Pratham Recognized by Stanford Social Innovation Review

The Stanford Social Innovation Review recently acknowledged Pratham in an article examining how India’s social innovators extend their reach.

In “The Denominator Mind-set for Scaling Social Change,” Soumitra Pandey, Rohit Menezes and Swati Ganeti put forth the premise that social change can be thought of in terms of a fraction. The authors explain that “the denominator represents the size of a given social need, while the numerator exemplifies what a given organization is currently accomplishing to reduce that need.”

The article cites Pratham as an exemplar of the “denominator mindset” and applauds co-founders Dr. Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambay for their “audacious goal of vanquishing illiteracy in India.” Denominator thinkers like Pratham look for approaches that target the overall need rather than making incremental progress.

“With the ongoing goal of extending its impact across all of India, Pratham has repeatedly changed its operating model as it grows. When Pratham was unable to sustain the scale of its operations as a service-delivery organization, it focused on training government teachers, developing curriculum, and pedagogy. In doing so, it has become a partner in shaping and conducting government policies.”

The article is part of the Impact India series produced in collaboration with The Bridgespan Group to offer continual coverage of social innovation in India. Read it in full at SSIR.org.