About the topic
Strengthening organized civil society remains one of the major structural challenges of philanthropy in Brazil. Despite the growing relevance of civil society organizations (CSOs) in implementing public policies, social innovation, and rights advocacy, only 17% of private social investment in the country is allocated to the institutional development of these organizations, according to data from the 2025 GIFE Census. This scenario is compounded by the fact that few donors support intermediary organizations and initiatives focused on the sector’s infrastructure, a fundamental element for sustainability, coordination, and the qualification of collective action.
International analyses indicate that effective philanthropy needs to go beyond funding one-off projects and be guided by a systemic logic. According to WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support), two pillars are essential to strengthening the philanthropic field: consolidating philanthropy support ecosystems, made up of intermediary organizations, networks, and associations that provide technical support, knowledge production, and advocacy; and building an enabling environment, with policies, rules, and incentives that encourage giving, collaboration, and the freedom of civil society organizations to operate.
This perspective takes center stage in the Philanthropy Transformation Initiative (PTI) report, published by WINGS, which proposes a paradigm shift in the field: philanthropy must stop being merely an implementer of actions and take on a facilitating (enabler) role in social transformation. The document calls on funders and organizations to adopt more transparent, collaborative practices aligned with a vision of systemic change, guided by principles such as transparency and accountability, trust and redistribution of power, investment in strengthening giving ecosystems, coherence between governance, organizational culture and values, and a focus on the structural causes of
social challenges.
In the Brazilian context, this approach proves particularly relevant in light of the institutional weaknesses that characterize a significant share of CSOs and the limited consolidation of a broad, diverse, and sustainable culture of giving. Strengthening the sector’s infrastructure and the actors that coordinate it is a necessary condition to expand impact, reduce power inequalities, and ensure the democratic vitality of civil society.
It is from this understanding that, in our civil society strengthening workstream, we direct efforts to foster a culture of giving and to support the organizations that structure the philanthropic field, in addition to taking a leading role in regulating the sector. We believe that investing in these organizations is a strategic path to transform society’s habits, values, and practices, expanding the collective capacity to address complex challenges. In 2025, this commitment was realized through support for 18 projects in this workstream, strengthening ecosystems, networks, and initiatives that sustain a more collaborative, transparent philanthropy oriented toward systemic transformation.
