Who is responsible for transforming territories?
With an invitation to reflect on this question, IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment, together with the collective of Community Foundations (CFs), launched the Transforming Territories Web Series. The production brings real stories of impact, belonging, and community leadership promoted by CFs in different regions of Brazil. There are 14 episodes focused on transformation within the territories of participating organizations, covering cities such as Manaus, São Paulo, Maceió, Porto Alegre, and many other metropolitan areas.
One of the episodes highlights the work of Instituto Cacimba, which operates in Jardim Ângela, São Paulo (SP), acting as a bridge between youth, local culture, and the construction of collective solutions for the territory. The episode also features the work of Escola de DesNegócio, a project by Instituto NUA supported by Cacimba, whose goal is to train, support, and accelerate businesses in the urban periphery, boosting entrepreneurship and the local economy through the generation of shared wealth for the territory and its community.
“We believe community philanthropy can be an important driver of social transformation in Brazil. While it is already well established abroad, we had to ‘jaboticabar’ this model to fit our Brazilian reality. The launch of this web series is a major milestone for the Transforming Territories program and for all the organizations that take part in it. Through these videos, we can see the scope of action of Brazilian Community Foundations and the diversity present in each of their territories. This web series was built collaboratively with the FICs, which made it even more remarkable,” says Paula Fabiani, CEO of IDIS.
Paula Fabiani with organizational leaders during a meeting held in March
The web series presents initiatives developed by organizations that are deeply familiar with the challenges and opportunities of their territories, working through dialogue, listening, and community mobilization. They are:
– Alagoas: Mundaú Mundo
– Amazonas: Manauara Associação Comunitária
– Espírito Santo: FUNDAES – Federação das Fundações e Associações do Espírito Santo
– Maranhão: Instituto Baixada Maranhense
– Minas Gerais: Associação Nossa Cidade e JEQUI – Instituto Comunitário de Desenvolvimento e Inovação do Vale do Jequitinhonha
– Rio de Janeiro: Fundo Comunitário da Maré e Instituto Comunitário Paraty
– Rio Grande do Sul: Fundação Gerações
– São Paulo: Fundo Comunitário Perifasul M’Boi Mirim, FEAV – Fórum das Entidades Assistenciais de Valinhos e Instituto Cacimba
– Santa Catarina: ICOM – Instituto Comunitário Grande Florianópolis
– Sergipe: ICOSE – Instituto Comunitário de Sergipe
The production, supported by Movimento Bem Maior, is part of the Transforming Territories program, an initiative by IDIS in partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which promotes the creation and strengthening of Community Foundations in Brazil. The program’s purpose is to foster local development through collaborative, transparent strategies aligned with the real needs of the population.
ABOUT TRANSFORMANDO TERRITÓRIOS
The Transformando Territórios Program is an initiative of IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to foster the creation and strengthening of Community Foundations (CFs) in Brazil. It does so through donor and civil society engagement, knowledge sharing, and technical support.
Learn more about the program and its participants at www.transformandoterritorios.org.br.
