The research points to a more demanding donor and brings a special chapter on donations for emergency situations

Strongly influenced by the socioeconomic context and emergency situations, the donation scenario in Brazil presents a new pattern. The new edition of Brazil Giving Research reveals more selective donation practices, an increase in the amounts donated, and a greater demand for transparency from beneficiary institutions. In 2024, 78% of Brazilians over 18 years old and with a family income higher than minimum wage (approximately $280) made at least one type of donation, whether of money, goods/food, or time, in the form of volunteer work.

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The biannual research is an initiative of IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment – and presents a detailed overview of the perception and donation practices of Brazilians. The research has as one of its main lines of analysis the concept of institutional monetary donation, made to NGOs and/or socio-environmental projects and campaigns, and does not consider donations of alms, tithes, or money to acquaintances.

According to Paula Fabiani, CEO of IDIS, “The Brazil Giving Research provides fundamental data to understand the advances and challenges regarding this practice, and reinforces the importance of promoting trust in NGOs, in addition to continuing to foster the giving culture in Brazil”.

The research, conducted by Ipsos at the request of IDIS, has national coverage, with representation in all regions of the country, and was carried out through an online collection of 1,500 interviews. The margin of error of the study is 2.5 percentage points.

The estimated value of the donation volume in 2024 was BRL 24.3 billion ($4.5 billion), higher than the BRL 14.8 billion ($2.7 billion) recorded in 2022 and adjusted to current values. The median of annual individual donations increased from BRL 300 to BRL 480.

The practice is less frequent, occurring fewer times a year, but more strategic: most donors claim to choose causes carefully (86%) and seek information before donating (83%). On the other hand, 49% have stopped donating after negative news about organizations, which highlights the importance of trust as an essential asset for the sector. The loyalty also showed a decline: only 49% maintain the habit of donating to the same institutions every year – in 2015, it was 69%.

The donor profile in 2024 reveals a more balanced and qualified scenario. Men and women exhibit similar donation rates, marking a new equating between the genders. The highest incidence is among adults aged 30 to 49 — an economically active and stable age group — and among people with higher education, of whom more than half make donations (57%). The practice is also more prevalent among individuals with higher household income, particularly highlighting the growth in the brackets between 4 and 6 times the minimum wage and above 8 times the minimum wage. Geographically, the North, Central-West, and South regions recorded higher rates, influenced by the occurrence of emergency situations in 2024. The study also reveals a shift in the ecosystem of influence: community and religious networks are gaining more space; with traditional approaches such as calls or emails losing effectiveness.

With extreme climate events of great magnitude occurring in Brazil in 2024, such as floods in Rio Grande do Sul state, droughts in the Amazon rainforest, and fires in the Pantanal biome, the Brazil Giving Research brings a special chapter on donations made for emergency situations. Among its highlights is the fact that half of the Brazilian population donated to an emergency in 2024, with more significant donations than observed during the pandemic, suggesting a greater willingness to donate in times of crisis. It was also revealing that 60% of the monetary donations for these purposes were directed to locations outside their own state, demonstrating not only national solidarity but a deep instinct to act, even when the need is far from home.

According to Patricia McIlreavy, CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), who contributed to the research, “The organizations closest to the affected communities are also the most capable of providing solutions, but they need resources before, during, and after disasters.”

As emergency donors also tend to donate in other situations, McIlreavy highlights how in Brazil there is an enormous potential to engage the emergency donor in more structural actions, which involve addressing the causes of vulnerabilities and long-term recovery.

THE PROPORTION OF INCOME ALLOCATED TO DONATIONS ACCORDING TO THE WORLD GIVING REPORT

The World Giving Report 2025, a new study by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) – represented in Brazil by IDIS – introduces for the first time an indicator that measures generosity across countries based on the share of income allocated to donations, whether directed to organizations, people in vulnerable situations, or religious purposes. According to the report, Brazil ranks 48th, with an average of 0.93% of Brazilians’ income devoted to social and environmental causes – a result above the South American average of 0.73%.

The research surveyed more than 50,000 people across 101 countries to understand solidarity on a global scale, referring to donations made throughout 2024.

In Brazil’s case, although trust levels in social organizations are slightly above the global average (the country scores 10 points on a 15-point scale, while the global average is 9.2), they remain below their full potential, indicating that there is still significant room for improvement. Moreover, Brazilians tend to prioritize donating to local and national organizations rather than international institutions. This preference may be linked to the desire for greater understanding and proximity to the causes and organizations they support.

You can learn more and download the full study here.

About the Brazil Giving Research

The Brazil Giving Research was created with the purpose of mapping in depth the perceptions, postures, and donation practices among Brazilians, with a special focus on monetary contributions. The study investigates the factors that drive or hinder the act of donating, providing a comprehensive understanding of individual donor behavior in the country. Since its first edition, which analyzed the year of 2015, the research has consolidated itself as the main source of data on the giving culture in Brazil, with new editions in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Throughout this journey, it has been contributing to the development of more effective strategies for resource mobilization, providing valuable aid for public policies, third sector initiatives, and institutional actions that aim at making the culture of donating in Brazil more solid, conscious, and sustainable.

Organization and supporters

The 2024 Brazil Giving Research is an initiative of IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment. Ipsos was responsible for carrying out the research and Fundação Bradesco, Fundação Itaú, Fundação Sicredi, Movimento Bem Maior, Galo da Manhã, Instituto ACP, and Instituto MOL, were the financial supporters. Teresa Bracher also contributed.

About IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment

IDIS is an independent social organization founded in 1999 and a pioneer in providing technical support to social investors in Brazil. With the mission of inspiring, supporting, and expanding private social investment and its impact, it works alongside individuals, families, companies, foundations, and corporate and family institutes, as well as civil society organizations in actions that transform realities and contribute to reducing socio-environmental inequalities in the country.