The Promising Ventures Fellowship aims to foster a supportive group of 8-10 teams each year. The application process allows leaders to share their organization's story, impact, and aspirations with the Promise team. This page outlines the criteria that the Promise team uses to review applications and understand the team's hopes for the fellowship and vision for their organization.

We strongly encourage applicant teams to work on the application in collaboration with one another. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team with questions or book an office hour!

• Alignment and Support - How well your venture's goals and needs align with the program's resources and support system. We delve into five key areas to shape the cohort.

  • We search for ventures that share our commitment: creating equitable outcomes for children and families most adversely impacted by systemic barriers.
  • We seek ventures with solutions that demonstrably address the specific needs of the communities they support, possessing both feasibility and a high standard of quality.
  • We prioritize ventures with diverse and experienced applicants, including both the CEO/ED/President and another key leader.
  • Finally, the Fellowship seeks ventures with ambitious goals for greater impact. Do you have a clear vision for reaching a wider audience and creating lasting change? Do your current capabilities in terms of team, finances, and operations position you to achieve those objectives?

• Impact Potential - The lasting positive change your venture can create for children and families in the early childhood space. We explore the following key areas.

  • First, we assess the strength of your business model. Is it viable, sustainable, and poised for greater impact? The Fellowship thrives on ventures with a solid foundation, and we're eager to help identify areas for growth and acceleration.
  • Next, we explore your impact potential. Does your venture have a clear plan for creating positive change for children and families?
  • We explore the fellowship's ability to accelerate your impact. Can the Fellowship meaningfully amplify your progress toward achieving your goals?
  • Collaboration is at the heart of our program, so we also evaluate your potential contribution to the cohort. Are you open to sharing wisdom and insights with others? Are you open to learning from your peers and growing alongside them?
  • Finally, we seek ventures that boldly disrupt the status quo. Do you have innovative solutions that address critical needs in early childhood development? Are you willing to take calculated risks to achieve breakthrough outcomes for children and families?