Western Union Foundation Fellowship | How To Apply 2024

The Western Union Foundation Fellowship Program is a business and leadership accelerator program for entrepreneurs and community leaders from the most disadvantaged, refugee, and forcibly displaced populations around the world.

The fellowship is a fully funded virtual and worldwide program designed to equip the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders with the information and expertise they need to improve access to economic opportunity, build valuable networks and resources, and impact their communities.

More scholarship opportunities are ongoing in countries across Europe, the United States and Canada. Check out some selected opportunities below:

Details:

Apply for the 2024 Western Union Foundation Fellowship to receive a comprehensive roadmap to guide growth and scalability. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable corporation from The Western Union Company that receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents, consumers, and business partners.

The Western Union Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of senior Western Union executives from across the globe. The Foundation’s executive director and highly-skilled team grant makers, fundraisers, and advocators is based in Denver, Colorado. For 20 years, the Western Union Foundation has invested in changing lives for the better.

Requirements:

To apply for the Western Union Foundation Fellowship, you need to complete the following requirements:

• Who You Are: You are an entrepreneur or community leader from and working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.
• What You Do: You are leading an early-stage social impact venture or community initiative with a proven track record of impact, entrepreneurship, and leadership in their community. We define early-stage ventures as those that have a working prototype/ MVP product or service with active customers or beneficiaries and demonstrated impact and revenue. Ideally, you are exploring your product-market fit.
• Where You Create Impact: Applicants from or are working in the following countries will be given priority: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Uganda, United Kingdom,United States
• What You Are Looking For: You are looking for expert-led entrepreneurial training, access to funding opportunities, and a vast network of mentorship to accelerate your leadership skills and venture impact.
• What You Will Accomplish: With the support of the Watson Institute team, you will gain a roadmap of how to grow and scale your work and impact. In addition, you will create impact through the facilitation of an impact workshop and training (called a Basecamp)in your community and for your stakeholders. You will receive a stipend, playbook, and team support to make this happen.

Duration and Reward:

• Dates: August 8th, 2024 to November 19th, 2024 (16 weeks of programming).
  Format: Weekly virtual workshops with localized gatherings and events when possible (6-8 hours per week per week time commitment)
• Immersive & Orientation: 2-week virtual Immersive starting October 2nd, 2023 (20–25 hours per week time commitment)
  Workshops & Training: Modules include Foundations, Data & Metrics, Go-To-Market, Funding, Team Management, and Pitch
• Impact Series: The world’s foremost leaders, entrepreneurs, and practitioners are invited to our programs to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience as well as mentor the Watson Institute and Fellows.
• Basecamp: 2+ day workshops designed to Fellows’ communities to ideate solutions, design business models, and compellingly communicate their businesses and organizations to an external audience.
• Summit: Culminating community event where Fellows pitch to local leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs (February 13, 2024)
• Seed Funding: $36,000 in seed funding will be distributed among select Western Union Foundation Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship.

How To Apply

To apply for the Western Union Foundation Fellowship, applicants should follow the timeline below:

• Complete the online application. This application should take approximately 45 minutes to fill out. The deadline for application submissions is June 1st, 2024.
• The Admissions Committee diligently reviews all applications, seeking entrepreneurs who demonstrate strong leadership qualities and ventures that are both innovative and scalable.
• Qualified applicants will receive invitations for a 20-minute one-on-one Zoom interview.
• Notifications of acceptance will be sent out during the week of July 1st, 2024.

Apply here

Deadline: June 1, 2024