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Become an Accelerator Fellow

Are you an entrepreneur with a bold idea to improve education, income or health in North Texas?

Is your social venture gaining traction and ready to take the next step in growing its impact?

Learn more about the United Way Social Innovation Accelerator and how to apply for our next cohort.

Applications open April 29 – May 21, 2026

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Program Details

The Social Innovation Accelerator empowers social entrepreneurs to refine what’s working in their model, strengthen their pathway to growth and financial sustainability, and grow their ventures to drive measurable impact in education, income and health across North Texas.

The Accelerator runs over 10 months (mid-August-June) through a mixture of in-person and virtual sessions. Bootcamp (August – September) includes two in-person sessions per week (up to 3 hours each). From September through January, fellows engage in mentoring and milestone work (1-5 hours/week), leading to Demo Day, where five fellows are selected for The Pitch in April. All fellows participate in The Showcase in June, highlighting their progress, partnerships and impact.

Each year, we invite up to 10 organizations to become fellows of the Accelerator. The program includes four components:

#1

Bootcamp

You’ll receive intensive expert instruction to refine your model and clarify your impact, growth, and sustainability strategy, then create and work toward key milestones that strengthen your venture, advance your goals and increase your impact.

#2

Mentoring

Your organization will benefit from one-on-one mentoring and coaching from a team of professionals who are leaders in the North Texas business and/or philanthropy sector. Meanwhile, you’ll gain access to valuable connections and resources through the United Way network that can benefit your organization for years to come.

#3

The Pitch

During the Accelerator, we select five fellows to compete at The Pitch. These finalists receive supplemental mentoring and networking opportunities, and increased visibility—as well as the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional seed funding.
#4

The Showcase

Fellows have the opportunity to partcipate in The Showcase, a dynamic, interactive event where ventures bring their work to life through activations, storytelling and real-world demonstrations. The Showcase allows community, corporate and philanthropic audiences to experience and engage directly with solutions expanding across North Texas.

Program FAQs

Who is the ideal candidate for the Accelerator?

The Accelerator is designed for social entrepreneurs leading nonprofit, for-profit or hybrid ventures that are demonstrating early evidence of impact through a differentiated approach in education, income or health across North Texas. Ventures are beyond the idea stage, with solutions that are already working and ready to grow.

Most organizations have annual budgets under $1 million, as larger ventures are often already equipped to scale independently. In select cases, we accept established organizations expanding innovative new programs that are already demonstrating measurable results.

What is the program’s time commitment?

The Accelerator is a rigorous, 10-month-long program that runs from August through the following June and includes a mix of in-person sessions (at United Way’s Downtown Dallas office), mentoring and program events including Demo Day, The Pitch and The Showcase.

The first six weeks of the program are dedicated to an intensive, 40-hour curriculum we call Bootcamp (~6 hours/week in-person ) focused on core elements such as clarifying your impact, refining your growth strategy and strengthening your financial sustainability.

Next, the Milestone Accelerator comprises five months of concentrated coaching leading up to Demo Day in early February.

All fellows then have the opportunity to participate in The Showcase in June, highlighting their progress, partnerships and impact. Select top-performing fellows advance to compete at The Pitch in April, with additional preparation and support.

What are milestones?

Milestones are focused, venture-specific goals that fellows work toward during the Accelerator to strengthen impact, growth and financial sustainability. They are developed jointly by fellows and their mentors and completed prior to Demo Day in early February. Fellows earn $5,000 per milestone, for up to three milestones, upon successful completion.

I have an innovative idea but don’t have revenue, a business plan or results. Is this program right for me?

The United Way Social Innovation Incubator may be more beneficial to you. The Incubator is a 14-week organizational and leadership development program exclusively for early-stage ventures. The program includes development and validation of a business plan, and it is designed to funnel fellows into the Accelerator once their ventures are more established.

How much funding does the Accelerator offer?

Fellows receive $25,000 in seed funding, earned through completion of the boot camp and program milestones.

The five fellows selected for The Pitch each receive an additional $25,000 in seed funding, with the opportunity to compete for up to $150,000 in additional funding across multiple prize categories.

What kinds of organizations have gone through the Accelerator?

More than 100 social impact organizations have completed the Accelerator since its founding in 2013, each with its own unique mission, strategy and goals. Some of our fellows join after establishing early traction in their model, while others have been operating for years. Despite their unique characteristics, they all have one thing in common:

Their missions align with our Aspire United 2030 goals and they are working to improve access to education, income and/or health in North Texas. View the full list of Accelerator alumni.

How are mentors selected and paired with Fellows?

Mentors are selected based on their expertise, experience and ability to support high-impact ventures. Many have been involved with the program for over 10 years. Each fellow is paired with 2-3 mentors whose backgrounds align with their specific needs and priorities. During the Milestone Accelerator (September-January), mentors and fellows meet at least once per week to support progress on key goals.

Who are the sponsors of the Accelerator?

We are proud to partner with leading corporations and foundations to drive community wide progress through the Accelerator. Our supporters include prominent local, regional and national organizations, each of which is deeply committed to our mission to improve access to education, income and health so all North Texans can thrive.

How many ventures are admitted to each cohort?

We select up to 10 social ventures for each cohort.

Application FAQs

What information do I need to complete the application?

You’ll be asked to provide information about your organization’s work, impact, team, partnerships and financials. This includes:

  • A description of your solution and how it works
  • Evidence of impact and outcomes to date
  • Team structure and experience
  • Key partnerships
  • Revenue and expense information (previous year, year-to-date and projections)
  • A 3-minute video introducing your venture and team. This does not need to be professionally produced—we’re simply looking to hear directly from you.
What financial information will I be asked to provide?

You’ll be asked to share:

  • Total revenue and expenses for the previous year
  • Current year-to-date (YTD) revenue and expenses
  • Projected revenue and expenses for the current year
  • A general breakdown of your revenue sources
Do I need to have exact financial information?

No, best estimates are acceptable, especially for current year projections. We are primarily looking to understand your organization’s scale, trajectory and revenue model.

How long does the application take to complete?

Most applicants complete the application in approximately 45–60 minutes, depending on how much information you have prepared in advance.

Who should complete the application?

The application should be completed by a founder, executive director or a member of the senior leadership team who is closely involved in the organization’s strategy and operations.

What stage should my organization be in to apply?

The Accelerator is designed for ventures that are beyond the idea stage, with a solution that is already demonstrating results and ready to grow.

What do you mean by “impact” in the application?

We are looking for specific outcomes your work is driving and how you measure them. This can include quantitative or qualitative results that demonstrate meaningful change for the population you serve.

How should I think about the innovation question?

“Innovation” doesn’t mean entirely new. It means your approach is meaningfully better than existing options. This could include improved outcomes, greater accessibility, a better user experience, increased efficiency or a mixture of these.

What geographic areas are eligible?

Your work must primarily serve communities within the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas service area: Dallas, Collin, southern Denton and Rockwall counties. Ventures based outside the region are also eligible if they are actively establishing a presence and delivering impact in this service area.

What happens after I submit my application?

We review applications based on alignment with our focus areas and readiness to grow impact. We invite selected applicants to participate in one or more interviews (in person or virtually) during the month of June. Final decisions will be communicated in early July.

Fueling Nationwide Expansion

When AES Literacy won Social Innovator of the Year in 2022, the nonprofit was serving around 20 adult learners each year. Today, the organization has more than tripled its impact, and founders ShaKimberly and Jermaine Cooper are launching creative programs to positively impact thousands of people—not just in North Texas but across the country.

Program Benefits

Participating in the United Way Social Innovation Accelerator provides you with the resources, connections and funding to strengthen your organization and scale your impact.

Mentorship

Professional guidance and personalized mentoring from local business and philanthropy experts empowers you to refine your business plans and create a roadmap for growth.

Credibility and Credentials

Affiliating your organization with United Way is a “stamp of approval” that lends credibility to your organization and offers credentials that open doors for additional partnerships, funding and more.

Network

Gaining access to the United Way network fosters powerful business, civic and community connections both during the program and long after. You’ll also become part of our thriving Social Innovation Lab alumni network.

Seed Funding

The Accelerator provides vital funding to resource your work—and high-performing fellows get the opportunity to receive significant additional funding at The Pitch, the program’s culminating event.

Increased Visibility

Our fellows benefit from media coverage, participation in community-wide events and digital community engagement.

United Way Support

Our staff works directly with you to establish short- and long-term goals, providing accountability and creating forward momentum for your organization.

Cafe Momentum exists because United Way believed in us when no one else did.

“Our organization was truly birthed through the support of United Way. Having United Way show their support and commitment to our program created a ripple of validation that allowed us to build the foundation for the program we have today. I can never say it enough times: Cafe Momentum exists because United Way believed in us when no one else did.”
— Chad Houser, Founder of Cafe Momentum, 2014 and 2015 Accelerator Fellow

Tapping into a Broad Network

“One of the biggest benefits of going through the Accelerator has been being able to tap into our mentors’ network, to really help us understand how best to scale the program out in the community and create partnerships. The other thing that really happened that we hadn’t even really intended was to home in on our core value proposition.”
— Shireen Abdulla, Founder of Yumlish, 2022 Accelerator Fellow

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

“For someone who hasn’t had an opportunity to go through the Accelerator program, I would say it was hard work, very rewarding and I would do it all over again if I had the opportunity.”
— Courtney Hamilton, Founder of Tech Savvy DFW, 2024 Accelerator Fellow

A Stamp of Approval

“United Way has given me street cred. My relationship with them has allowed me to have a bigger impact than I could have imagined, simply because when I can tell people United Way is one of my biggest partners. Having gone through the Accelerator, it’s like people are more apt to listen to you and work with you.”
— Curtis Corbins, Founder of Southern Dallas Link, 2020 Accelerator Fellow

Business-Building Support

“The mentors and the milestones [were the most beneficial parts]. The milestones helped me to focus and get into planning mode. And having mentors along the way to help me and connect me with people that can assist me in my milestones, that was such a huge benefit. It is priceless.”
— Prinscilla Moore, Founder and CEO of Delighted to Doula, 2024 Accelerator Fellow

Doubling Their Impact in Two Years

Cheri Norris, founder of Cornbread Hustle —the 2020 Social Innovator of the Year—says the organization has both expanded and deepened its impact since going through the Accelerator. Norris and her team have launched new initiatives and formed strategic partnerships, enabling them to more than double the number of individuals they serve in just two years.

The Social Innovation Accelerator is supported by some of our region’s most successful, impactful and innovative corporations, each of which is committed to building a brighter future for North Texas by fueling progress in the areas of education, income and health.