The three M’s:
Money, Mentoring and Muscle
Uniquely, we don’t simply fund social enterprise ideas and walk away.
Our one-year programme offers three essentials to social entrepreneurs who apply and are accepted with us annually.
Money, Mentoring and Muscle.
An initial injection of seed funding to kickstart your business idea, typically ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 (NZD).
A year of business mentoring, starting with support to complete a business plan and budget. You'll work with a dedicated business mentor throughout.
A practical package addressing resource and expertise gaps. Includes access to: LinkedIn Learning, consulting sessions with industry experts, and ad-hoc support.
More on Money
Why ‘Money’?
We know funding can be hard to come by for businesses in their pre-seed, seed and early stages. We also know you can’t start a business without it. We want to plug that gap for successful applicants.
How much will I receive?
Each successful applicant receives a one-off grant between $5,000 to $20,000 (NZD). We know that won't be all the money you need, but our hope is that it will provide momentum to launch your business idea.
How and when will I receive it?
The one-off grant is directly transferred to successful applicants’ nominated bank account around June, following the signing of a standard support agreement.
How must I use it?
Broadly, successful applicants must put their one-off grant towards starting their social enterprise. The specifics are up to you. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
Reconnaissance trip: Conduct a reconnaissance trip to your target community in-need, to further research their needs and challenges.
Legal and compliance: Paying to ensure your business adheres to legal requirements and industry standards.
Starting operations: Purchase the fundamental assets and resources required to kickstart your business operations. These may include: equipment and tool, inventory, technology, or transportation.
Product development: Enhance or refine your product/service to better meet market needs.
Marketing and outreach: Invest in marketing strategies to increase awareness and reach your target audience.
Use it for the most pressing financial need your social enterprise faces.
Do I need to pay it back?
No. Successful applicants are given the one-off grant as a gift, not a loan, and are not required to repay it.
More on Mentoring
Why 'Mentoring'?
We believe that business mentoring is just as important for an entrepreneur as funding. One-on-one advice from an experienced businessperson positions a new business strongly for growth. And that’s precisely the purpose of our year-long mentoring programme.
What's the commitment?
Our mentoring programme is one year in total, divided into two distinct phases:
Phase One: The first two months are led by our Founder Rod Claycomb with a focus on business strategy. During this time successful applicants will meet with him fortnightly (online or in person) to create a One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) for your enterprise.
Phase Two: This is where our volunteer business mentors step in, taking the reins for the next 10 months. After a handover session with Rod, you’ll be paired with a mentor who will meet with you monthly one-on-one (online or in person), offering guidance and support tailored to your needs.
Combined, these two phases total to roughly 15-20 hours of mentoring over the 12 month mentoring programme period.
When will the mentoring start?
Successful applicants start the year-long mentoring programme in June or July, following the signing of a support agreement and the transfer of their one-off seed funding grant.
How do you source business mentors?
Finding the right business mentors for successful applicants is a top priority. Each year we source mentors from three avenues: our pool of past mentors, businesspeople from within our personal networks or businesspeople from outside sources such as LinkedIn, mentoring sites, or other business groups. The goal is always to provide the best match based on the entrepreneur’s specific needs.
Can I opt-out of receiving mentoring?
No, participation in the mentoring programme is mandatory, as it constitutes one of the three essential components of what we offer —Money, Mentoring, and Muscle. Successful applicants are expected to commit to all three components.
More on Muscle
What exactly is ‘Muscle’?
Muscle is a practical package we offer successful applicants. It includes:
A one-year LinkedIn Learning subscription.
Three sponsored consulting sessions with industry experts known as 'muscle partners' in 1) PR and communications 2) digital marketing and 3) budgeting and finance.
Additional ad-hoc business support, as requested by the successful applicant.
More information will be provided to successful applicants after their onboarding in May.
Why ‘Muscle’?
Starting a business demands not only financial support but also access to various resources and expertise. The muscle component of our year-long programme is designed to assist successful applicants in accessing resources and expertise gaps as they embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
How and when will I receive the muscle package?
Instructions for accessing the three components - comprising a LinkedIn Learning subscription, sponsored consulting sessions, and additional ad-hoc support - will be provided to successful applicants when they onboard with us in May. All three components must be redeemed within your one-year support period.
General FAQs
Why does All Good Ventures exist?
Our core purpose as a charity is to is to liberate as many lives as possible from extreme hardship across the globe. We do this by resourcing purpose-driven social entrepreneurs to start financially sustainable businesses.
Is there a cost to your programme?
No. Our year-long programme, which consists of Money, Mentoring and Muscle, is completely free of charge to successful applicants.
To apply, what stage of development does my business need to be at?
Your business must be in in the first three stages of the business lifecycle: pre-seed, seed or early stage. These are defined as:
Pre-Seed stage: The pre-seed stage is the earliest phase of a startup, where entrepreneurs develop their business idea, secure initial funding, and conduct essential research and planning; typically, the offering (product or service), has not yet gone to market.
Seed stage: In the seed stage, startups receive initial funding to develop and refine their offering (product or service), conduct market validation, and begin initial market entry; this stage may involve the introduction of the offering to the market.
Early (or Startup) stage: The early or startup stage is characterised by gaining early customers or users, and refining the offering (product or service) based on market feedback; the offering is actively in the early stages of market presence.
We do not support businesses who have grown beyond these into the growth or expansion stage.
To apply, where in the world must I be based?
Anywhere. To date we have supported social entrepreneurs from eight different countries and counting. We are well-practised at video calls, and our business mentors and muscle partners know they’ll likely be communicating with you this way too.
Can I apply if my business intends to put profits towards the environment, rather than people in need?
No. We exclusively fund/support social enterprises that are people-centric, not planet-focused. While we acknowledge the importance of environmental causes, our support is dedicated to ventures that put profits towards bringing freedom to people in need. If your enterprise primarily serves an environmental cause, we kindly request that you look elsewhere for support.
How many people do you support each year?
We support up to five social entrepreneurs from all over the world for one year following each annual application round.
What if my business idea isn't successful in the long run, even after receiving your support?
While we're dedicated to supporting your success and anticipate your full commitment, we understand that not every venture thrives in the long term. In fact, statistically, up to 90% of startups don’t succeed. It's okay if your enterprise doesn't make it; we recognise that failure is sometimes part of the entrepreneurial journey, and you won't owe us anything.
Become an All Good Venture
Feeling inspired yet? If you have a financially sustainable business idea that will see eventual profits go towards bringing freedom to people in need, it’s time to consider putting in an application between 1 - 31 March and get that Money, Mentoring and Muscle support.