online portal. We highly recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser.

If you experience issues submitting any element of your application, please try submitting your application from a different browser, computer, or a different location with stronger internet connectivity.

Late submissions due to internet/technology issues will not be accepted so we encourage you to submit your application well in advance before the deadline. If you continue experiencing issues, please contact the Acumen Academy team viafellows@acumenacademy.org.

Q: What if I have trouble completing or submitting my application? 

To submit your application, you’ll need to check that the deadline hasn’t yet passed. Then, you’ll need to complete all required tasks within your application. Finally, you’ll need to confirm that you’re responding to all the mandatory questions and that the files you’ve uploaded are meeting the requirements.

Following this, you should be able to submit your application without encountering any issues. See SMApply “Completing an Application FAQ” and if you keep facing issues contact the Acumen Academy team via the regional team email address (that you’ll find inside the application form) or fellows@acumenacademy.org sharing your email address and screenshot of the issue you’re facing.

Q: Will I get notified after my application has been submitted?

Yes. Our system automatically sends a confirmation email once your initial application has been submitted. If you do not receive one immediately after submitting your application, please check your email settings to make sure that our emails are not caught in your spam filter. We will send emails through the following domains: smapplycsm@momentive.ai, @acumenacademy.org, and @acumen.org

Q: Can I edit my application after it’s been submitted?

No, this is not possible. However, it is possible to save your application before submitting, and  return to it later for editing. Make sure you double check all elements of your application before it is submitted. We cannot accept edits or changes after the fact, either through the platform or by email.

Q: Are recommendation letters required?

No. However, during the later stages of the selection process, we will ask you to provide the contact information of two professional references that we can reach out to, if you make it to the final stage of the selection process. Your references should be people with whom you have worked closely. They should not be family, friends, or spouses.

While the Fellowship is fully-funded for Fellow Candidates, we don’t provide any funding or additional benefits as part of the program. Some of our regions provide need-based funding for the Selection Conference. This will be communicated to the participants if they are selected for the Selection Conference.

Q: Which costs does the program cover? 

Once you are selected as an Acumen Fellow Candidate, Acumen covers all program-related expenses during the Fellowship. This includes all costs associated with the immersives including lodging and food. Reimbursements are available for travel to immersives if the participants wish to claim them.

Q: What is the attendance policy? What if I need to miss a seminar?

The program has a 100% attendance requirement, and all selected Fellow Candidates must attend all program sessions, cohort calls, and 1:1s and complete assignments or face possible removal from the program. We make exceptions for emergencies on a case-by-case basis.

Q: What’s meant by an in-person immersive?

Immersives are typically held over 5 days. These include interactive discussions, individual reflection, peer coaching, and informal relationship building. There is typically pre-work (of 8 hours) for each immersive that is to be completed 2 weeks beforehand in order to prepare for and make the most of the immersive learning experience. Fellows are expected to be fully present for the sessions (typically 8 hours a day) and ensure there are no competing commitments during this time.

Each program will communicate the details on these during the selection process. The locations are selected based on the accessibility for the cohort as a whole. Fellows are expected to stay at the residential location for the entire duration, even if they are located in the same city where the immersive is being held.

What is meant by a Learning Lab?

A Learning Lab is a 4-hour-long virtual facilitated learning session. That will build upon the self-paced assignments (average 1 hour/week) and will provide you with an opportunity to dive deeper into content blocks with your cohort.

Q: What are the Moral Leadership Principles?

As part of your Fellowship journey, you will be grounded in The 12 Principles of Moral Leadership, developed from over 20 years of working with leaders who are improving how the poor, the vulnerable, and the earth are treated.

The Principles, inspired by Acumen Founder Jaqueline Novogratz, are as follows:

• Cultivate Moral Imagination
•  Listen to Voices Unheard
• Hold Opposing Values in Tension
• Tell Stories That Matter
• Explore Identities
• Redefine Success
• Use Markets for Good
• Partner with Humility and Audacity
• Avoid the Conformity Trap
• Accompany Each Other
• Embrace the Beautiful Struggle
• Practice Courage

Q: Is internet connectivity a requirement to participate in the program? 

Yes. The primary method of communication regarding logistics and other important information is email. Assignments between sessions will be provided via an online learning platform. Therefore, all Fellows must have regular and reliable internet access that allows the downloading and uploading of documents as well as audio and video files.

Q: Where will the different seminars and meetings for the program be held?

The immersives are typically held in or around major cities across the program region. In the past, they have been held in:

• East Africa Program: Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, and Dar es Salaam
• India Program: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mysore
• Pakistan Program: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Murree, Peshawar, and Bahawalpur
• West Africa Program: Accra and Lagos
• Colombia Program: Bogota, Cali, Medellín, Ráquira, and Sasaima
• Malaysia Program: Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and Perak

Individuals will be notified on the exact dates and logistics of the immersives upon being selected as a Fellow.

Beyond the Fellowship

Once you complete the program, you are invited into a community that we call the Foundry. Each regional Foundry team member curates and creates opportunities to further your learning and access resources to help you grow your impact. There are also activities and opportunities that are made available worldwide to members. Opportunities may include access to funding (by application or referral), mentorship and coaching, and pro-bono services like consulting. You will be added to the Foundry newsletters and gain access to the Foundry Dashboard where these opportunities are listed.

Q: Do I automatically qualify for grant funding or an investment if I participate in the Fellows Program? 

No. While the Foundry is eligible to apply for our Angels Program, there is a separate application process. The Acumen Fellowship is completely independent of our investment activities. If you are interested in learning more about Acumen’s investment criteria, click here.

Q: Is post-Fellowship job placement provided?

No. If you still have questions after reading the Frequently Asked Questions, please email fellows@acumenacademy.org.