Ashoka Fellows are social entrepreneurs we discover early, choose with care, and stand beside for life. This year, stand behind our newest Fellows and help our wider network extend their impact in India.
Link to https://aspire.ashoka.org/setu-fund copied.
Ashoka at a glance
For 45 years, Ashoka has found, selected and supported the world’s leading social entrepreneurs, including more than 550 in India, one of our largest hubs. Like a venture investor, we look for the best founders, back them early and connect them with each other, but we measure the return in impact, not money. Together, Fellows’ work reaches 650 million people every year, and for every $1 invested in a sample of Fellows, the social value created was between $6 and $27. Ten years after election, 90% of Fellows are still pursuing their idea, compared with just 5.2% of leaders for the common good.
Sources: Ashoka Global Impact Studies (2021, 2022 and 2025); World Economic Forum.
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Ashoka Fellows in 99 countries
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say the Ashoka stipend was their first significant funding
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of Fellows still pursue their idea ten years after election
The Multiplying Effect of Your Support
Becoming an Ashoka Fellow changes what a social entrepreneur can achieve. Their ideas spread well beyond their own organisations, their impact is active in eight countries on average, and they shape the public policies that hold problems in place. Your support doesn’t stop with one leader. It travels through everyone who adopts their idea.
Sources: Ashoka Global Impact Studies (2022 and 2025).
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of Fellows see their idea replicated by other groups or institutions
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have advised policymakers as experts
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countries, on average, where a Fellow's impact is active
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have achieved legislative change
Ashoka's Selection Process Works
By investing in Ashoka Fellows, you don't have to worry about your own due diligence.
All Ashoka Fellows are evaluated against the same five key criteria since 1980: new idea, creativity, entrepreneurial quality, social impact and ethical fiber.
And after election, 90% of Fellows still work on the same idea. They adapt the strategy, not the mission.
Discovered early. Chosen with care. Supported for life.
Stand behind the next generation of changemakers in India and help them scale their impact.
The Ashoka Setu Fund pools gifts from the Indian diaspora, philanthropists and business leaders to find, select and support India’s leading social entrepreneurs.
Setu means “bridge”. The fund connects people who have built successful careers with Indian innovators who are changing how whole systems work.
Your gift funds a Fellow’s full journey:
Ashoka’s rigorous selection process
A three-year stipend, often their first significant funding
Lifelong support, including our scaling accelerator and a global network of peers
Open to new gifts at any time There’s no minimum gift. As the fund grows, so does the number of new Fellows we can back.
Don’t just take our word for it
Ashoka's network is not just funding solutions; it is amplifying bold ideas, providing critical support, and ensuring that changemakers have the tools and the environment to create lasting impact. I support this work because it is delivering tangible impact where it is needed most.
Amit Bhargava
Strategy Advisor at Aggreko
Ashoka carefully invests in those who dare to reimagine the world - not just as it is, but as it should be. It is not about charity, it is about rewriting the rules so equity & justice are not an exception, but the very foundations on which we stand.
Sonal Kapoor
Founder and Director at Protsahan India Foundation
Loved the Fellow’s motivation to make a difference and receptiveness to new ideas.
Navneet Kaur
Financial Services Executive
Global giving, local impact
Whether you live in Mumbai, Palo Alto, London or anywhere else, you can give through Ashoka’s registered charities, with tax benefits where you live.
Ashoka handles the legal and compliance requirements of cross-border giving, including FCRA-compliant transfers into India, so your gift reaches Fellows through fully transparent channels.
Ashoka is a non-profit organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. You will receive a tax receipt by email upon submission of your donation.
How will my donation be used?
Your gift supports the Setu Fund: early support for our newest Ashoka Fellows and the ASPIRe accelerator, which helps proven Fellows scale their impact.
What information is kept when I make a donation?
Ashoka respects the privacy of our donors, and does not share or sell Donors’ Personal Data to any other organizations unless a donor has granted us specific permission to do so. You can find more about our Donor Privacy Policy here.
I am interested in contributing to Ashoka with both my time and money. Can I do this?
Absolutely! The Ashoka Support Network is a community of successful business people who share our belief that entrepreneurs are the primary engine for economic and social development. They engage with Ashoka, committing time and resources to support the work of our Fellows and community of changemakers. Contact us if you are interested in joining. ASN membership entails a three-year financial commitment of a minimum of $10,000 yearly.
Ashoka also welcomes leading, high-net-worth founders and CEOs to join our exclusive Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur (E2) Network. The E2 Network provides a personalized engagement journey and connects you with like-minded, world-class business leaders and Ashoka Fellows. Maximize the social return on your philanthropic investments and build your legacy of impact with us. Learn more here.
How can I stay up to speed with all the latest happenings at Ashoka?
We encourage you to check out our blogs on Forbes and Medium, where you’ll find our take on the latest trends in social innovation, and stories about game-changing ideas and innovators tackling key challenges across the United States and around the world.
