Vision

Ashoka envisions a world where Everyone is a Changemaker: a world that responds quickly and effectively to social challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem and drive change.

Mission

Ashoka strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world's citizens to think and act as changemakers.


Ashoka`s mission is to shape a citizen sector that is entrepreneurial, productive and globally integrated, and to develop the profession of social entrepreneurship around the world. Ashoka identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs - extraordinary individuals with unprecedented ideas for change in their communities - supporting the individual, idea and institution through all phases of their career. Once elected to Ashoka, Fellows benefit from being part of the global Fellowship for life.

Ashoka`s vision is that of a global society that is able to respond quickly and effectively to social challenges everywhere. Ashoka does not accept government funding; business entrepreneurs and their foundations, corporations, individuals and volunteer chapters finance Ashoka`s work.

Ashoka has invested in more than 1,500 Ashoka Fellows in 53 countries. Those Fellows have transformed the lives of millions of people in thousands of communities worldwide.

Ashoka addresses social problems through social entrepreneurship, a uniquely effective approach based on a venture capital model. We identify leading social entrepreneurs, electing them as Ashoka Fellows and invest in them financially and professionally.

- Financially, we provide a living stipend typically for three years, depending on individual need and local salary standards. These stipends enable Ashoka Fellows to focus full-time on implementing their vision and new ideas.

- Professionally, we invest in leading social entrepreneurs by electing them as Ashoka Fellows to our Global Fellowship. This is the first - and - only worldwide network of leading social entrepreneurs. It fosters their collaboration nationally and internationally, and provides valuable contacts, information and opportunities to spread their innovation and build their long-term sustainability.

"While a business entrepreneur may thrive on competition and profit, a social entrepreneur has a different motivation: a commitment to leading through inclusiveness of all actors in society and a dedication to changing the systems and patterns of society."

- Ashoka Fellows in India, April 2000

Links

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Ashoka Emprendedores Sociales
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Ashoka India, Bangalore
Ashoka India, Changemakers
Changemakers.net