Ashoka’s Venture program engages investment partners to marry our tested search and selection process with emerging global trends in the citizen sector. Foundation partners, or "Venture Partners", are field leaders across a wide spectrum of issues, geography and philosophy. They fund specific types of Ashoka Fellows, either exploring new issue areas or delving deeper into existing ones, and have the opportunity to participate with Fellows and partners in collaboration.

Ashoka’s forward-thinking partnership strategy moves our global selection effort into new fields and professions with a sustainable funding stream, while also maintaining the same core criteria that define all Ashoka Fellows.

Some of Ashoka’s current foundation partners include:

The Lemelson Foundation – The Lemelson Foundation awards grants and develops programs to recognize and celebrate successful inventors. Over its first three years, the Ashoka-Lemelson partnership is designed to find and support 100 social entrepreneurs in technology and invention. The Lemelson Foundation’s financial support funds the stipends of these new Fellows, as well as group activities and other supports. The partnership benefits Ashoka by opening new contacts through Lemelson’s existing networks, and by encouraging Ashoka to explore new fields and areas of work.

The Knight Foundation – The Knight Foundation invests in opportunities that can transform both communities and journalism, ensuring that citizens get the information they need to thrive in a democracy, and helping them reach their highest potential. The Knight Foundation has granted Ashoka $3 million over three years to identify, support, and connect 30 social entrepreneurs around the globe whose innovations promise to sustain and advance journalism as a field with transformative impact.

Artemisia – Artemisia offers managerial, financial, and leadership development support to entrepreneurs at different points in their venture’s lifecycle. Artemisia will fund 14 Ashoka Fellows whose ventures integrate financial sustainability into their core model for social and environmental change. Artemisia is committed to supporting Ashoka’s Group Entrepreneurship programs in Latin America to increase the number and impact of collaborations among these Fellows, as well as reinforcing Ashoka’s Youth Venture programs in Brazil and India.

For more information on these partnerships, please contact Stephanie Savell at ssavell@ashoka.org.