Echoing Green Announces Finalists

Seed stage funding and support fellowship offered by Echoing Green has just announced their finalists for this year's competition. The group is diverse in subject, but they are consistent in the strength of their ideas. The real question for the judges to decide now is, who can execute?

The projects fall into one of a handful of categories, including Arts, Culture and Humanities, Civil & Human Rights, Community Improvement & Economic Development, Education & Youth Leadership, Environment,  Food, Nutrition & Agriculture, Health, Legal Advocacy, and Public Service.

There are a number of trends that emerge from the list.

First, there is clear trend towards experimentation with online platforms. Enzi is building a system through which people can loan students money, in exchange for a portion of future earnings for some pre-set period in the future. SoChange is trying to create platforms to harness the collective buying power of social activists.

Another trend is towards a more creative use of existing materials. re:char -- also a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow -- is using new processes to harness waste for energy production. Anza is actually looking to convert waste directly into new useful products.

A couple of the finalists are also have clear stakes in the ongoing conversation about microfinance and how to invest in developing world entrepreneurs. Zidisha is a peer-to-peer lending platform trying to differentiate itself from groups like Kiva by removing intermediaries from the process -- no mean feat if it works.  Ayllu is at the center of what I think is the next big trend - microfranchising. It just makes sense that as microfinance becomes more available, the market for entrepreneurial opportunities will expand to include "business in a box" options more suitable for certain types of entrepreneurs.

One thing that I did notice that may be worth EG's consideration is how clearly "Community Improvement & Economic Development" has become a catchall for everything that doesn't fit into other categories. I've never been a fan of the constraints that foundations and funders put around projects. In a highly interdisciplinary world, the risk is that young organizations start to adapt themselves to the constraints of funder mandates, rather than let the mission lead.

The finalists head to New York City for interviews in a few weeks. With this group of finalists, Echoing Green really can't make a bad choice.