Ashoka (non-profit organization)

{{Short description|International organization}} {{Multiple issues| {{Advert|date=March 2024}} {{COI|date=March 2024}} {{rewrite|date=January 2025}} }} {{Infobox organization | name = Ashoka | native_name = | native_name_lang = | named_after = Emperor Ashoka | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | logo = Ashoka logo.svg | logo_size = 150px | logo_alt = Logo of Ashoka | logo_caption = | map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 = | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | predecessor = | merged_into = | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|1980|06|03}}<ref name= corp>"[https://corp.dcra.dc.gov/BizEntity.aspx/ViewEntityData?entityId=2764236 ASHOKA - Initial File Number: 802351]". ''District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs''. Government of the District of Columbia. Accessed on April 6, 2016.</ref> | founder = Bill Drayton<ref name= ar2012/> | founding_location = | extinction =  | merger = | type = | tax_id = 51-0255908<ref name=rev24></ref> | registration_id =  | status = 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization | headquarters = Arlington, Virginia, United States<ref name=rev24></ref> | location = Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East/North Africa<ref name= ar2012>"[https://www.ashoka.org/sites/www.ashoka.org/files/Ashoka-Annual-Report-FY12.pdf Annual Report]". ''Ashoka: Innovators for the Public''. 2012.</ref> | coordinates = {{coord|38.8956482|-77.0718925|display=inline, title}} | region_served = | services = | products = | methods = | fields = | membership = | num_members_year = | language = | owner =  | secretary_general = | leader_title = Chair, Chief Executive Officer | leader_name = Bill Drayton<ref name= leadership>"[https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/our-leadership Our Leadership]". ''Ashoka''. Retrieved November 27, 2022.</ref> | leader_title2 = Leadership Group Member | leader_name2 = Anamaria Schindler<ref name= leadership/> | leader_title4 = Leadership and Impact Co-Lead | leader_name4 = Diana Wells<ref name= leadership/> | board_of_directors = Bill Drayton, Sushmita Ghosh, Mary Gordon, Roger Harrison, Fred Hehuwat<ref name= leadership/> | key_people = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | subsidiaries = {{hidden | List of subsidiaries | Ashoka LLC (U.S.), Ashoka Canada Toronto, Ashoka Chile Santiago, Ashoka Conosur Este (Buenos Aires), Ashoka East Africa (Nairobi), Ashoka Deutschland Munich, Ashoka India (Bangalore), Ashoka Indonesia Bandung, Ashoka Italia Roma, Ashoka Japan (Tokyo), Ashoka Korea (Seoul) Ashoka Emprendedores Sociales Asociacion Civil (Mexico City), Ashoka Netherlands (The Hague), Ashoka Philippines (Pasig City), Ashoka Poland (Warsaw), Ashoka Singapore and Malaysia (Singapore), Fundacion Ashoka Emprendedores Sociales (Madrid), Ashoka Scandinavia (Stockholm), Fondation Ashoka Suisse (Geneva), Ashoka Southern Africa (Johannesburg), Ashoka Thailand (Bangkok), Ashoka Turkiye (Istanbul), Ashoka UK & Ireland (London), Ashoka Venezuela (Caracas), Asociacion Ashoka Colombia (Bogota), Fundatia Ashoka (Bucharest), Ashoka Israel (Tel Aviv), Ashoka Arab World (Cairo), }} | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = $42.1 million<ref name=rev24>{{cite web|title=Ashoka|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/510255908 |website=ProPublica}}</ref> | revenue_year = 2024 | disbursements = | expenses = $48.9 million<ref name=rev24></ref> | expenses_year = 2024 | endowment = $36,437,514 (2021) | num_employees = 107 (in U.S.)<ref name=rev24></ref> | num_employees_year = 2024 | num_volunteers = 2,300<ref name=rev24></ref> | num_volunteers_year = 2024 | purpose = The creation of an association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs—men and women with system-changing solutions for the world's most urgent social problems—and fostering a global culture of everyone being a changemaker for the good of all. | website = {{Official URL}} | remarks = | former_name = | footnotes = }}

'''Ashoka''' (formerly known as '''Ashoka: Innovators for the Public''') is an American-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes social entrepreneurship by connecting and supporting individual social entrepreneurs. Ashoka invests in over 4,000 social entrepreneurs in over 90 countries worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=barber |first=rebekah |date=2024 |title=nonprofit quarterly |url=https://nonprofitquarterly.org/how-ashoka-is-seeking-to-uplift-the-south-as-a-center-of-innovation/ |website=nonprofitquarterly.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Truth Consulting partners with social change non-profit {{!}} News |url=http://www.research-live.com/article/news/truth-consulting-partners-with-social-change-nonprofit/id/5135983 |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=Research Live |language=en}}</ref>

Ashoka offers social entrepreneurship opportunities to teens as well.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://socialinnovationsjournal.org/editons/issue-52/75-disruptive-innovations/2904-case-study-1-contextualizing-changemaking-case-study-on-ashoka-fellows-in-asia | title=Case Study 1: Contextualizing Changemaking: Case Study on Ashoka Fellows in Asia }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Helen |last2=Sandfort |first2=Jodi |date=2011-11-21 |title=Open Source Platforms for Citizen Engagement: Examining Ashoka's Design and Implementation |journal=Nonprofit Policy Forum |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |doi=10.2202/2154-3348.1022 |issn=2154-3348|doi-access=free |hdl=10722/164546 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

==History== Bill Drayton founded Ashoka in 1980.<ref name= corp/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=William Drayton {{!}} American Academy of Arts and Sciences |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/william-drayton |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=www.amacad.org |language=en}}</ref>

The organization was named after the Emperor Ashoka The Great, the ruler of the Maurya Empire during the 3rd century BC.<ref name= careerpath>Karkabi, Barbara. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0ED7B59025D80DDE&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=2 Tomorrow, the world: Interest in foreign affairs leads young Houstonian down an international career path]". ''The Houston Chronicle''. September 24, 1996. p. 1.</ref><ref name=":0" /> Emperor Ashoka recognized the suffering he had caused by unifying his empire, and he promoted religious and philosophical tolerance and the paramount importance of morality in public service.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=A is for Ashoka's Remarkable Work Supporting Social Entrepreneurs|url=https://www.thepositiveencourager.global/the-ashoka-organisation-and-its-remarkable-work/|website=The Positive Encourager|date=2015-01-01|access-date=2025-12-02|language=en-US|last=mike}}</ref><ref name= draytoninterview>Geracimos, Ann. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB0F0A15716875C&p_docnum=6&p_queryname=2 William Drayton]". ''The Washington Times''. March 23, 1994. p. C14.</ref>

==Fellows== Ashoka identifies social entrepreneurs with solutions to social problems who seek to make large-scale changes to society. Ashoka searches for individuals who have vision, creativity, and determination and are motivated by public gain rather than personal gain.<ref name= betterfuture>Meadows, Donella. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=101132C3CAC5863E&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=2 Entrepreneurs planning a better future]". ''Charleston Gazette'' (Charleston, West Virginia). December 22, 1997. p. P4A.</ref>

Social entrepreneurs who pass the selection process are called Ashoka fellows.<ref name= talents>Veigle, Anne. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB0EF958DA89958&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=2 Va. group helps out creative talents]". ''The Washington Times''. April 20, 1992. p. B4.</ref> Each Ashoka fellow receives a financial stipend that they can use to pay for their personal expenses so that they can fully devote their time to the pursuit of their innovative social ideas. The size of the stipend is decided on a case-by-case basis, according to the cost of living in the entrepreneur's local area. The stipend is available for up to three years. The organization is very clear that the stipend is only for living expenses and not for funding the social entrepreneur's initiative or organization.<ref name= include>Springer, Richard. "[https://www.proquest.com/docview/365341891/ Ashoka Fellows Include Street Beautification Project]". ''India - West'' (San Leandro, California). January 17, 1992. p. 31.</ref>

Ashoka fellows are connected with successful entrepreneurs in order to help the fellows succeed in implementing their social ideas.<ref>Saddler, Jeanne. "[https://www.proquest.com/docview/398197562/ Entrepreneurs link Up with innovative Third World social activists.]". ''The Wall Street Journal''. December 11, 1990. p. B2.</ref> Ashoka fellows are expected to regularly participate in meetings with other Ashoka fellows. Ultimately, the Ashoka fellow is expected to convert an innovative solution into a self-sustaining institution.<ref name= pays>Harley, Richard M. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=13DF82FFAF620CF8&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2 Entrepreneurs show India that philanthropy pays]". ''The Christian Science Monitor''. March 15, 1985. p. 23.</ref>

Ashoka funds the stipends by raising funds from donors, which it uses as venture capital.<ref>Wertheimer, Linda; Adams, Noah; Arnold, Chris. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=15778630E536B7D8&p_docnum=13&p_queryname=2 Ashoka Fellows]". ''All Things Considered''. National Public Radio. November 16, 1998.</ref>

Of Ashoka fellows with ventures that are more than five years old, Ashoka says that more than 80% have had their solution implemented by others; 59% have directly affected national policy; and each Ashoka fellow is helping an average of 174,000 people.<ref>"[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1194FF9B80537F00&p_docnum=76&p_queryname=4 Social Entrepreneurs: Who Are They?]". ''Daytona Beach News-Journal'' (Daytona Beach, Florida). May 20, 2007. p. 1B.</ref>

==Organizational policies== According to the organization, it does not accept funding from any government;<ref name= bridging>Boris, Joseph. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=155693F764EC3D70&p_docnum=21&p_queryname=2 Bridging Brazil's digital divide]". ''UPI NewsTrack''. February 22, 2001.</ref> although it has partnered with governments on projects<ref>"[https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/ashoka-innovators-for-the-public-and-nagaland-state-government-join-hands-to-build-a-changemaking-ecosystem/872481/ Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Nagaland State Government join hands to build a changemaking ecosystem]". ''ANI''. March 14, 2022.</ref> and it received a $1,585,600 Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020.<ref>"[https://ppp-loan.info/?BorrowerName=Ashoka&BorrowerState=&BorrowerCity= Ashoka]". '''PPP-Loan.info''. Retrieved November 27, 2022.</ref>

While Ashoka says it does not petition governments for social change, it provides advice to organizations such as the World Bank when requested.<ref name= bridging/>

==Citizen-sector organization== While the United States Internal Revenue Service has approved Ashoka's headquarters as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and some countries consider Ashoka to be a non-governmental organization, Ashoka itself prefers the term citizen-sector organization in order to emphasize what it is, rather than what it is not.<ref>Chatterjee, Chirantan. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=15670C242645BAC0&p_docnum=35&p_queryname=2 I believe I can fly: David Bornstein]". ''The Economic Times'' (Mumbai, India). May 21, 2004.</ref> According to Ashoka, citizen-sector organizations are groups of citizens who care and act to serve others and cause needed change.<ref name=citizensector>"[https://www.ashoka.org/citizensector Why Citizen Sector?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417012046/https://www.ashoka.org/citizensector |date=April 17, 2016 }}". ''Ashoka: Innovators for the Public''. Accessed on April 12, 2016.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|510255908}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashoka Innovators for the Public}} Category:Non-profit organizations based in Arlington, Virginia Category:Organizations established in 1980 Category:Social entrepreneurship in the United States Category:Charities based in Virginia Category:Memorials to Ashoka Ashoka Category:1980 establishments in the United States

Ashoka (non-profit organization)

Connections

Linked from (133 total)

Links to (26 total)