Recognition

Pratham USA ranks among the top 3% of all nonprofits in America, consistently achieving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for “sound fiscal management” and “commitment to accountability and transparency."

“ASER tackles the challenge of measuring learning outcomes and uses this information to drive improvements in schools. The issue is critical, and the ASER model, now ten years old, is best-in-class.” — Homi Kharas, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director for the Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution

“ASER provides an evidence base on the outcomes of learning (proficiency in key subjects) versus inputs (attendance), which both improves accountability and impact. By moving from one to seven countries, it has demonstrated the ability to scale.” — Andrew Wyckoff, Director, Science, Technology and Industry Department, OECD

“Pratham has expanded the scope of education in resource constrained areas… through two significant innovations: the creation of simple, accurate and reliable tools for communities to assess learning; and a process that uses scientific evidence to develop new cost-effective programs that drastically improve learning levels.” — BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award jury citation

“Our inaugural honorees represent an extraordinary range of geography and achievement. What they share in common are vision, passion and proven impact, wherever and however they happen to be changing the world.” — Josette Sheeran, Asia Society president

Recognition Highlights

Pratham has been recognized internationally by prestigious awards and prominent organizations for both the quality of our innovations and for our extensive impact.

LUI Che Woo Prize

“Our own values and vision of making the world a better, more positive place are very similar to that of the Prize, and this generous honor from an international award will greatly support the work of Pratham in continuing to promote quality education to the children who are most in need.”

— Dr. Rukmini Banerji, CEO of the Pratham Education Foundation

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Social Enterprise of the Year

“[Pratham] started in 1995, but even in 2017 they are very relevant in the journey. They continue to excel in what they are doing, taking it beyond what they have done in the past.”

— Deep Joshi, award jury member and co-founder of Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)

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Asia Game Changer Award

Dr. Madhav Chavan was named a 2014 Asia Game Changer for giving the gift of literacy to millions of Indian children. Launched in 2014 by the Asia Society, the awards recognize those leaders contributing to a positive future for Asia in the core areas of policy and business, arts and culture,...

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Finalist, DAC Prize for Taking Development Innovation to Scale
"ASER provides an evidence base on the outcomes of learning (proficiency in key subjects) versus inputs (attendance), which both improves accountability and impact. By moving from one to seven countries, it has demonstrated the ability to scale."
— Andrew Wyckoff, Director, Science, Technology and Industry Department, OECD

Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) was shortlisted as one of ten finalists for the 2014 OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Prize for Taking Development Innovation to Scale. The annual DAC Prize from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recognizes projects that take an innovative approach to...

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BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
"Pratham has expanded the scope of education in resource constrained areas… It has done so through two significant innovations: the creation of simple, accurate and reliable tools for communities to assess learning; and a process that uses scientific evidence to develop new cost-effective programs that drastically improve learning levels."
— Jury citation

Pratham received the 2014 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Development Cooperation category for two decades of successfully catering to the learning needs of millions of disadvantaged children. Spain’s BBVA Foundation promotes innovation, and their award recognizes Pratham’s ability to make a broad impact by...

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WISE Prize for Education
"I had friends working for women’s liberation. I had friends working for the popularization of science. I said to them—none of these things you want to do are possible if people cannot read and write."
— Dr. Madhav Chavan, co-founder, Pratham

Pratham co-founder Dr. Madhav Chavan was the recipient of the 2012 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Prize for providing quality education to millions of underserved children in India. Established in 2009 by Qatar Foundation, the international WISE Prize is the first major global prize of its kind to recognize an...

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Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
"Madhav Chavan is transforming India’s approach to children’s literacy and education. His unwavering insistence on universal education and his work to engage community volunteers in the quest for literacy has already reached more than 34 million children, offering a proven model for the entire world."
— Sally Osberg, President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation

In 2011, Pratham co-founder Dr. Madhav Chavan received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in recognition of the organization's low-cost education programs.

Each year, the Skoll Foundation presents the awards to a select group whose innovations have had significant, proven impact on some of the world’s most pressing problems in the areas of environmental sustainability, health and education, and invests directly in the promise of even greater impact at scale.

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The Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership
“Pratham's approach to improving educational quality is targeted, cost-effective and sustainable. By collaborating closely with government and local communities, Pratham has shown tremendous results and improved millions of children's lives.”
— Henry R. Kravis, founding partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and alumnus and trustee, Claremont McKenna College

Pratham was selected as the 2010 winner of the Henry R. Kravis Prize, which recognizes excellence in nonprofit leadership.

Since 2006, the Henry R. Kravis Prize, presented and administered by Claremont McKenna College (CMC) and Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, has annually recognized leaders in the nonprofit sector who demonstrate innovation, creativity, persistence and effectiveness


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