Ashoka (formerly branded Ashoka: Innovators for the Public) is an American-based

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that promotes

social entrepreneurship Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of ...

by connecting and supporting individual social entrepreneurs. Their stated mission is "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".

History

Growing up,

Bill Drayton William Drayton (born 1943) is an American social entrepreneur. Drayton was named by ''U.S. News & World Report'' as one of America's 25 Best Leaders in 2005. He is responsible for the rise of the phrase "social entrepreneur", a concept first f ...

was inspired by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

and the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

.Barnes, Denise.
Ashoka's entrepreneurial vision fosters social change
. ''The Washington Times''. August 12, 2002. p. B08. Drayton wanted to mitigate income inequality through social entrepreneurship. Drayton founded Ashoka in 1980. The organization was named after the

Emperor Ashoka The Great Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

, the ruler of the Maurya Empire during the 3rd century BC.Karkabi, Barbara.
Tomorrow, the world: Interest in foreign affairs leads young Houstonian down an international career path
. ''The Houston Chronicle''. September 24, 1996. p. 1. Emperor Ashoka recognized the suffering that he had caused by unifying his empire, and he promoted religious and philosophical tolerance and the paramount importance of morality when working for the public.Geracimos, Ann.
William Drayton
. ''The Washington Times''. March 23, 1994. p. C14.

Fellows

Ashoka identifies

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of ...

s 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.Meadows, Donella.
Entrepreneurs planning a better future
. ''Charleston Gazette'' (Charleston, West Virginia). December 22, 1997. p. P4A. Social entrepreneurs who pass the selection process are called Ashoka fellows.Veigle, Anne.
Va. group helps out creative talents
. ''The Washington Times''. April 20, 1992. p. B4. Each Ashoka fellow receives a financial

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work p ...

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.Springer, Richard.
Ashoka Fellows Include Street Beautification Project
. ''India - West'' (San Leandro, California). January 17, 1992. p. 31. Ashoka fellows are connected with successful entrepreneurs in order to help the fellows succeed in implementing their social ideas. 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.Harley, Richard M.
Entrepreneurs show India that philanthropy pays
. ''The Christian Science Monitor''. March 15, 1985. p. 23. Ashoka funds the stipends by raising funds from donors, which it uses as

venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to start-up company, startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth poten ...

. Of Ashoka fellows with ventures that are more than five years old, Ashoka says that more than 80 percent have had their solution implemented by others; 59 percent have directly affected national policy; and each Ashoka fellow is helping an average of 174,000 people.

Organizational policies

According to the organization, it does not accept funding from any government,Boris, Joseph.
Bridging Brazil's digital divide
. ''UPI NewsTrack''. February 22, 2001. although it has partnered with governments on projects and it received a $1,585,600

Paycheck Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953-billion business loan program established by the United States federal government during the Donald Trump administration in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARE ...

loan in 2020. While Ashoka says it does not

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offi ...

governments for social change, it provides advice to organizations such as the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

when requested.

Citizen-sector organization

While the United States Internal Revenue Service has approved Ashoka's headquarters as a 501(c)(3)

, and some countries consider Ashoka to be a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

, Ashoka itself prefers the term citizen-sector organization in order to emphasize what it is, rather than what it is not.Chatterjee, Chirantan.
I believe I can fly: David Bornstein
. ''The Economic Times'' (

Mumbai, India Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

). May 21, 2004. According to Ashoka, citizen-sector organizations are groups of citizens who care and act to serve others and cause needed change.Why Citizen Sector?
". ''Ashoka: Innovators for the Public''. Accessed on April 12, 2016.

References

External links

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