Perspectives from Brazilian philanthropy that inspire global practices

Article originally published in WINGS, 28/05/2025

By Luisa Lima, Communication and Knowledge Manager at IDIS

In a time of global uncertainty marked by social fragmentation, economic volatility, and pressures on democratic institutions, it’s easy to feel detached from the possibility of collective transformation. In such moments, it helps to look at practices that, while not perfect or universally applicable, offer useful directions.

Rather than becoming paralysed by complexity, many actors in Brazil’s philanthropic ecosystem are experimenting with bold and adaptive strategies. The annual report ‘Perspectives for Brazilian Philanthropy’, released by the Institute for the Development of Social Investment (IDIS), highlights six key trends shaping the philanthropy landscape in 2025. These trends reflect urgency, creativity and, above all, hope in action – showing how Brazilian philanthropy is responding to national challenges, while offering ideas that may resonate beyond its borders.

Like many countries, Brazil is increasingly affected by climate change and its implications. Floods, droughts, and storms are becoming more frequent and severe, often overwhelming the capacities of public and private sectors to respond. In this context, a growing number of philanthropic efforts are moving from reactive aid toward more structured and systemic strategies. Local Community Foundations (CFs), such as Fundação Gerações and ICOM, are helping lead this shift, creating rapid-response funds that mobilise local knowledge, donor networks, and public-sector partnerships to provide both immediate relief and long-term recovery.

One example is the RegeneraRS Emergency Fund, created after the May 2024 devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul, a state in the deep South of Brazil. The disaster affected 496 cities, displaced more than 150,000 people, and temporarily shut down the state’s main airport. The fund blends philanthropic capital with credit tools1 to support small businesses and rebuild affected areas, a locally rooted model with potential relevance for climate-vulnerable regions elsewhere.

Transforming Territories leadership meeting 2025. Photo by André Porto.

Mental health is another critical issue. Brazil faces high rates of psychological distress, and burnout is increasingly common among civil society leaders and workers, especially those from historically marginalised groups. Local organisations are beginning to prioritise a ‘culture of care’, creating spaces for emotional reflection, peer support, and institutional deceleration. While these efforts are still emerging, they point to a global truth: social impact work cannot continue without emotional sustainability. The philanthropy sector must consider embracing mental well-being as a programme area and the basis for civic engagement.

Institutional capacity is also gaining prominence. In Brazil, the conversation around capacity building has evolved beyond technical skills to include strategic governance, leadership development, sustainable funding models, and adaptation to shifting regulations. Supported by actors such as IDIS, GIFE, and BTG Soma, many organisations are undergoing internal transformations. Flexible funding from donors like Movimento Bem Maior and Instituto ACP further reinforces this shift, emphasising trust and long-term resilience over short-term project outputs. Strengthening the backbone of an organisation, rather than just its front-line programmes, is proving essential to meaningful, sustained change.

Volunteerism, too, is being reimagined. Once limited to direct engagement with specific programmes, volunteering in Brazil is increasingly integrated into decision-making and governance. A notable example comes from the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the largest museum in Latin America. There, a governance overhaul brought business leaders and professionals onto the board, enabling a financial turnaround, the creation of an endowment fund, and a major operational expansion. This approach to strategic volunteerism offers lessons for other philanthropic ecosystems aiming to build institutional resilience and bridge sectors.

In contrast to some parts of the world experiencing political backlash against diversity and inclusion, Brazil continues to see important progress, albeit not without resistance. Initiatives like the Pact for Racial Equity are using ESG metrics to hold companies accountable, while large institutions such as Itaú Bank have committed to public targets and substantial investment in Diversity and Inclusion. These actions demonstrate how philanthropy can uphold inclusive values, even when political environments are unfavourable. In this context, resistance is not reactionary; it is regenerative.

Finally, the practice of private social investment is spreading. Historically driven by large corporations, the field is now seeing increased participation from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up over 90% of businesses in Brazil. Programmes like Commitment 1%, inspired by the global Pledge 1% movement, encourage SMEs to allocate a share of profits to community development. New regulations, such as CVM Resolution No. 193 mandating sustainability disclosures by 2026, are also nudging smaller businesses toward more socially responsible practices.

Together, these developments reflect an ecosystem in motion, not by universal breakthroughs, but by meaningful experimentation, adaptation, and commitment. Brazilian philanthropy offers signals from a complex and deeply unequal society navigating profound change.

The question for global philanthropy is not whether to replicate these efforts, but how to draw from them, translating local insights into broader strategies that are just as bold, inclusive, and resilient as the challenges we all face.

1. The structure catalyses other initiatives on housing, education, business, and urban regeneration, by making donations and absorbing the risks. It’s the ‘fund of funds’.

Transforming Territories Seminar brings together over 30 community leaders from Brazil

The Transforming Territories Seminar, held in September at São Paulo, aimed to foster peer learning among representatives of Community Foundations (CFs) that are participants of the Transforming Territories Program, an impact project conducted by IDIS in partnership with the C.S. Mott Foundation. With visits to supported projects, lectures, and training sessions, the seminar provided an opportunity to deepen the understanding of a fundamental theme: the transformative power of these organizations in Brazil. The meeting also included the participation of the Brazilian Philanthropy Forum.

In its second edition, the event had the participation of over 60 individuals, including leaders of CFs, philanthropists, partners, and supporters committed to the cause.

“The three days were important for connections, benchmarking, and expanding perspectives, processes, and possibilities”, summarized one of the participants.

 

“The Seminar was very special, especially because it was highly interactive. I believe in this collective construction for Transforming Territories for the coming years”, commented another participant anonymously in the event evaluations.

 

Inspiration and Example: A Visit to Cacimba Institute

It is not possible to visit São Miguel Paulista, a periferic neighborhood on the east of the city of São Paulo, and don´t notice the impact of the projects supported by Cacimba Institute. The organization has been part of Transforming Territories program since 2020, and can be considered one of the pioneer CFs at São Paulo. Cacimba was established with the support of the program and built on the solid trust that community leader Hermes de Souza had in the region. Since then, Souza has been at the helm of the Institute. Emphasizing the importance of inspiring action, the visit marked the opening of the seminar.

Throughout the day, social projects supported by Cacimba in the region were showcased. Many of them received guidance from leader Hermes de Souza and are now supported by the Institute.

Learning and Training: a constant

In the afternoon, the group took part in the “Diversity and Human Rights” workshop, offered by Clara Serva, partner in the Business and Human Rights department of the law firm TozziniFreire, and Maria Paula Bonifácio Custódio, a lawyer in the same department.

Between the moments of sharing experiences and breaks, there were cultural dance performances by projects from the NUA Institute, led by local individuals.

On the second day of the Seminar, lectures and discussions highlighted the relevance and actions of CFs in their territories, and many experiences were shared. The meeting took place at the Comunitas headquarters, which provides institutional support to Transforming Territories.

Here are the highlights from the four panels that were part of the event.

Panel 1: GREAT IMPACT FROM SMALL DONATIONS: ENHANCING CHANGE WITH SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS

This panel featured speakers Elio Raymundo (President of the Network of Good Organizations), Thais Almeida (Executive Secretary of the Espraiada Institute), Alânia Cerqueira (Leader of the M’Boi Community Fund), and moderation by Pâmela Ribeiro (Coordinator of Special Projects at GIFE).

The panel brought new perspectives on how supporting small local initiatives can generate significant social and environmental transformations, highlighting the potential of funds dedicated to micro-projects and seed capital for community strengthening, especially in regions where resources are concentrated in large organizations.

Elio Raymundo, President of the Network of Good, which operates in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, emphasized how projects that receive small financial support can achieve “unexpected results” in local development. However, he stressed that this is only possible through trust in organizations and leaders who are change makers in their territorie.

Panel 2: STRENGTHENING BONDS: BUILDING SUSTAINABLES RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TERRITORY

This panel featured speakers Hermes de Sousa (Director of the Cacimba Institute), Ana Paolo Vieira (Council Member of FUNDAES), Flávia Mota (President of the JEQUI Community Fund), and was moderated by Lúcia Dellagnelo (Ambassador of the Transforming Territories Program).

Starting from the need to create bonds, Hermes brought the issue of trust to the discussion to strengthen partnerships and build with the community. According to him, “self-trust leads to trust in others,” and this establishes the regeneration of trust. The key to sustainable relationships, based on his experience, is “engaging and working with the community, not for the community.” To achieve this goal, it is necessary to speak the same language and adapt the language in each space, even in the construction of calls for proposals, which the Cacimba Institute has made more inclusive by allowing submissions through videos and audio in addition to written formats.

Panel 3: UNITING FORCES: COLLABORATING WITH THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND BUSINESSES FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION

This panel featured speakers Eliane Macari (President of FEAV), Jair Resende (Superintendent at the FEAC Foundation), Célia Petit (President of the Manauara Association), and was moderated by Patrícia Loyola (Director of Social Investment and Management at Comunitas).

The partnership between foundations dedicated to neighboring cities – FEAV and FEAC for Valinhos and Campinas, respectively – also demonstrated the strength of collaboration in their areas of operation. As Jair Resende of FEAC shared, with more than 60 years of history, FEAC continues its mission to stimulate the social sector and has been supporting the development of FEAV by donating a century-old property to establish FEAV’s endowment fund. Mutual support is an example to be followed and demonstrates the power of community transformation in this territory.

Panel 4: UNITING FORCES: COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

This panel featured speakers Diane Pereira (President of the Baixada Maranhense Community Institute), Gisele Ribeiro (President of the Redes da Maré Association), Willian Narzetti (Executive Manager of ICOM), and was moderated by Mônica de Roure (Vice President and Director of Institutional Relations at BrazilFoundation).

Regarding potential, Diane emphasized the need to be within the territory so that community philanthropy can understand the possibilities, people, and the land of a region in different situations. She believes that “considering there is potential when the river is full because it’s good for watering the plants, and when it’s empty, it’s good for moving cattle to other regions. It is necessary to think that development is about seeing abundance, not scarcity.” The representative from the Baixada Institute also stated that a network of people is needed not only to understand abundance but also to materialize social change.

On the third and final day, participants had the opportunity to take part in the Brazilian Philanthropy Forum 2023. Learn more here.

Text produced by Alexandra Teles, Ana Beatriz Pedreira, and Leticia dos Santos, all from the IDIS team.

 

About Transforming Territories

The Transforming Territories Program is an initiative of IDIS – the Institute for the Development of Social Investment – in partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, with a mission to promote the creation and strengthening of Community Foundations and Institutes in Brazil, with the engagement of donors and civil society, knowledge sharing, and technical support. BrazilFoundation and GIFE are institutional partners.

Community Foundations and Institutes have become an important institutional arrangement for social development and addressing the various demands of territories, whether they are neighborhoods, cities, or regions, with a long-term vision and seeking systemic impact for the development of the region. They play a central role in connecting social organizations and initiatives with donors, civil society, and the government, promoting transparency and engagement. These organizations act as grantmakers, financing projects and social initiatives in multiple causes to address the demands and priorities of the region, and they strengthen the third sector in the region through capacity building and technical support, invest in knowledge production, and promote a culture of giving in the territory where they operate.

Currently, the Transforming Territories Program consists of 17 community foundations and institutes from various regions of Brazil, located in 10 states.