Q: What are the minimum requirements for applying for the program?

• You are a social entrepreneur or senior decision-maker scaling solutions solving problems of poverty.
• You have 7 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: What do you look for in an applicant?
Below are the indicators we use to determine a strong applicant and program readiness. 

• Execution: You have past entrepreneurial success and deep problem-area immersion.
• Growth: You have evidence of a growing number of people served and/or revenue reached in recent years and over a period of time.
• Innovation: You’re moving beyond "business as usual" to create a new product, service, market, or delivery model in underserved communities.
• Influence: You’re a founder of a social enterprise, or hold a senior role with the ability to change industry standards or policies.
• Sustainability: You have some success in securing external capital or institutional grants.
• Impact Sectors: Ideally, you’re working in one or more of Acumen’s impact sectors — quality education, sustainable agriculture, dignified jobs, and renewable energy — or in closely connected areas like healthcare, financial services, water, housing, and rural development.

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
• Pakistan
• Southeast Asia (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam)
• 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.

Q: Do I have to be working at a social enterprise to be considered for the Fellowship?

No. Most of our Fellows lead social enterprises, but not all do. What they share is a track record of real impact against poverty — and the ambition to take it much further.

While most Fellows tend to be: Founders and CEOs building and scaling a social enterprise. The cohort also has a few exceptional leaders who are changing the ecosystem to build more inclusive systems, often from senior roles in government, philanthropy, or large institutions.

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 and 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. Explore our Founders Hub for resources designed to help you find the clarity, tools, and momentum to take your next step forward. 

Q: Can you please share more about your selection criteria?
The Acumen Fellowship is for the most ambitious builders who are committed to solving the problems of poverty and are scaling solutions 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 organizations 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 how to scale 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 an organization whose mission is to eradicate poverty. We can only accept individuals who are already on this path on a full-time basis. 

*Poverty is a complex concept and we believe it is not defined merely by economic measure.


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 an organization whose overarching mission is to eradicate poverty 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. 

Q: What should I keep in mind while applying?

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. 
  
  
• AI Assistance: We expect all applicants to engage authentically throughout the application process. While AI tools may be used to support your writing, all responses should reflect your own thinking, experiences, and voice.

Q: I might not be in Pakistan 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 via fellows@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.

Q: Does the Fellowship provide funding, or additional benefits? 
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 financial assistance  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, food, and transportation. 

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

Q: What is meant by a Learning Lab?

A Learning Lab is a 4-hour-long virtual facilitated learning session. The learning lab 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 Jacqueline 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. Tailored support can be provided for candidates from exceptionally remote regions, assessed on a case-by-case basis.

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
• Southeast Asia 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.

Q: What post-Fellowship support is available? 
When you complete the Fellowship, you join the Foundry, Acumen's global community of 2,000+ builders, and the part many Fellows say matters most. It's a room where you don't have to explain your ambition, and it stays with you long after the program ends.

Your regional Foundry team curates opportunities to help you keep growing your impact, alongside activities open to members worldwide. These can include access to funding (by application or referral), mentorship and coaching, and pro-bono support such as consulting.

You'll also gain access to Acumen Academy Circle, our global community space designed to connect Foundry members across the world; receive the Foundry newsletter; and get access to the Foundry Dashboard, where these opportunities are listed.


Q: If I take part in the Fellowship, do I automatically qualify for grant funding or investment?
No. Taking part doesn't guarantee funding. But it does open the door to the path toward it: as a Foundry member, you're eligible to apply for the Acumen Angels Program, which has its own separate and competitive application process. The Fellowship itself is independent of Acumen's investment activities. If you'd like to learn 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.