Brazilian data highlights the need for more flexible and long-term funding, stronger impact measurement, and greater access to strategic support, leadership development and learning opportunities.
At a time when demand for services is increasing and putting additional pressure on the capacity of civil society organizations, strengthening organizational resilience has become more important than ever.
This is one of the findings of the World Giving Report 2026: Charity Insights, a study by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) based on responses from more than 5,000 leaders of civil society organizations across 33 countries. In Brazil, the research was conducted in partnership with IDIS, with 195 organizations taking part.
In Brazil, 66% of responding organizations reported an increase in demand for their services, while 78% expect demand to continue growing. The findings highlight the importance of creating the conditions that allow organizations not only to respond to immediate needs, but also to plan ahead, adapt and sustain their work over the long term.
Download the global report and country-specific insights from the survey
The quality of funding matters too
The study shows that financial resilience depends not only on diversifying sources of income, but also on the quality and characteristics of the funding available. In Brazil, companies and the general public are among the most common sources of funding, cited by 70% and 68% of responding organizations, respectively. On average, participating Brazilian organizations receive funding from 3.5 different sources.
Flexibility, however, remains a major issue: 72% percent of the funding received by Brazilian respondents is restricted to specific purposes. At the global level, the report shows that organizations tend to face greater difficulty in achieving their objectives as the proportion of restricted funding increases. In addition, 60% of Brazilian respondents said that, if they stopped receiving new funding, they would be able to continue operating for less than one year using only their reserves, investments or earned income.
Against this backdrop, long-term funding mechanisms such as philanthropic endowments, legacy gifts and charitable bequests can play an important role in strengthening organizational resilience. In Brazil, 13% of respondents receive funding from these sources. Globally, organizations with access to this type of long-term funding are also the most likely to feel financially and operationally prepared for the future: 50%, compared with 37% among organizations overall.
Measuring impact to strengthen trust
Another important finding concerns the relationship between trust, transparency and organizations’ ability to demonstrate and communicate their impact. The study suggests a potential gap between what organizations see as their main challenges and what donors consider important. Globally, 19% of organizations identify measuring and demonstrating impact as one of their main challenges, while only 6% mention the need to convince people that their organization is trustworthy. Among donors, however, 63% say that greater transparency or better communication of impact are among the ways organizations could encourage them to give.
In Brazil, the challenge of impact measurement is particularly evident. Only 31% of organizations believe they measure their impact effectively, while 29% currently use a formal impact measurement framework. At the same time, 59% say they are in the process of developing such a framework, suggesting meaningful progress toward strengthening this organizational capability. Yet only 17% of Brazilian respondents say they have received useful support from funders to help them measure their impact.
These findings are consistent with the Brazil Giving Research, conducted by IDIS, which also identifies trust and a clear understanding of how organizations operate as important factors in strengthening relationships with donors.Together, the studies reinforce the importance of producing evidence of results and communicating it in a clear, transparent and accessible way.
Organizational development is also a priority for funders
The World Giving Report 2026: Charity Insights also shows that civil society organizations expect support from funders that goes beyond financial resources alone. In Brazil, 77% would like funders to facilitate opportunities to connect and learn from relevant organizations; 59% would welcome strategic advice or support; and 54% identify leadership development and training as a priority.
These findings become even more significant when considering how organizational leaders currently spend their time. In Brazil, leaders dedicate an average of 68% of their time to operational activities and only 32% to long-term strategic work. Globally, most leaders say they would like to devote more time to strategic priorities, particularly planning for the future and mobilizing resources.
According to Luisa Lima, Communications and Knowledge Manager at IDIS “The data reinforces that organizational resilience depends not only on how much funding organizations are able to mobilize, but also on how that funding is provided and on the capabilities they are able to build. More flexible and long-term funding, combined with investments in strategy, governance, people, networks and impact measurement, gives organizations stronger foundations to plan, learn and respond to changing circumstances and society’s evolving needs.”
