The professional training and financial resources provided by venture accelerators are indispensable to the growth of social start-ups. How can social entrepreneurs leverage their unique advantages to garner support from venture accelerators? This study integrates signaling theory with the literature on social entrepreneurship. Utilizing a sample of 11,369 social ventures from 134 countries and regions during 2016-2019, sourced from the Global Accelerator Learning Initiative (GALI), our findings reveal the following: start-up funding, as a critical signal, significantly enhances the likelihood of social ventures being selected by venture accelerators. Moreover, solo entrepreneurs and firm patents amplify this signaling effect. Conversely, the degree of internationalization of the home country can substitute for the signaling function of start-up funding. This study not only advances research in social entrepreneurship and addresses the paucity of studies on venture accelerators, but also expands the analytical framework of signaling theory. It provides a crucial theoretical model for social entrepreneurs seeking resource support.