For more than three decades, Ashoka has supported leading social enterprises throughout the world. Through its formidable network, the organization has more than 3,500 fellows, over 250 change institutions globally, spans in more than 90 countries, and has more than 300 partners (Ashoka.org, n.d.). Ashoka’s social venture is a good example of a global social enterprise since it has been at the forefront of social entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the organization is also involved in creating a global environment where access, confidence, and support are fundamental in the development of common good solutions (Ashoka.org, n.d.). The organization also shapes a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient future for social innovation across the globe.
To achieve its objective, Ashoka has partnered with more than 300 organizations, among them ABC Foundation, Audemars Piguet, C&A Foundation, Co-Impact, and Creative Leadership, among many others. Through its partnerships, Ashoka collaboratively focuses on improving the lives of millions of people throughout the globe since the organization believes change associates with people and patterns of collaborative entrepreneurship (Ashoka.org, n.d.). For example, through its partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, Ashoka promotes innovative solutions that help challenge global health problems (Ashoka.org, n.d.). Since 2010, the partnership has enabled the organization to explore social entrepreneurship intersection, healthcare networks, and employee talent development through co-designing win-win solutions to global healthcare challenges.
The economic and political forces resulting in violence, lack of transparency, impartiality, and discrimination were the main reasons that led Bill Drayton to establish the organization in 1980. Out of the effects associated with the forces, Bill thought to develop an organization that did not discriminate against people based on nationality, gender, race, age, religion, or caste (Ashoka.org, n.d.). Through its fellows, leading innovation solutions social entrepreneurs, Ashoka does not allow its partners to engage in violence and is not reconciled with any political party, entity, or totalitarian ideology.
Ashoka is a non-governmental organization that relies on its partnerships to achieve its goals. The organization remains sustainable and profitable through pledges from financial partners, enabling it to build and achieve its purpose. Since the firm is a home for changemakers and a peer learning community with social entrepreneurs at its core, its support is mainly associates with its ability to develop trust and collaborative partnerships with other organizations (Ashoka.org, n.d.). Therefore, the just society and the partnerships are channels that allow the organization to remain sustainable and profitable.
Through partnerships with socially innovative organizations, Ashoka’s measurable impact is revealed by its ability to sustain developmental goals in its countries. The firm is continuously involved in developing social entrepreneurship concepts that cause a change in the lives of the people and organizations it partners with (Ashoka.org, n.d.). In so doing, the organization’s measurable impact is realized through its ability to assist others in becoming changemakers in their respective fields. The firm believes that everyone can cause change and, therefore, works to ensure change is achieved at every organization level among its partners.
With Ashoka spread in more than 90 countries, the model can be replicated locally. However, to successfully replicate the model, the environmental factors must be considered to carefully understand the desired circumstances that make the model applicable in more than 90 countries. Some of the environmental factors that influence Ashoka constitute waste management and recycling, renewable technologies, climatic and weather conditions, environmental regulations, and eco-friendly products. Once these factors are considered, it becomes possible to replicate the model and succeed in how the firm has developed its effective strategies and achieved long-term growth goals.
Reference
Ashoka.org. (n.d.). Ashoka East Africa at 20. Web.