BrazilFoundation in 2011 – A Year in Review

The 2011 Open Call for Proposals

The 2011 Open Call for Proposals, which ended on November 10th, had a new format this year. It restructured its areas of support  and offered up to BRL$ 40,000  for one-year projects in the areas of Education; Culture; Health; Participatory Development and Human Rights; and up to BRL$80,000 for two-year projects focused on local community development.

BrazilFoundation received 564 project proposals from different regions of the country. Finalists will be announced during March 2012;  thanks to the support of TAM Airlines, selected projects will receive the visit of BrazilFoundation analysts between March and April. Through the visits, analysts are able to get to know communities which will be impacted with the project, their needs and aspirations. Visits also enable the Foundation to validate the legitimacy of each organization represent.

Projects will be funded with resources raised at the BrazilFoundation IX Annual Gala, presided by the Gala Committee under the direction of Andrea Dellal. In acknowledgment of the event’s theme, “The International Year of Forests,” two projects located in Brazilian Forest areas working in any of the topics contemplated in the Call for Proposals will be selected for support.

Projects selected for support will be announced on the BrazilFoundation website on April 10^th, 2012.

The Project BrazilFoundation 10 Years

To celebrate 10 years of trajectory, BrazilFoundation invited 20 grantee organizations which were previously selected for support to participate in the project BrazilFoundation 10 Years Prject. Throughout 2011, the selected organizations worked with the BrazilFoundation team to record their stories, organize their work and methodologies, and evaluate their results. BrazilFoundation also conducted the same activities internally.  The results of the project will be released in 2012. The project is being carried out in partnership with Museu da Pessoa (The Museum of the Person), consultants, and the BrazilFoundation staff. A series of events and publications are being planned for 2012 to broadcast the results of this project.

“The importance [of the Project] is indescribable, considering that the history of our institution is permeated by emotions, and resistance, and the urge to  protect the railway station, a heritage site, one of the last places that hold our town’s memory and history.” –Estação da Cultura (The Culture Station), grantee organization participating in the Project BrazilFoundation 10 Years

“[The project] provided us with a better understanding of our present, as well as what we want for our future. The experience was significant for all of those who are part of our organization- the rescue of our story. “— Associação Lua Nova (New Moon Association), grantee organization participating in the Project BrazilFoundation 10 Years

Learn more about the Project on the Blog BrazilFoundation 10 Years

The Carioca Fund

2011 was a year of great achievements for the Carioca Fund. The BrazilFoundation initiative that seeks professional opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth in Rio de Janeiro, launched its first Request for Proposals with the support of LCM Commodities. Three projects were selected to receive support for the period of one year, all with the goal of preparing low-income youth for the expanding labor market in Rio de Janeiro.

The Carioca Fund has just launched its own website. Click here (In Portuguese).

Also in 2011, the Carioca Fund promoted the competition “My Photographic Rio: The City in the Eyes of Young People from Pacified Communities” with the support of LCM Commodities. Thirty four young photographers took part in the competition. The competition resulted in the production of a book the visit of the finalists in New York and a photo auction.

Click here to learn more about the event in New York

Japer – Joint Action Plan Between Brazil and the United States

BrazilFoundation was commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Brazil to act as a technical partner for an initiative established between Brazil and the United States for the promotion of Racial and Ethnic Equality. BrazilFoundation assisted with the Request for Proposals, the pre-selection process; field visits to finalists NGOs, the final selection and monitoring of the selected grantees.

Between the months of August and October, the 12 grantees were able to begin their projects.

News about one of the projects in progress:

Project supported by BrazilFoundation and JAPER develops web portal with a focus on the Brazilian indigenous population today

PARTNERSHIPS FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENT IN BRAZIL

BrazilFoundation and the HSBC Solidarity Institute

BrazilFoundation and HSBC, partners since 2007, celebrated the end of the 2011 Training Partners Program in Curitiba, on November 22. This year 180 managers from 271 social organizations, supported by the Institute, were trained during seven meetings throughout the year. The Training Program is divided into three complementary modules: Planning / Management and Corporate Communication; Evaluation, and the Sustainability of Social Organizations.

Until 2010, BrazilFoundation and the HSBC Solidarity Institute developed a project to motivate HSBC employees to take part in volunteering activities. The training workshops contributed to the development of social projects supported by the HSBC Solidarity Institute.

Total number of participants since 2007:

BrazilFoundation and TAM Airlines  

TAM has been a BrazilFoundation partner since 2005, offering airline tickets enabling BrazilFoundation staff to visit grantee organizations from the Annual Selection Program.  This important partnership has been key in the process of project selection and monitoring, as it ensures the quality of support offered by BrazilFoundation.  It also allows members of the staff and grantees to attend the Annual Gala, and it permits staff to participate in important events and seminars about the non-profit sector.

The Donor Advised and Project Bank Programs 

The total donations made in 2011 through the Donor Advised and Project Bank programs grew 82% over the previous year, achieving US$ 1.69MM and benefiting over 30 organizations throughout Brazil.  It is a record that demonstrates the programs are increasingly gaining the trust of people and businesses interested in supporting social investment in Brazil.

What are the benefits of donating to an organization in Brazil via BrazilFoundation?

As the Foundation is a registered non-profit organization  in both the US and Brazil,  in both countries, individuals and companies in the United States can benefit from U.S. tax incentives while investing in an organization in Brazil. Another advantage of donating through BrazilFoundation is the fact that the Foundation screens the potential organizations to assure their quality and accountability. BrazilFoundation can also provide the donor with project monitoring and evaluation services.

To know more about Donor Advised Program click here and about Project Bank click here.