Deadline: 27-Feb-2026
The Miller Center Accelerator is a six-month capacity-building program that helps senior leaders of social enterprises scale their impact through women’s economic power and climate resilience. The program supports investable growth by strengthening impact strategy, business planning, and funding readiness for enterprises addressing poverty and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Program Overview
The Miller Center Accelerator is a structured six-month program designed to equip social enterprise leaders with the skills, networks, and strategic clarity needed to scale their mission intentionally.
The program combines expert mentorship, practical tools, and peer learning to help enterprises refine their long-term impact strategy, strengthen their business model, and become more attractive to investors and funders.
It is specifically built for mission-driven organizations that address poverty by advancing women’s economic power, climate resilience, or the intersection of both.
Core Focus Areas of the Accelerator
The accelerator prioritizes social enterprises working at the systems level to create measurable and scalable impact.
Primary focus areas include:
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Poverty reduction through market-based solutions
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Women’s economic power and inclusive economic participation
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Climate resilience solutions that directly benefit vulnerable communities
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Alignment with one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The program emphasizes real-world applicability, ensuring that strategies and plans reflect the operational realities of each enterprise.
Understanding the Key Impact Themes
Women’s Economic Power
Women’s economic power is assessed across four interconnected dimensions:
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Women as leaders within the organization
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Women as employees with fair wages and growth opportunities
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Women as participants in the value chain, such as suppliers or producers
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Women as customers who benefit directly from the enterprise’s products or services
Enterprises may address one or multiple dimensions, as long as the approach is intentional and measurable.
Climate Resilience
Climate resilience is defined as addressing the intersection of climate change and poverty.
Eligible climate-focused solutions include those operating in:
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Safe water and sanitation
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Renewable energy
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Regenerative agriculture
Projects must demonstrate how their solution strengthens the resilience of low-income or climate-vulnerable populations.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
The Miller Center Accelerator is designed for experienced, growth-oriented social enterprises and their senior leadership.
Eligible Leaders
Applicants must be senior decision-makers, such as:
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Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
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Executive Directors
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Managing Directors
Leaders must be fluent in English or Spanish and have reliable internet access to fully participate in the program.
Eligible Organizations
To qualify, organizations must meet all of the following criteria:
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Be committed to creating positive benefits for people living in poverty
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Address at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal
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Intentionally support women’s economic power, climate resilience, or both
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Have been operational for at least one year
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Be actively delivering products or services to customers
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Demonstrate a clear ambition to scale far beyond current operations
Financial and Operational Requirements
The program targets enterprises that have moved beyond the idea stage and are operating at an early to growth phase.
Applicants must:
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Generate at least USD 50,000 (or local equivalent) in annual earned income
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Not be entirely dependent on grants or donations
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Maintain a working financial model, including cash flow, income statement, and balance sheet forecasts
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Have a minimum of three full-time staff members or equivalent
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Maintain at least a three-month cash runway
These requirements ensure that participating organizations can fully benefit from investment-readiness support.
Time Commitment and Participation Expectations
The accelerator is designed to be intensive yet manageable for busy senior leaders.
Participants are expected to:
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Commit to weekly one-hour mentor calls
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Spend a few additional hours each week strengthening strategy, financials, and impact plans
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Actively engage with feedback and peer learning
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Use Excel confidently for financial modeling and analysis
Consistent participation is essential to achieving meaningful outcomes during the six-month program.
What Participants Gain from the Program
By the end of the accelerator, participating enterprises will have:
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A clear long-range impact and growth strategy
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A practical and investor-ready business plan
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A refined funding pitch grounded in real operating data
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Increased confidence in scaling sustainably
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Access to experienced mentors and a global network of social enterprise leaders
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying
Applicants should avoid issues that may weaken their candidacy.
Common mistakes include:
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Applying without clear alignment to women’s economic power or climate resilience
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Insufficient earned revenue or over-reliance on grants
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Weak or incomplete financial models
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Limited evidence of scalability beyond current operations
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Underestimating the time commitment required for active participation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long is the Miller Center Accelerator?
The program runs for six months.
Who should apply from an organization?
Only senior leaders such as CEOs, Executive Directors, or Managing Directors should apply.
What impact areas does the program prioritize?
The accelerator focuses on women’s economic power, climate resilience, and poverty reduction aligned with the SDGs.
Is earned revenue required to apply?
Yes. Organizations must generate at least USD 50,000 (or local equivalent) in annual earned income.
Can grant-dependent organizations apply?
No. Applicants cannot be entirely dependent on grants or donations.
What language skills are required?
Participants must be fluent in English or Spanish.
How much time is required each week?
Participants must attend weekly one-hour mentor calls and spend a few additional hours per week on program work.
Conclusion
The Miller Center Accelerator offers a high-impact opportunity for mission-driven social enterprises ready to scale solutions that empower women, build climate resilience, and reduce poverty.
By combining strategic guidance, rigorous financial planning, and personalized mentorship, the program helps enterprises become more investable and better positioned for long-term impact. For organizations that meet the eligibility criteria and are committed to intentional growth, the accelerator provides a powerful platform to move from promise to scale.
For more information, visit Miller Center for Global Impact.