BrazilFoundation is a public nonprofit organization that provides financial and technical support to local Brazilian nonprofits in their pursuit of a more equitable society. Since its founding in 2001, BrazilFoundation has worked with 110 projects in 20 of Brazil’s 27 states. These projects range from helping pregnant teenagers understand child development to enabling low-skilled laborers to build affordable housing in their communities. Working closely with the diaspora of Brazilians in the United States, the Foundation has developed a community of donors that care about raising awareness about social ills in Brazil, as well as increasing confidence in the nonprofit process.

Working in a country in which an estimated one-third (53 million people) live beneath the poverty line, the Foundation uses a variety of techniques to enable the improvement of social conditions. A call for projects is put out on an annual basis in the areas of education, health, human rights, citizenship, and culture. Of the hundreds of proposals submitted annually, around 30 make it through the painstaking selection process to receive funding.

All projects are monitored by program analysts and given technical assistance to guarantee not only short-term objectives, but also long-term stability. A Bank of Projects has been created for individuals and corporations to find and create partnerships with successful projects. BrazilFoundation also acts as a fiscal agent in Donor-Advised Grants, the funding and monitoring of specific Brazilian nonprofits (after due diligence) in which the donor has pre-existing relations. By placing a large emphasis on capacity-building with its grantees, BrazilFoundation differentiates itself from other grantmakers working in the country.

The Foundation acts as a bridge connecting concerned corporations and individuals in the US -- largely from the Brazilian Diaspora community -- with social leaders who are taking action on the local level. In the US, this community organizes events to generate funds and awareness concerning contemporary issues in Brazil. The highlight of these events is an Annual Gala held every September in New York which attracts a growing number of personalities from both the public and private sector.