The Spiritual Changemakers Initiative began in 2017 with Ashoka envisioning what might happen if the estimated 55% of people worldwide for whom their faith and spiritual beliefs are important in their lives could be engaged more as changemakers.  In 2018 Ashoka’s partnership with the Los Altos United Methodist Church led to the first Changemaker Initiative and to the organization of that name created by the team that coalesced out of that first effort.  

In 2021, Ashoka and Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies began a partnership to build an interfaith ecosystem supporting Spiritual Changemakers with the leadership skills, tools and mindsets needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, with the goal of sustaining leaders of these efforts whether they are clergy, lay people, individual innovators, academic players, or other institutional actors.  

In 2021 and 2022 Ashoka began offering Masterclasses for Faith-Inspired Changemakers around the world – in Indonesia, Philippines, and globally in English, Spanish and Portuguese, leading Spiritual Changemakers to become more engaged with each other, with Ashoka and with changemaking.  

As this initiative continues globally and includes other partners, we are building a community of highly diverse participants with a variety of spiritually- or faith-inspired changemaking initiatives. We are open to all spiritual practices, faith traditions and denominations who believe in working for the good of all people. 

Working with players active at the ecosystem level, we are bringing them together in conversation and collaboration to accelerate the transformation of our spiritual ecosystem and create room for spiritual changemakers to thrive.