Skoll Foundation - Skoll Awards for Social Innovation

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Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Flagship awards providing multi-year core funding and strategic support to selected social entrepreneurship organizations demonstrating large-scale impact and systems change potential. Can finance organizational strengthening and scaling of circular economy and waste value-chain models globally.

Source: https://skoll.org/skoll-awards-for-social-innovation/

Funding Details

Funder: Skoll Foundation
Funding Goal: Multi-year core funding and strategic support for selected social entrepreneurship organizations demonstrating large-scale impact and systems change potential. Skoll Awards provide multi-year unrestricted grants (core funding) to outstanding social entrepreneurs and organizations driving transformational change across global social and environmental challenges including circular economy, climate, and equity.
Funding Amount: Multi-year core funding grants; specific amounts vary by awardee and are not publicly disclosed. Awards typically represent significant multi-year general operating support.
Deadline: Not applicable — Skoll identifies awardees through its own processes; no open application (Unknown)
How to Apply: No open application process. Skoll's program team identifies organizations through its networks and research. Organizations can engage through the Skoll World Forum and build relationships with Skoll staff over time. 2026 awardees were announced April 2026.
Target Region: Global; particularly active in Sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia, Latin America, and globally scalable models
Contact: Skoll Foundation, 250 University Avenue, Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA. Contact via skoll.org/about/contact-us/
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 01:48

Application Checklist

Eligibility

No open application — Skoll identifies awardees through internal research and nomination process
Must demonstrate proven, large-scale systems-change impact — not suitable for early-stage organizations

Project Scope

Organization and social entrepreneur leader both assessed as part of award consideration

Required Documents

Engagement through Skoll World Forum can help build visibility with Skoll program staff

Constraints

Award provides multi-year unrestricted core funding — amount not publicly disclosed
Highly competitive and relationship-driven selection with no predictable timeline

Summary

The Skoll Foundation Awards for Social Innovation are one of the most prestigious and financially significant multi-year grants in global social entrepreneurship. Since 2003, the foundation has supported over 122 social entrepreneurs and 100 organizations across five continents through multi-year core funding investments. The Skoll model is based on identifying organizations at their inflection point towards scale — not early-stage pilots, but proven models ready for acceleration. Skoll invests in both the organization and the social entrepreneur leader, providing multi-year unrestricted core funding to remove operational constraints and enable bold strategic moves. Priority themes include global health and pandemic preparedness, deforestation and environmental justice, economic opportunity and smallholder agriculture, girls' education, and systemic circular economy or climate solutions. While Skoll does not restrict to specific topics, the portfolio reflects preference for organizations addressing root causes of major global inequities and environmental threats with demonstrable, replicable approaches. Geographically, Skoll's portfolio spans Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and globally scalable models. The foundation is particularly attracted to organizations that have cracked the code on a global challenge and are ready to take their model to tens of millions of beneficiaries. There is no open application — Skoll's program team identifies candidates through research, referrals from the Skoll Fellow network, and engagement at the annual Skoll World Forum in Oxford. Organizations interested in the award should build relationships with Skoll staff over time and seek engagement through the Skoll community events.

Historical Context

The Skoll Awards for Social Innovation were established in 2003 by Jeff Skoll, eBay's first president. Since founding, Skoll has supported 122 social entrepreneurs and 100 organizations on five continents. Annual awards are typically announced at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford. 2026 awards were announced April 7, 2026.

Sources

https://skoll.org/skoll-awards-for-social-innovation/

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