Applications are open for the Global Changemaker Fellowship 2026, a six-month programme designed for young changemakers, social innovators and initiative founders working to address challenges in their communities.
Organised by the Global Changemaker Collective, the fellowship brings together individuals developing initiatives across areas such as climate and the environment, gender and inclusion, health and well-being, livelihoods and economic empowerment, and technology and innovation.
Applicants should already have an initiative or project and be prepared to participate actively throughout the six-month fellowship.
About the Global Changemaker Fellowship 2026
The Global Changemaker Fellowship focuses on people who are already developing solutions to social and community challenges.
Rather than requiring applicants to present only an idea, the application asks candidates to provide information about an existing initiative, including how long it has been operating, its team size, achievements and activities completed to date.
Applicants are also asked to explain the challenge they are addressing and how their initiative responds to that challenge.
This makes the fellowship particularly relevant to emerging social entrepreneurs, community leaders, nonprofit founders, innovators and other changemakers looking to strengthen initiatives they have already started.
Fellowship Duration
The Global Changemaker Fellowship lasts six months.
Applicants are specifically asked whether they can commit to active participation throughout the entire fellowship period.
The application provides several responses regarding availability, including full commitment, participation with occasional scheduling constraints, uncertainty and inability to participate.
Candidates should therefore consider their availability before applying.
Who Should Consider Applying?
The application form indicates that the fellowship is intended for individuals running initiatives addressing social, economic, environmental, health or technological challenges.
Applicants are asked to provide their country of residence, date of birth, gender and information about their initiative.
The programme may be particularly relevant to:
- Young social innovators
- Social entrepreneurs
- Community initiative founders
- Youth leaders
- Nonprofit and civil society innovators
- Climate and environmental changemakers
- Technology-focused innovators
- Health and well-being advocates
- Gender and inclusion advocates
- Economic empowerment initiative leaders
The source provided does not specify a particular age range or list of eligible countries, so applicants should not assume additional eligibility restrictions unless confirmed by the organisers.
Fellowship Focus Areas
Applicants must identify the theme that most closely matches the primary focus of their initiative.
Climate and Environment
This category is relevant to initiatives working on environmental sustainability, climate-related challenges and related community solutions.
Gender & Inclusion
Applicants developing initiatives focused on inclusion, participation, equality or gender-related challenges can select this category.
Health & Well-being
Projects addressing health, wellness and related social challenges may fall within this theme.
Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment
This category covers initiatives seeking to strengthen livelihoods and economic opportunities.
Technology & Innovation
Technology entrepreneurs and innovators using digital or other innovative approaches to address challenges can select this category.
Other
Applicants whose initiatives do not fit the listed themes can select the “Other” option.
What Information Is Required?
Applicants should prepare detailed information about themselves and their initiatives before beginning the application.
The application asks for basic personal information, including:
First and last name
Email address
Phone number
Country of residence
Date of birth
Gender
Candidates must then provide information about their initiative.
This includes the name of the initiative, how long it has been operating and a description of its activities.
Initiative Team Size
Applicants are asked to indicate how many people currently make up their initiative.
Available categories include:
1 – Founder only
2–5 team members
6–10 team members
11–25 team members
26+ team members
This suggests that both individual founders and people managing larger teams can complete the application.
Website or Social Media Presence
Applicants must provide a website or social media link for their initiative.
They can also provide additional relevant links.
These could include project pages, publications, media coverage or other social profiles connected to the initiative.
Candidates may therefore benefit from making sure their public project information clearly communicates what their initiative does and what it has achieved.
Questions Applicants Should Prepare For
A major part of the application focuses on the applicant’s initiative and its potential impact.
Candidates are asked:
What challenge are you trying to address?
Responses to this question have a maximum length of 200 words.
Applicants must also explain:
How does your initiative address this challenge?
Another section asks for a brief summary of the initiative’s achievements and activities to date.
These questions give applicants an opportunity to demonstrate that they understand the problem they are addressing and can explain the practical approach their initiative is taking.
Why Do You Want to Join the Fellowship?
Applicants must explain their motivation for participating in the Global Changemaker Fellowship.
The application asks:
Why do you want to join this fellowship?
Candidates are also asked:
How do you think the fellowship will support the growth of your initiative?
Strong responses should be specific to the applicant’s project rather than simply describing a general desire for professional development.
Applicants can consider the challenges their initiative currently faces and identify areas where participation in the fellowship could help them grow.
Optional Three-Minute Video
Candidates have the option to create a video introducing themselves and their initiative.
The video can be a maximum of three minutes and should cover:
- Who the applicant is
- Their initiative
- Their motivation for applying to the Global Changemaker Fellowship
The video is listed as optional.
Applicants can upload their video to YouTube or Google Drive and submit the corresponding link with their application.
Optional Supporting Document
Applicants can also provide a supporting document.
The application specifically mentions materials such as a:
Pitch deck
Brochure
Other relevant material about the initiative
This requirement is also optional.
Applicants who already have polished supporting materials may consider including them to provide additional context about their initiative.
How to Strengthen Your Application
Candidates should make their application focused and evidence-based.
When describing the challenge, clearly explain the specific problem your initiative addresses and who is affected.
When explaining your solution, show what your initiative actually does rather than relying only on broad statements about its mission.
The achievements section is particularly important because it provides an opportunity to demonstrate progress. Applicants can highlight programmes delivered, communities reached, partnerships established, products developed, campaigns completed or other measurable outcomes where applicable.
Applicants should also clearly explain what they expect to gain from the six-month fellowship and how those benefits could contribute to the future development of their initiative.
Application Requirements at a Glance
Applicants should be prepared to provide:
- Personal and contact information
- Country of residence
- Date of birth
- Initiative name
- Initiative description
- Length of time the initiative has operated
- Primary thematic area
- Team size
- Website or social media link
- Description of the challenge being addressed
- Explanation of the initiative’s solution
- Summary of achievements and activities
- Motivation for joining the fellowship
- Explanation of how the programme could support the initiative
- Confirmation of availability for the six-month programme
Applicants may additionally submit a three-minute introductory video and supporting materials such as a pitch deck or brochure.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the Global Changemaker Collective’s Global Changemaker Fellowship 2026 application form.
Candidates should complete all mandatory sections carefully and ensure that the information provided about their initiative is accurate and consistent with any website or social media profiles submitted.
Applicants should also review their responses before submitting the form.
Application Deadline
The information provided for the Global Changemaker Fellowship 2026 does not state a specific application deadline.
Applicants should therefore check the application page and official Global Changemaker Collective communications for any deadline updates and submit early where possible.
Final Thoughts
The Global Changemaker Fellowship 2026 provides a six-month opportunity for people developing initiatives around social and community challenges to strengthen their work and connect their goals with a structured fellowship experience.
With themes covering climate and environment, gender and inclusion, health and well-being, livelihoods and economic empowerment, and technology and innovation, the programme accommodates initiatives working across several areas of social impact.
Applicants should be prepared to show what their initiative does, the challenge it addresses, achievements made so far, and how participating in the fellowship could support its future growth.
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