Systems Change

At Ashoka, we believe that the most powerful force for good is a systems-changing idea in the hands of a formidable social entrepreneur. True systems change is the result of scaling social impact rather than focusing on growing a single organisation; it is the result of letting go of control of an idea, and enabling and encouraging others to join in and implement change. Ashoka Fellows embody this concept and their ideas have positively impacted on countless people around the world.

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An Introduction to Systems Change

It's no secret that at Ashoka we believe that social entrepreneurship – the concept of an innovative solution to a social problem in the hands of an exceptional entrepreneur – is the key to solving society’s problems.

At the heart of every social entrepreneur’s ambition is to fundamentally change the system within which they work, so as to impact on the largest possible number of people, without the need for the entrepreneur to replicate their organisation or themselves. As Ashoka’s Founder and CEO, Bill Drayton, once said, “Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionised the fishing industry.”

At Ashoka, we identify and support those social entrepreneurs who have found an idea that is systems-changing; indeed, at the heart of our selection criteria is the notion of ‘a systems change idea in the hands of an entrepreneur’.

Ashoka Fellows change systems in five different ways:

Redefining interconnections in market systems
Changing the rules that govern societies
Diminishing the gap between the private and citizen sectors
Integrating marginalised populations
Increasing the number of people who are social problem-solvers

Reports on Systems Change

Together with other thought leaders, we produce reports on topics related to social entrepreneurship and systems change; such as the recent 'New Allies’ report. Learn from our global ecosystem to gather insights and best practices for systems change.

Embracing Complexity

Towards a Shared Understanding of Funding Systems Change

Seven Steps for Funding System Change

Ashoka Fellows frequently report that their most impactful work – the kind that is focused on system change – is generally the least funded. This presents a clear challenge and...

Doing Democracy: How Social Entrepreneurs Bridge Divides, Fight Apathy and Strengthen Civil Liberties

WHAT does an organization that brings people together to do arts and crafts and an organization uniting mothers to address extremism have in common? They both work to systemicall...

Ashoka Fellows on Systems Change

As we attempt to demystify what systems change is on a practical level, hear from three of our UK Fellows – Michael Sani, Karen Mattison and Mark Swift – about how they have established their organisations around a systems-change approach and what exactly that looks like within the context of the problem they are solving. Each demonstrates a true understanding that to achieve systems change – to truly fix a system – it is the impact, not the organisation that needs to be scaled. And that means being open to others taking credit and joining in, as long as the desired outcome is achieved.

Michael Sani on Systems Change

The issue with poor civic participation is mainly due to a lack of meaningful engagement of all citizens, regardless of their post code, education pathways or any other factor that makes us different...

Mark Swift on Systems Change

I believe we will have achieved systemic change in healthcare systems when we have successfully integrated the social dimensions of health and wellbeing in all clinical and social care pathways.

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Karen Mattison on Systems Change

How people work in the UK has changed dramatically in recent years - seven in 10 of the UK workforce has some form of flexibility in their working patterns, with almost as many men as women preferring...

The Ashoka Systems Change Podcast

For the 2nd mini-season of The Systems Change Podcast, we continued to explore the topic of systems change and how social entrepreneurs can effectively work with governments to improve systems together. This season is co-hosted by Sascha Haselmayer, a seasoned social entrepreneur and an Ashoka Fellow who has worked with 135 municipal governments across the world to improve the provision of public services, and Olga Shirobokova, co-lead of the Systems Unit at Ashoka Globalizer.

The 2nd podcast season complements the free online course for social entrepreneurs on Working With Government that Ashoka launched in Fall 2020.

Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music

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Partnerships - Mobilising Stakeholders

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Impact - An Organisation's Footprint

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Challenges - The Unavoidable Trials

As Michael Sani points out in a video clip we will be posting later today, there is no manual to being the CEO of a social enterprise, so social entrepreneurs have to learn on the job. This means that there will be challenges along the way, and the only way forward is to try your best and learn from...

Learnings - The Wisdom Obtained

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