About the Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world. Jeff believes that strategic investments in the right people can lead to lasting social change. The Skoll Foundation’s mission is to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems. Social entrepreneurs are proven leaders whose approaches and solutions to social problems are helping to better the lives and circumstances of countless underserved or disadvantaged individuals. By identifying the people and programs already bringing positive change around the world, the Skoll Foundation empowers them to extend their reach, deepen their impact and fundamentally improve society.

Invest

The Skoll Foundation invests in social entrepreneurs through the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. These three-year awards support the continuation, replication or extension of programs that have proved successful in addressing a broad array of critical social issues: tolerance and human rights, health, environmental sustainability, institutional responsibility, peace and security, and economic and social equity.

Connect

The Skoll Foundation connects social entrepreneurs with people and resources through a number of academic, business and community channels which serve to advance the work of individual entrepreneurs, as well as the field of social entrepreneurship as a whole. To further academic study and build knowledge of the sector, the foundation launched the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in November 2003 at the Saïd Business School at Oxford. The Centre funds five Skoll Scholars who participate in the full Saïd MBA program as well as Skoll Fellows who do research in and teach social entrepreneurship. The Foundation and Centre convene at Oxford the annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, bringing together the world’s foremost practitioners and thought leaders in social innovation.

To foster connections online, the Skoll Foundation supports Social Edge, where social entrepreneurs, nonprofit professionals, philanthropists and others in the social sector connect to network, learn, inspire one another and share resources. The site strikes a balance between the visionary and the practical, with spirited discussions, online workshops and access to resources and experts.

Celebrate

The Skoll Foundation celebrates social entrepreneurship and social innovation through film and broadcast partnerships designed to spread the stories of social entrepreneurs.  Partnering with leading content and distribution networks, including, among others, the PBS Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Fund, The Sundance Institute, and Rockhopper TV, the Foundation supports filmmakers, documentarians and other journalists produce works that tell the stories of individual social entrepreneurs and promote large-scale public awareness of social entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit the Skoll Foundation's Web site at www.skollfoundation.org.

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