Ashoka Youth Venture Program to Continue Building its Global Presence with Support...

Ashoka Youth Venture Program to Continue Building its Global Presence with Support from Staples Foundation for Learning

Ashoka Receives $500,000 Grant and Commitment to Encouraging
Youth-Led Social Change
ARLINGTON, Va.--(Business Wire)--
Ashoka, a global non-profit organization with a 26-year history
and network of more than 1,800 social entrepreneurs serving 70
countries, today announced it has received a $500,000 grant from
Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created
by Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). This grant will support Ashoka's
Youth Venture program, which empowers youth around the world to act as
positive agents for social change. Youth lead projects that increase
their life, learning and leadership skills and motivate them to be
highly engaged community members. Since 2006, Staples has provided
Ashoka with $1 million in support of their worldwide efforts to invest
in and catalyze a movement of young changemakers who increase the
ability of a global society to solve problems and thrive.

In 2006, SFFL began its partnership with Ashoka with a $500,000
grant to launch Youth Venture in five countries where Staples
operates, including France, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. In
2007, a $500,000 grant was given to expand the program to Belgium and
Canada and continue developing the program in the original five
countries. This year's grant will continue building the capacity,
visibility and reach of the Youth Venture program throughout the world
and support the second annual Ashoka/Staples' "That Was Easy" Youth
Venture competition in the U.S. and Canada, a competition that
recognizes Youth Venturers for their efforts to make life easier for
others.

"The partnership between Ashoka and Staples Foundation for
Learning is built on recognizing the value of entrepreneurship," said
Bill Drayton, founder and chief executive officer of Ashoka.
"Together, we encourage today's youth by providing them with the tools
and support necessary to become social entrepreneurs who have the
confidence and knowledge to change the world."

"Staples' global collaboration with Ashoka allows us to strengthen
our support and commitment to getting youth around the world involved
with and caring for their communities," said Ron Sargent, president of
Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive
officer of Staples, Inc. "Together, we are helping young people
realize the impact they can make on the world when they act as
positive changemakers confronting important social issues."

Youth Venture encourages young people to start their own
sustainable social ventures and connects them into a powerful global
network. The vision of the program is that every young person can be a
changemaker. Through Youth Venture, Ashoka and SFFL have seen energy
and idealism in youth and the powerful change they can make when
pursuing big challenges.

Founded in 1996 by Ashoka, the Youth Venture program invests in
young social entrepreneurs and helps them start their ventures, many
of which have led to social change around the globe. The program has
already helped 2,000 teams of young people worldwide to launch their
own social ventures and connect with a global network of like-minded
young people with the objective of shaping a global culture of
youth-led social change. The Venturers start businesses, civil society
organizations and informal programs that address all types of social
issues, including poverty, health, the elderly, the environment,
education, diversity issues and the arts.

About Ashoka

Ashoka is a global association of leading social entrepreneurs -
individuals with innovative and practical ideas for addressing social
needs around the world. It has developed a network of more than 1,800
social entrepreneurs serving 70 countries. Ashoka's Youth Venture is a
global movement of powerful young changemakers who are leading their
own community-serving ventures while together fundamentally changing
the youth years to a time of leadership, initiative and positive
social change. For more information, please visit www.ashoka.org or
www.youthventure.org .

About Staples Foundation for Learning

The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is to teach,
train and inspire. Founded in 2002, the foundation has contributed
nearly $12 million to national and local charities that provide
educational opportunities and job skills for all people, with a
special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Staples Foundation for
Learning has also developed lasting relationships with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America, Earth Force, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and
the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In addition, Staples
Foundation for Learning supports Ashoka, an organization that develops
and supports social entrepreneurs around the world, in eight
countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain
and the United States. For more information about the foundation or
how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.

Ashoka Global Marketing
Beverly Schwartz, 703-527-8300 ext 227
bschwartz@ashoka.org
or
on behalf of Staples Foundation for Learning
Kristen Ingraham, 781-559-0430
Kristen.Ingraham@rfbinder.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008