Rainer Arnhold Fellowships
Funding Amount
Not stated
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round
- Tracked since
- April 2026
From the program guidelines: “We also hold open office hours year round.”
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Eligible organizations
- An organization up and running — nonprofit or for-profit — even if very small or early
Other requirements
- _You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's [website](https://www.mulagofoundation.org/rainer-fellows-program)._
- Rainer Arnhold Fellows are social entrepreneurs, with
- Their sights on a big problem in Sub-Saharan Africa or South/SE Asia
- The closer the leader is to the problem and the communities they serve, the better
Overview
_Note: There is no formal application process.
Rainer Arnhold Fellowship
Each year we select 10 fellows and help them (1) design high-impact scalable solutions and strategies for better and more lasting outcomes; (2) build the organizations to deliver them at scale; and (3) become part of a growing community of innovators in global development.
The one-year fellowship is a mix of money and a lot of ideas, support, and connections. The main event is usually a week-long in-person retreat.Here are the components of the fellowship in more detail:
Design and Strategy
The fellowship is bookended by an intensive week-long workshop to dive in on design for impact and strategy for scale. It’s a rare opportunity to focus completely on new ideas and a systematic way to apply them.
Community and Connections
Fellows join a community of over 100 previous fellows.
Resources and Support
The fellowship comes with $100K (delivered in two $50K tranches). Learning resources are regularly shared to keep everyone informed on the latest thinking and doing.
Our Approach to Design
And want to create big change for the better. And it isn’t about an organization “scaling;” it’s about scaling the impact you want to see in the world.
The first part of the fellowship focuses on how to turn an idea into a systematic and replicable model. It takes them through a series of steps to get to a detailed impact model, and then serves as the vehicle of an ongoing process of iterative redesign. It’s a systematic approach to go all the way. You can take a look at some of the design content here.
The Retreat
The main event is a week-long retreat where fellows have the opportunity to think deeply about their path to create meaningful impact at scale. It's fast-paced, interactive, and fun.
The engagement also helps Fellows work through the organizational and financial models – how to deliver the impact model and how to pay for it.
Fellows get to listen, learn and support each other through:
- Design & scale sessions that build on pre-work
- Iteration on design for impact and strategy for scale
- Honed communications
- Small group topical conversations
- A series of curated one-on-one conversations
They emerge with more clarity on the dream and a roadmap to help get them there.
Eligibility
_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._
- Rainer Arnhold Fellows are social entrepreneurs, with:
- Their sights on a big problem in Sub-Saharan Africa or South/SE Asia. The closer the leader is to the problem and the communities they serve, the better.
- A big idea to meet the basic needs of the very poor (like health, education, agriculture, livelihoods, safety, sanitation, etc.) with the potential to scale.
- An organization up and running — nonprofit or for-profit — even if very small or early.
- The senior decision-making role (often an Executive Director or CEO).
What Mulago Foundation actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 97
- Total given
- $22.53M
- Median grant
- $250K
- Range
- $7,000–$500K
- By dollars: Massachusetts 15%, California 10%, New York 9%. Top recipient cities: New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 29% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Absolute Return for Kids · New York, NY
Relief to the poor
$500K
Aceli Africa Inc · Washington DC, DC
Relief to the poor
$500K
Bridges to Prosperity · Denver, CO
Relief to the poor
$500K
Chancen International GGMBH
Relief to the poor
$500K
Digital Green Foundation · San Francisco, CA
Relief to the poor
$500K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Nonprofits
- Capacity building
- Social justice
- Poverty alleviation
Categories
Browse similar grants by category
Related Grants
Open grants from this funder and similar programs
Ready to apply for Rainer Arnhold Fellowships?
Grantable helps you assess fit, draft narratives, and track deadlines — so you can submit stronger applications, faster.
You found Rainer Arnhold Fellowships. Now let's win it.