BrazilFoundation

Vehicle For Philanthropy

In the Vanguard of Brazilian Philanthropy

We are a leading agent of Brazilian philanthropy. We bridge the gap between donors and outstanding social organizations focused on promoting equality, social justice and economic opportunity in Brazil. Our global network and partners ensure organizations have the resources to foster strong communities and respond to local needs.

BrazilFoundation works hand-in-hand with donors connecting them to a diverse portfolio of organizations. We offer a reliable, transparent and tax-deducible mechanism for targeted social investment, including donor advised gifts and funds, legacy giving and strategic partnerships.

Ethical and responsible resource management is the heart of our relationship with you. We start with your vision, share the relationships we’ve cultivated with exceptional nonprofits achieving meaningful change, and then manage the details.

With our expertise and your passion, we make greater impact together.

Expert Guidance

With over 300,000 registered nonprofits in Brazil, how do you determine which ones are most effective? BrazilFoundation helps you effectively navigate the Brazilian nonprofit landscape by thoroughly examining and endorsing credible civil society organizations. We make it easier for you to learn about and fund the most promising local social investment opportunities.
Experience Your Impact

We believe in creating a meaningful experience for our donors and partners, deepening their connections to the causes they fund. We facilitate individual site visits and “Open Houses” to grantee organizations. Through our newsletters and social media you can receive updates on the impact you are helping create.
Learn and connect

Whether you want to learn about the issues, explore new giving opportunities or meet other donors, we make it easy. We promote events and activities throughout the year to inform and inspire your philanthropic efforts. The “Ideas the Transform Brazil” talk series create opportunities to meet the grantees while also creating a platform for dialogue and exchange.
Targeted Giving

Whether you prefer to rely on our team to determine funding opportunities or prefer to choose yourself, we offer a variety of ways to give.

Donor Advised

Support an organization or project of your choice
The Donor Advised Program is a credible and transparent mechanism for individuals or businesses to invest in an organization of their choice in Brazil. BrazilFoundation is a pioneer in the donor advised program in Brazil, having invested more than US$11 million and benefiting 140 projects since 2002.

Steps
1. Donors recommend a specific organization or project in which they would like to invest;
2. BrazilFoundation screens the organization to assure for quality and accountability;
3. The recipient provides details of how the funds would be used;
4. BrazilFoundation Board of Directors approves the grant, the donor is informed and the grant is issued.
An administrative fee of 3-8% is applied according to the size of the grant.
Open a Fund

Create lasting impact for a cause close to your heart

By creating a fund, you can organize your social investment through a carefully-managed and cost-effective philanthropic vehicle.

You can create a fund to support a specific field of interest, relying on BrazilFoundation to identify organizations that are capable of making the greatest impact in the area or region of particular importance to you.

You can create a Donor Advised Fund, through which you can make specific recommendations for grants to nonprofit organizations, while taking a charitable income tax deduction for the year in which you made a contribution to your Fund. BrazilFoundation’s Board of Directors is legally responsible for approving all grants.

Funds may be opened with contributions of US$50,000 or more and gifts of any size may also be made to support existing thematic or regional funds with the foundation.
Legacy Giving

Leave a legacy of purposeful social investment for future generations

BrazilFoundation launched its Planned Giving Program in 2010 – a well-established practice in the US that is now emerging in Brazil. By joining the BrazilFoundation Legacy Circle donors can plan today for donations that will help promote social change in Brazil for years to come.

Planned Giving Options

One traditional way of planned giving is to set up a Named Fund, which will support BrazilFoundation’s mission in predetermined ways. A more private and confidential option is for BrazilFoundation to have your contributions directed to one of BrazilFoundation’s existing thematic or regional funds. Another option is to make BrazilFoundation a beneficiary in your will or trust. A bequest translates into tax benefits like any charitable contribution. More importantly, it makes clear the priorities which will guide the management of your estate for future generations, effectively creating a legacy under your name, or anonymously. Similar gifts can be made through a donor’s retirement plan or life insurance policy.

Donor Will or Trust BrazilFoundation Family
Endowment Fund

Contribute to the sustainability of our efforts

The Endowment Fund was created in 2010 to help ensure the sustainability of BrazilFoundation’s efforts in the future. Resources from the Endowment Fund are directed to both institutional support and grantmaking.

Partnerships

Recognizing the Power of Partnership

Considering the urgency of the social challenges in Brazil, civil society cannot afford to work independently. BrazilFoundation acts as a convener, actively seeking partnerships and co-investment opportunities that reduce inefficiencies and overlap. Through co-investment and partnerships we are able provide larger grants for longer periods to worthy projects.

Methodology Transfer

Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém

The Território Empreendedor project was a pioneer partnership with Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém (Steel Company of Pecém) between 2014 and 2015 that worked to grow the entrepreneurial culture in São Goncalo do Amarante and Caucaia – two cities located in the Complexo Industrial do CIPP – a region with one of the highest concentrations of big companies in the state of Ceará.

With the belief that entrepreneurship can promote more equitable economic growth in the region, the project teaches local youth the fundamentals of business development and financial education for entrepreneurs. The project also gives them access to funding and microcredit, encouraging new businesses to develop, strengthening supply chains, and promoting economic growth in the region.

Featured Results

Acreditar - Capital Humano e Transformação Social
700 youths mobilized through financial education and strategic investment courses.

ADEL - Agência de Desenvolvimento Econômico Local
600 youths mobilized through two workshops on rural entrepreneurship. An estimated 70% of these youth are utilizing the seed investment offered by ADEL.
Instituto Votorantim

Through a pilot partnership with Instituto Votorantim, BrazilFoundation provided capacity-building and training for social organizations in regions in which the Instituto Votorantim works. The organizations selected by Grupo Votorantim participated in BrazilFoundation’s capacity-building workshops where they improved their project proposals and participated in peer learning activities. They also receive close monitoring during project implementation.

Co-Investment

B3 Investimento Social

BrazilFoundation believes that two years of support is an ideal time frame for project implementation, allowing organizations to maintain impact. In 2014 we launched a pioneer joint venture with B3 Investimento Social to provide a second year of funding for 20 organizations already funded by the Foundation.
Astellas Farma

This co-investment partnership in 2015 supported Instituto Esporte e in São Paulo.
Embraer

 This co-investment partnership with the Embraer Institute began in 2015. In 2016 it will support Centro de Educação e Recuperação Nutricional in São Paulo and the Observatório de Favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Instituto Phi

 Through a co-investment initiative with Phi Institute, BrazilFoundation is supporting Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré in Rio de Janeiro.
P&G | Downy

A co-investment with Downy/P&G will support organizations that work to empower women to become entrepreneurs, earn their own income and consequently become economically self-sustainable. Thanks to this partnership ONG Florescer, in São Paulo, and ModaFusion, in Rio de Janeiro, will receive funding throughout 2016.
Fundação Affonso Brandão Hennel

The Affonso Brandão Foundation is a co-investor in three projects who are 2016 grantees: Ateliê de Ideias (ES), Um Litro de Luz Brasil (AM) e Escola de Notícias (SP). These projects reflect both partners' philosophies on social investment. In 2015, Affonso Brandão Foundation co-invested in Universidade da Correria (RJ) and Programa Vivenda (SP).

Strategic Funding

Identifying and Scaling Transformative Ideas

BrazilFoundation works with social leaders and organizations that have a clear vision and creative approach to confront local challenges. More than just providing financial support, we work closely with our grantees to make sure they have training, capacity and support to scale sustainable solutions and become effective advocates on behalf of their communities.

Special attention is given to small and medium sized organizations that often fly under the radar of other funding organizations and that propose local solutions to problems faced by their communities. BrazilFoundation’s funding strategies represent a purposeful effort to democratize access to resources in Brazil. We give grants in five program areas: Education and Culture, Socioeconomic Development, Human rights and Civic Engagement, Health and Social Enterprise.

Identify the best ideas
Leverage results and capacity through financial and technical support
Scale sustainable solutions
Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing

Types of Funding
- Seed Funding Funding for initiatives in the beginning stages of development has always been a part of our model. BrazilFoundation is considered one of the most important “angel investors” in the Brazilian social sector. We created the Community Innovation Award to provide this funding to initiatives which were identified through our leadership network. This program democratizes access to resources, encourages new leaderships, and creates an ecosystem that promotes innovation and drives discovery of new social technologies.
- Consolidating and Scaling Methodologies Funding for projects testing new approaches, refining existing methodologies or expanding the reach of a particular initiative. We are also beginning to explore funding for methodology exchanges between two or more organizations.
- Institutional Support (by invitation only) Core support for organizations with proven results that need flexible funding to continue to innovate, sustain growth and create structure for systemic change.
- Methodology Transfers (By invite only) Civil society organizations have an enormous wealth of knowledge which, if shared, could improve learning cycles and scale impact. Through Leadership Exchanges and Collaborative Partnerships between organizations, BrazilFoundation encourages the sharing of knowledge, skills and methodologies between grantees.
Selection Process and Criteria
Proposals must articulate a clear and effective methodology, have the support of the local community, and have the potential to influence public policy. The Foundation analysts conduct site visits to the finalists before making its funding decisions. The visits allow us to learn more about the communities that will be impacted by the projects, and determine the legitimacy of each organization and how they represent the demands and aspirations of their community.

What is considered:
- Alignment of the proposal with the organization’s mission and community/beneficiary’s needs;
- Organization operational and technical capacity to implement the proposed project;
- Project scalability and sustainability;
- Potential to influence or transform public policies;
- Committed leadership and team;
- Budget aligned with the project’s goals and deliverables;
- Clearly defined project outcomes.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Projects receive technical support and are monitored and evaluated throughout the grant cycle. Providing this support helps deepen the relationship with the grantees, focusing on mentoring rather than simply monitoring results. Two project evaluations are performed per grant cycle based on: achievement of goals, beneficiaries reached, and use of funds.

Expected Outcomes:
- Improvement of socioeconomic conditions of a community or group;
- Creation of innovative and efficient models with potential to be replicated for other governmental or non-governmental initiatives;
- Development of new partnerships;
- Improvements in organizational capacity.
How to Apply

Both our public and invitation-only calls for proposals take place annually in the second semester.

Download the Selection Process Guidelines here.  

Get notified about the Calls for Proposals here:

Technical Support

Sustaining Results Through Capacity Building

BrazilFoundation realized early on that most grantee organizations require more than financial resources to carry out their proposals effectively. The Foundation created the capacity building program, offering workshops in Strategic Planning, Financial Management, Fundraising, Communication, Leadership Development and Collaboration. BrazilFoundation constantly strives to improve its workshops and better tailor the content and methodology to the grantee profiles, based on feedback and surveys.

Many grantees report how the workshops led to improvement in staff morale, greater confidence in conducting programs, development and outreach efforts.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing Organizations and social leaders accumulate an enormous wealth in social innovation, experience, methodologies and strategic relationship with stakeholders. Sharing knowledge and experiences is vital to the social sector and can accelerate learning cycles.

BrazilFoundation created a pioneering Leadership Exchange program to fund visits between project leaders, promoting peer to peer mentoring and knowledge exchange.

Transparency

Leading the Way to a More Transparent Social Sector in Brazil

Evaluating results and financial responsibility are fundamental for a transparent social sector in Brazil. For the high quality of its financial management and transparency, BrazilFoundation received a platinum seal on GuideStar in 2019, 4 stars on Charity Navigator, an A+ from Selo Doar in 2019 and 2018, and the Selo Liga Social in 2019. It was also recognized as one of the best NGOs in Brazil in 2017 and 2018, and has a high evaluation on Glass Pockets.

Financial Reports Evaluation Reports