Help guarantee BrazilFoundation’s long-term sustainability and create a lasting impact by donating to our Pooled Endowment Fund.
*The beneficiary organizations are responsible for government taxes in Brazil.
Model
Overview
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Connecting
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.
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Partnering
BrazilFoundation acts as a convener, actively seeking partnerships and co-investment opportunities that reduce inefficiencies and overlap.
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Funding
The social landscape in Brazil is diverse and changing. We focus on responding to the needs articulated by the communities in which we work as well as creating strategies to tackle specific issues.
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Training
More than just providing financial support, we work closely with our grantees to make sure they have the training, skills and support to scale sustainable solutions and become effective advocates on behalf of their communities.
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Reporting
Evaluating programs and reporting their results connect donors to their investments and lead the way to a more transparent social sector in Brazil. For its sound fiscal management and transparency, BrazilFoundation is rated 4-stars by Charity Navigator.
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.
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Expert Guidance
With over 820,000 registered nonprofits in Brazil (GIFE, 2018), 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.
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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.
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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. These events create opportunities to meet the grantees while also creating a platform for dialogue and exchange.
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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.
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Endowment Fund
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Donor Advised Fund
Create a philanthropic legacy while giving in a tax-smart way. Advisors/donors can recommend organizations to receive grants, and we perform all due diligence. The team in Brazil will help the donors identify impactful organizations to support. Create an Endowed or Non-Endowed fund.
*Min. Initial Gift: $5,000. Min. Balance: $1,000 Annual Mgmt. Fee: 1% on balance + $250 Min. Annual Fee
*4% grant fee on all transfers (grants) from the funds, in addition to a bank transfer fee (currently US $40 per international transfer). Annual fees assessed quarterly based on average fund balance. Custodial fees charged by investment manager, when applicable, are allocated to each fund. Additional monitoring fee charged if applicable. The beneficiary organizations are responsible for government taxes in Brazil.
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Field of Interest Fund
Choose your social cause, target audience or region for support, and we will identify the best organizations to receive your investment. You can also donate to an existing BrazilFoundation Field of Interest fund.
*Min. Initial Gift: $5,000. Min. Balance: $1,000 Annual Mgmt. Fee: 1% on balance. $250 Min. Annual Fee
*4% grant fee on all transfers (grants) from the funds, in addition to a bank transfer fee (currently US $40 per international transfer). Annual fees assessed quarterly based on average fund balance. Custodial fees charged by investment manager, when applicable, are allocated to each fund. Additional monitoring fee charged if applicable. The beneficiary organizations are responsible for government taxes in Brazil.
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Designated Fund
Establish a Fund to exclusively support an approved organization of your choice. Our program team will provide monitoring and progress reports.
*Min. Initial Gift: $10,000. Min. Balance: $1,000 Annual Mgmt. Fee: 1% on balance
*4% grant fee on all transfers (grants) from the funds, in addition to a bank transfer fee (currently US $40 per international transfer). Annual fees assessed quarterly based on average fund balance. Custodial fees charged by investment manager, when applicable, are allocated to each fund. Additional monitoring fee charged if applicable. The beneficiary organizations are responsible for government taxes in Brazil.
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Pass-Through Gifts
A simple and tax-efficient way to support the organization of your choice in Brazil at any time and we perform all due dilligence.
*An administrative fee of 5-8% is applied according to the size of the grant.
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Crowdfunding
Create your own fundraising campaign and mobilize friends and colleagues to contribute. Fundraise around a birthday or special occasion.
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Fundraising Events
Join the dozens of global banks, airlines, luxury brands and philanthropists who have sponsored our flagship events. Individuals or groups may also create their own fundraisers to benefit BrazilFoundation.
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Recurring Donations to BrazilFoundation
The most convenient way to give! Set up automatic monthly donations on our website to ensure that your gifts keep on giving.
Partnerships
Recognizing the Power of Partnership
Strategic Partnerships Invest with BrazilFoundation for deeper, strategic impact in a field of interest or geographic region. We select grantees, provide capacity building and promote knowledge sharing. This mechanism is effective in addressing funding shortages in strategic areas.
Methodology Transfer
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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
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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.
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Astellas Farma This co-investment partnership in 2015 supported Instituto Esporte e in São Paulo.
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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.
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Instituto Phi 
Through a co-investment initiative with Phi Institute, BrazilFoundation is supporting Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré in Rio de Janeiro.
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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.
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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 NotÃcias (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.
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Identify the best ideas
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Leverage results and capacity through financial and technical support
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Scale sustainable solutions
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Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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