Ashoka Fellowship - Social Entrepreneurs in Waste Management

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Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 13:03

Three-year stipend fellowship for social entrepreneurs leading systemic change in waste management. Includes community-based waste management, recycling integration, and food waste redistribution. Global network access and mentorship.

Source: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/program/ashoka-fellowship

Funding Details

Funder: Ashoka
Funding Goal: Support individual social entrepreneurs with stipends, network access, and mentorship to scale systemic change initiatives globally
Funding Amount: Tailored stipend for up to three years (amount not specified); supplemented by network access, mentorship, and engagement opportunities
How to Apply: Nominations by third parties or self-recommendation via the Ashoka website ("Recommend a Changemaker" form). Ashoka conducts a rigorous multi-stage selection process. No open call with fixed deadlines — nominations accepted on a rolling basis.
Target Region: Global
Contact: Ashoka USA / Global Headquarters, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1900, Arlington, VA 22209, United States. Phone: 703-527-8300. Web: https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/contact
Last Checked: 2026-03-11 16:24

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Applicant must be an individual social entrepreneur, not an organization or NGO
Idea must demonstrate potential for systemic, large-scale societal change
Nominee should be working on a path-breaking new idea not yet widely replicated

Project Scope

Entry via nomination/recommendation — no direct open application process
Fellowship is global; no geographic restrictions stated
No specific thematic focus required — sector-agnostic selection

Constraints

Stipend is contingent on need and stage of work — not guaranteed for all fellows

Summary

The Ashoka Fellowship is a lifetime fellowship program for individual social entrepreneurs who champion innovative ideas that transform social systems. Ashoka, active for over 40 years, selects fellows through a rigorous process and provides them with tailored stipends for up to three years, enabling full-time dedication to their work. Beyond financial support, fellows gain access to Ashoka's global network — the largest community of leading social entrepreneurs in the world — along with customized engagement opportunities, increased visibility, and peer connections. The program is explicitly individual-focused: each fellow receives support calibrated to the stage and needs of their specific initiative. Ashoka's model is sector-agnostic: fellows come from fields including education, health, environment, economic development, and waste management, among others. The selection process prioritizes path-breaking ideas and potential for systemic impact rather than specific thematic areas. Fellowship is a lifelong identity, not a time-limited grant relationship. While the initial source snippet highlights waste management as a relevant sector, the program page does not segment applications by topic. Applicants are social entrepreneurs — individuals with a new idea — not organizations or NGOs seeking project grants.

Historical Context

Ashoka has operated the Fellowship for over 40 years and has built the largest global network of social entrepreneurs. No information on specific annual cohort sizes or past funding rounds provided on this page.

Why it was added

Supports individual social entrepreneurs in waste sector with stipends and network, relevant for waste NGO leaders

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