(of Ashoka) – also in french, spanish, portugese
- Changemakers is a community of action where we all collaborate on solutions. We know we have the power to solve the world’s most pressing social problems. We’re already doing it, one project, one idea at a time.
- How do we do it? We talk about the issues, share stories and mentor, advise, and encourage each other in group forums, even engage in friendly competition. We form surprising connections and unexpected partnerships across the globe that turn the old ways of problem solving upside down. We try things that have never been tried before … (full text about 1/2 /who we are).
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About 2/2 /the Impact: Being involved with Changemakers can mean a big boost to your goals. Participation often leads to further connections and opportunities that have a significant impact on the growth and reach of organizations working toward change. We keep you updated here, and congratulate the whole Changemakers community for supporting these projects.
Seven Competition entrants share $10 Million:
- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) embraced Changemakers open-source process to find smaller, grassroots initiatives to invest in that aren’t typically represented among the organization’s grant proposals.
- “Changemakers serves as an efficient and innovative “scanner” of what is happening with on the ground initiatives,” said Yves Lesanfants of IDB’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) Sustainable Tourism Cluster and an Ashoka Fellow.
Changemakers Announces New Competitions at Clinton Global Initiative CGI:
- Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation highlighted Ashoka’s Changemakers, and our Tapping Local Innovation competition as a groundbreaking and “terrific example” of an effective process for sourcing and supporting innovation.
- “It gives innovators a line of site where the ‘white spaces’ may be so that you can start working while the competition is going on,” she told hundreds of world leaders and thinkers gathered at CGI. “And it incents collaboration.”
Major Growth for Competition Winner:
- Chetna Sinha’s 2005 competition win prompted coverage from a local CNN station of her Mann Deshi Women’s Bank. This led to first-time attention from large banks, including HSBC, that have since funded her organization’s dramatic growth – and the start of a women’s microfinance-based business school.
Competition Win Garners Media Coverage and More:
- 2009 Geotourism winner Wikiloc, is a Spain-based, user-friendly website that allows local communities to share area geographic information with geo-savvy travelers.
- Since winning they have been featured in numerous Spanish newspapers and on television. In addition, founder Jordi Ramot has been invited to speak at two international conferences in Europe to promote active tourism. “It’s given us so much visibility,” he said. “The Geotourism Challenge results have been awesome for Wikiloc.”
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