LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

The Henry R. Kravis Prize

in Nonprofit Leadership

Celebrating the First Decade

TO DATE, THE KRAVIS PRIZE RECIPIENTS HAVE

IMPROVED THE LIVES OF OVER 700 MILLION
PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD.

The partnership of the Kravis Prize with CMC has demonstrably strengthened our commitment to students
leadership development for the nonprofit sector in the US and around the world. Prize winners deepen students
knowledge and experiences through internships and their visits to CMCs campus. This partnership of the Prize
with a liberal arts college is unique among prizes and colleges, thus furthering CMCs distinctiveness.
Pamela B. Gann
President Emerita, Claremont McKenna College
Trustee Professor of Legal Studies and George R. Roberts Fellow
Senior Fellow, Kravis Leadership Institute

Kravis Prize
The mission of the Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership is to identify extraordinary leaders in the nonprofit
sector, celebrate their accomplishments, and share their best practices with others. Each year, a rigorous due diligence
and selection process chooses a recipient that demonstrates bold, visionary leadership and significant, direct impact.
The Prize is presented and administered by Claremont McKenna College (CMC) and Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis.
The Selection Committee includes: Marie-Jose Kravis, Senior Fellow, The Hudson Institute; Henry R. Kravis, co-Founder,
co-Chairman and co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company (KKR); Harry McMahon, Executive Vice Chairman,
Bank of America Merrill Lynch and former Chair, Claremont McKenna College Board of Trustees; Dr. Surin Pitsuwan,
Former Secretary General, ASEAN; Josette Sheeran, President and CEO, The Asia Society and Former
Executive Director, United Nations World Food Programme; Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group; and
James D. Wolfensohn, Chairman, Wolfensohn & Company, L.L.C. and Former President, The World Bank.
2

bolD, visionary leaDershiP

The Kravis Prize has had a very considerable positive impact on Landesa, which was the inaugural
awardee, and the Prize is regularly cited in our public communications, briefings and grant proposals.
Central to that impact has been the widely shared appreciation that the extreme rigor of the assessment
process, used by a distinguished Kravis Prize Selection Committee, offers an exceptional degree
of assurance that each of the successive awardees is indeed contributing in a notable way to the
betterment of the human condition. The Prize has very effectively further elevated the issue of land
rights and helped spotlight our organizations work through the recognition it offers.
Roy Prosterman
4

2006

KRAVIS PRIZE

roy Prosterman
Founder and Chair emeritus

landesa

Roy Prosterman founded Landesa (formerly known as the Rural

Landesa has attorneys and staff working with the governments of

Development Institute) in 1967 to fight rural landlessness, one

40 developing nations, foreign aid agencies, and other partners to

of the chief structural causes of global poverty. As a result of

design and implement fundamental legal, policy and programmatic

Mr. Prostermans leadership, Landesa has become an effective

reforms to help the worlds rural poor. Since 1967, Landesa has

advocate for international land law and policy reform. Based

helped more than 100 million poor families in 35 countries gain

in Seattle, with field offices in China, India, and Indonesia,

legal control over their land.

2007

KRAVIS PRIZE

sir Fazle abed

Founder and Chairman

braC

Sir Fazle Abed founded the Bangladesh Rural Advancement

illiteracy, disease, and social injustice. Under Sir Fazle Abeds

Committee (BRAC) in 1972. Over the last several decades, BRAC

leadership, BRAC has grown into one of the largest development

has expanded across Bangladesh with a holistic and multifaceted

organizations in the world, serving more than 130 million people

approach to serving the poor. In addition to its work in Bangladesh,

per year and achieving extraordinary impact in reducing poverty

BRAC recently expanded operations into Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,

and empowering the poor. BRAC currently operates major

Tanzania, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. BRACs mission is to

programs in microfinance and income generation, public health,

empower people and communities in situations of poverty,

education, and social development.

Receiving the Kravis Leadership Prize was a wonderful surprise. This recognition put a
spotlight on BRAC, which was not so well known in the US then. The Prize came to me at a
perfect time I used the $250,000 cash award as seed funding for new BRAC affiliates in New
York and London. They have leveraged this gift many times over. The continued inclusion of
BRAC in the Stanford Social Innovation Review has been extremely helpful, further raising
BRACs profile in the US and attracting both good students and funds.
Sir Fazle Abed

Receiving the Kravis Prize made an enormous different to FAWE. It significantly raised and
continues to raise FAWE s profile and visibility, especially in the West. For instance, after
we received the Prize in 2008, FAWE joined the CGI initiative and pledged to support the
empowerment of women through various commitments to education. The prize money was used
to establish the FAWE endowment fund, which has grown to $1.2M. FAWE has used part of the
profit from this endowment fund to support its operational costs during the most difficult economic
times, especially for the period 2011/12 when most funding partners cut their budget support to
girls education. The remaining money will be re-invested into establishing a social enterprisea
state of Art technological training centre to promote E- leaning for its training manual on gender
responsiveness in education, an incubation lab for women and girls pursuing their interest in STEM,
and Resource centre on girls and gender in education. Part of this building will be rented out as
office space to other like-minded organisations to raise income for FAWEs operational costs.
Hendrina Doroba
Executive Director, FAWE
8

2008

KRAVIS PRIZE

Forum for african Women educationalists

In 1992, female Ministers of Education from five African countries

as the extensive indirect benefits for society at large. Since its

established the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)

founding, FAWE has expanded its programs and developed

to advocate for the education of girls across Africa. At that

a strong geographic presence across the continent, working

time, an estimated 24 million school-age girls were out of school

in 33 African countries. FAWE is a leading non-governmental

in Sub-Saharan Africa. FAWEs founders recognized the direct

organization in Africa, directly addressing issues relating to

personal benefits that accrue to girls who attend school, as well

girls education.

2009

KRAVIS PRIZE

Dr. sakena yacoobi

Founder and executive Director

afghan institute of learning

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi founded the Afghan Institute of Learning

centers and five health centers and clinics. Since 1996, the

(AIL) in 1995 while working in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan

learning and education centers have trained over 20,000

in response to refugee womens requests for educational

teachers and provided health education and training to more

opportunities for themselves and their children. From that initial

than 2 million people. In total, AIL has impacted more than

vision, AIL has developed over the last two decades to provide

10 million people, directly and indirectly, since its founding.

education, training, and health services to vulnerable Afghans

Seventy percent of AILs 450 staff members are Afghan women.

in order to foster self-reliance, critical thinking skills, and

Under Dr. Yacoobis leadership, AIL has become one of the

community participation throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan.

largest nonprofit organizations in Afghanistan and currently

AIL currently operates 38 womens learning and education

serves more than 350,000 women and children each year.

10

The Kravis Prize has been very important to me and to the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL).
First, the Kravis Prize gave AIL and me a lot more publicity and a lot more exposure, which meant
that I was able to meet more donors and grantors to support AIL. Although AIL was respected,
it was even more respected. The financial award itself helped us to continue to develop our
programs, especially to expand our trainings for youth and women. We were able to hold some
of the conferences that we had hoped to hold and we also expanded our cultural programs.
The Recipient Retreats that the Kravis Prize team have been holding for the awardees have also
been very helpful for me. They have helped me with planning and being more focused on our
goals and objectives and, since I share what I learn with my staff, it has helped AIL in general.
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi

11

The Kravis Prize was the first ever international recognition Pratham received, which
may have opened doors for subsequent awards that have been coming every year.
If the prize was precious, the warmth and the support that came from the team at
Claremont McKenna College leadership support program has been invaluable. It is
good to be in a place where someone appreciates your work but it is even better to
be in a place where they also say, come let us find out how you can do better.
Dr. Madhav Chavan
President, Pratham Education Foundation
12

2010

KRAVIS PRIZE

Pratham
Founded in 1994, Pratham works across India pursuing its mission,

Additional programs include preschools and libraries; training of

Every child in school and learning well. In 2007, Pratham launched

teachers, volunteers, and government officials; rehabilitation and

its flagship program, Read India, after finding that children, although

education of vulnerable and working children; early childhood

enrolled in school, were not learning to read, write, or grasp

care and education; and computer and English literacy. In addition

basic arithmetic. Read India targets children, age 6-14 years, and

to these programs, Pratham implements and oversees the yearly

concentrates on using short, focused campaigns to increase the

evaluation study of childrens learning levels in India and publishes

levels of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Read India has reached

the results in the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which is

approximately 34 million children to date, resulting in large-scale

used widely by governments, education policymakers, academics,

improvements in literacy levels across several states in India.

and other nonprofits.

13

2011

KRAVIS PRIZE

vicky Colbert
Founder

Fundacin escuela nueva

Vicky Colbert is widely regarded as an innovator in the field of

Colombia and has been implemented in most rural schools in

education. She founded the nonprofit organization Fundacin

the country. It is currently one of the longest running grass-roots

Escuela Nueva in 1987 to implement the model she co-designed

educational innovations of the developing world. To date, it

to improve the quality and relevance of basic education in low-

has benefited more than five million children in Latin America.

income schools throughout Colombia and across the world.

Internationally, the Escuela Nueva model has been adapted in

The Escuela Nueva model had an impact on national policy in

16 countries, mainly by governments.

14

I would like to highlight three features of the Kravis Prize that I appreciate very much. First, The Kravis Prize is personalized. It has
given me the opportunity to interact directly with its leaders and other Awardees to exchange views and ideas in a very personal
way. The Recipient Retreats have been wonderful opportunities. Second, receiving the Kravis Prize has been very rewarding for me
and the organization that I lead. In effect, being a Prize recipient has given us the opportunity to establish work relationships with
students, the Kravis Leadership Institute, Claremont Mckenna College and Claremont Graduate School of Education for mutual
benefit. We have had several fellows and interns from Claremont Mckenna College. When younger leaders become inspired, the
process and impact will continue! Third, through the Kravis Prize I have learned and become aware of the characteristics and features
of transformative leadership. This has helped me to identify those features in my personal leadership style as well as to work on
becoming a more effective leader. For all of those reasons, I want to express again my gratitude and appreciation.
Vicky Colbert
15

It takes a very unique funder to see the wisdom of providing unrestricted funding and act on it, and set up a system of
reward that is not a popularity contest but is instead, a true acknowledgement of innovation, hard work, and impact. And,
all the while, act with caring, commitment, and passion. You are both that kind of rare and valuable champion. We at
mothers2mothers feel so blessed to be a part of the Kravis Prize family. We are humbled to be included in this extraordinary
group of changemakers you assemble each year and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity you have given us,
through your generosity, to save lives and provide health and hope to so many who deserve it. Happy Anniversary, MarieJose and Henry Kravis, and know that you have touched the world in a way that will have impact for generations to come.
Robin Smalley
Co-Founder, mothers2mothers
16

2012

KRAVIS PRIZE

mothers2mothers
mothers2mothers (m2m) was established in 2001 to prevent

mothers2mothers fills the gaps in this clinical model and supports

mother-to-child transmission of HIV through the education and

these valuable health professionals in a low cost and high impact

support of pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV/

manner, by putting mentor mothers at the heart of improving

AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. There are not enough doctors, nurses,

reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health. Today m2m has

and social workers available at health care facilities to meet the

more than 580 fully-staffed sites in nine countries throughout sub-

needs of the high volume of patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Saharan Africa.

17

2012

KRAVIS PRIZE

soraya salti
inJaz al-arab
INJAZ harnesses the mentorship of Arab business leaders to help

in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. The

inspire a culture of entrepreneurialism and business innovation

organization is addressing a significant unmet need in the Middle

among Arab youth. INJAZ is based on the longstanding Junior

East, as evidenced by the youth demographic bulge in the Arab

Achievement model, which Ms. Salti worked to adapt to the

world, extreme high unemployment, and 72% of private sector

Arab context. Operating in 14 countries across the Middle East

CEOs in the region expressing a desire to improve the quality

and North Africa, INJAZ al-Arab is a confederation of national

of education and the ability of students to transition from the

operations, which in aggregate have reached one million Arab

classroom to the workplace.

youth to date by providing experiential education and training

18

INJAZ is honored to count itself a Kravis Prize winner amongst the exceptional body of fellow recipients. This prize is truly
an innovative and impactful development in the field of NGO support. The award enables organizations to scale in ways that
are not possible through traditional funds or grants. Not only has the generous support enabled INJAZ to grow its operations
from a regional and local country perspective, the prize has enabled INJAZ to interact with global leaders in the field of
development and share invaluable best practices. In addition, the Kravis Prize, in collaboration with Claremont McKenna
College, sends one student from Claremont to intern with our organization in Amman each summer. These youth have proven
remarkable in their capacity to add true value to our teams in fundraising, donor stewardship, and public relations.
INJAZ
19

I remain incredibly grateful for the honour bestowed on me in 2013 as the recipient of the Kravis Prize.
The prestige of winning this prize was, and continues to be, a great benefit to Right To Play, garnering the
organization recognition and respect as a global leader in the non-profit sector. The wonderful financial
support was also of great assistance in helping us deepen and continue our work with one million
children around the world and have a real impact on their lives. Through Right To Plays specialized sport
and play programs we have seen measureable results in improving childrens knowledge about protecting
themselves from disease; increased attendance at school and improved academic performance; as well
as an enhanced ability to solve conflicts peacefully. Winning the Kravis Prize was an extremely positive
boost to our work empowering and educating children and youth in disadvantaged areas. We are very
proud of our association with this prize, the Kravis family and Claremont McKenna College.
Johann Koss
20

2013

KRAVIS PRIZE

Johann olav Koss

Founder and Ceo

right to Play
Johann Koss, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, left a successful

change in their communities with lasting impact. Working in

career in speed-skating after the 1994 Olympics to become

both the humanitarian and development context, Right To

involved in the philanthropic work he had participated in as an

Play is a global organization, training local community leaders

athlete. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 2000, Right to Play

as coaches to deliver its programs in more than 20 countries

(formerly called Olympic Aid) uses sports and play to educate and

affected by war, poverty, and disease. Right To Play reaches

empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty,

1 million children and youth through weekly activities, and

conflict, and disease in disadvantaged communities.

has trained nearly 12,000 volunteer coaches and 5,000 Junior

Through sports and games, the nonprofit helps children

Leaders to help run its weekly programs.

build essential life skills and better futures, while driving social

21

2014

KRAVIS PRIZE

helen Keller international

Founded in 1915 by Helen Keller and George Kessler, Helen Keller

governments and organizations to ingrate the intervention into

International (HKI) works to prevent blindness and malnutrition in

the healthcare infrastructure and take it to scale.

22 countries in the Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, as well as the

HKI has reached nearly 200 million people, including

United States. HKI undertakes initiatives in vitamin A supplementation

delivering more than 85 million Vitamin A capsules, treating 133

(vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness

million people with deworming medicine (to combat neglected

and a significant contributor to childhood mortality), cataract

tropical diseases) and creating more than 190,000 jobs through

treatment, control of onchocerciasis (river blindness) and trachoma,

their homestead food production program. In addition, HKI

food fortification, food production programs and other integrated

reaches more than 90,000 underserved children and youth in the

programs. HKI develops simple, low-cost proven solutions, and then

United States each year through the ChildSight program, which

scales them. Once HKI develops a successful model that prevents

provides free vision screenings and prescription eyeglasses to

blindness and malnutrition, HKI works closely with local and national

students living in poverty in the United States.

22

Winning the Kravis Prize in Leadership and being recognized for our real and measurable
impact was a true game changer for HKI, not only because of the generous cash award
that is helping to support a critically needed infrastructure upgrade, but also because of the
outstanding visibility and credibility that comes with it, raising us to a new level just on the
eve of our centennial year. The timing could not have been more perfect, and the Prize has
triggered the momentum for significant growth in our impact over the next 100 years.
Kathy Spahn
President and CEO, Helen Keller International
23

Were honored and grateful to receive the Kravis Prize. This is a testament
to the amazing work of our board members, staff, and mentors in
22 countries who have helped thousands of entrepreneurs to think big,
achieve their dreams, and pay it forward in their communities.
Linda Rottenberg
Co-Founder and CEO, Endeavor

24

2015

KRAVIS PRIZE

endeavor
Founded in 1997, Endeavor fosters economic growth in countries

Over the past 17 years, Endeavor Entrepreneurs have created

worldwide by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating high-impact

more than 400,000 high quality jobs, directly reaching more

entrepreneurs. Endeavors entrepreneurs lead fast-growing

than two million people across the world. Endeavor has

businesses that generate jobs in Latin America, the Middle East,

achieved tangible results, with individuals working for Endeavor

Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Endeavor provides its

companies doubling their income over baseline or previous

entrepreneurs with a network of seasoned business leaders who

jobs, and Endeavor companies growing revenue 2.4 times

provide key ingredients to entrepreneurial success: mentorship,

faster than comparable firms over three years.

networks, strategic advice, and inspiration.

25

To fully appreciate what Marie-Jose and Henry Kravis have accomplished with the Prize, it must be seen in context.
Todays social capital markets (money that funds the social sector) are woefully inefficient. The vast majority of
donors and grantmakers make philanthropic decisions without good information or meaningful evaluation about the
organizations they fund. Consequently, the best nonprofits are often not rewarded commensurately for their good
work. Over the past ten years, we have worked to build a Prize that can help change that dynamic. Led by a Selection
Committee with tremendous expertise, we conduct extensive, detailed research on potential candidates and rigorously
evaluate the impact of each nonprofit organization. By identifying organizations with the most extraordinary impact,
we signal the high performers to other donors and then share best practices with other nonprofits across the sector.
Perhaps most importantly, we shape the next generation of nonprofit leaders by ensuring that
Claremont McKenna College students can learn from the best. The remarkable vision and wisdom
of Marie-Jose and Henry Kravis have made a profound and enduring mark on the world.
Kim Jonker
Executive Director
The Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership

26

27

signiFiCant iMPaCt aCross the WorlD

Poverty, disease, illiteracy, violencehow can we (as educators, students, philanthropists, social innovators) work together to alleviate
these persistent, devastating human conditions? Through the generosity of Henry and Marie-Jose Kravis, the Kravis Leadership Institute,
the Kravis Prize, and the integrated creativity, empathy, and courage of our academic community, and the Claremont McKenna College
identity as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, we have a singular opportunity to make a sustainable, positive impact on these basic
human conditions. It is to that profound, shared mission we are forever committed to keeping our eyes on the Kravis Prize.
Hiram E. Chodosh
President, Claremont McKenna College

28

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

The Henry R. Kravis Prize

in Nonprofit Leadership

Celebrating the First Decade