THE WILD GIFT FELLOWSHIP

Each year, Wild Gift selects a small group of "better world entrepreneurs" for a 12-month Fellowship that includes mentoring, fundraising support, and wilderness-based programs that teach leadership and business skills while building a lifelong support network.  The application for the 2018-19 fellowship is now closed.
Wild Gift empowers social entrepreneurs working to solve our world's most pressing environmental challenges.  In the field of social innovation, the road to success is often long and lonely… brutal hours, massive amounts of stress, and a huge amount of personal sacrifice. Research on social entrepreneurs and our own experience of funding 52 Fellows over the last fifteen years reveal that the ability to persevere is as important to eventual success as a good business plan. 

We know it isn’t easy to change the world, but we have over a decade of success at finding those who want to… and do.  We know it takes more than money to get a great idea off the ground.  It takes persistence, ingenuity, and courage. Being a social entrepreneur means believing in YES, even when you mostly hear NO.  It means clearly seeing your goal, while flexibly charting an unknown path to get there. It means consistently having the courage to follow your convictions in the face of many obstacles – expected and unexpected.

Our unique Wild Gift leadership development experience affirms the “wildness” of spirit needed to change the world and instills in each Fellow a lasting belief in the importance of courage, teamwork, integrity, resilience, and audacity.  We bundle this character-building focus with technical assistance from dedicated professional mentors who assist Fellows with a wide variety of issues from fundraising strategy to marketing to growth plans. Our experience and track record prove that coupling unique personal growth support with professional technical assistance makes all the difference in lifting these ventures off the ground and successfully retaining these individuals as social change agents.


​THE WILD GIFT PROGRAM

Each Fellowship begins with a 20-day team expedition in the Idaho wilderness. The expedition challenges each Fellow physically and emotionally and connects them to the natural world on a very personal level. Fellows are able to unplug, incubate ideas, and envision the true scope of their work and lives while building lifelong bonds with peers and mentors tackling similar challenges. After a year of monthly video calls and mentoring, Fellows return to Idaho to reconnect and float the Salmon River. At the conclusion of the Fellowship, Fellows are welcomed into an active group of alumni and supporters.

Fellows receive:
  • A 20-day team expedition in the Idaho wilderness
  • Technical assistance and dedicated mentors
  • A tight-knit cadre of alumni working all over the world, including sponsorship to attend annual Fellowship retreats
  • Exposure to a growing pool of potential angel investors interested in socially impactful businesses
  • Support beyond the official term of their Fellowship through ongoing networking opportunities, knowledge sharing, speaking invitations, and continued inclusion in Wild Gift’s national and international outreach

Since its founding 15 years ago, Wild Gift has supported 52 social entrepreneurs working around the world in education, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, energy efficiency and innovation, community development, public policy, wetland conservation, and stewardship. Wild Gift ventures currently enhance local economies as well as the natural environment in 8 countries on 4 continents (including Haiti, Canada, Nigeria, Kenya, Chile, India, Samoa, Nepal) and in 15 states including Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California. Many of our Fellows go on to receive national and international recognition for their innovative ideas and work and many return to Wild Gift as mentors, board members, and supporters.


A gLIMPSE OF OUR FELLOWS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • $16 Million+ raised in campus sustainability funds. –Rachel Barge '09
  • 1.1 Million+ square feet of energy efficient real estate. –Brian Salazar '08
  • 90,000+ students learning about the North American wilderness. –Amy Freeman '10
  • 10,000+ clean energy cookstoves distributed in Nigeria. –Monica Samec '08
  • 12,000+ square miles of Canadian wilderness protected. –David Sone '10
  • 6+ Solar powered buildings built in rural India. –Viraj Puri '05
  • $500,000+ local artisan goods sold in online marketplace. –Cody Hopkins '08
  • 150+ websites built for environmental initiatives, reaching thousands of people around the world. –Pete Land '03
  • 1000+ guests annually connected to people and places making real food in Vermont. –Chris Howell '10
  • 30 athletes are supporting 15 nonprofits through sale of healthy products produced by Play Hard Give Back –Spencer Brendel '12
  • 5 different moringa based products sold in 1000+ US stores generating $300,000 in capital going back into West African women's co-ops –Lisa Curtis '13
WILD GIFT  •  P.O. Box 1151, Hailey, Idaho 83333  •  208-471-8124  •  [email protected]