In August 2022, IDIS (Institute for the Development of Social Investment) and Ipsos launched the Brazil Donation Survey 2022, with the aim of bringing to light the donation landscape, which provides crucial information about the motivations, perceptions and expectations of donors and non-donors in the country.
This text aims to present some reflections on the research results, highlighting the aspects that caught our attention, pointing to gaps and future paths to deepen the study and its implications for the culture of donation in Brazil. Furthermore, we seek to offer a perspective on how community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice can contribute to this discussion.
Profile of Donations and Donations for Institutional Strengthening
To understand the donation scenario, it is first necessary to analyze the profile of donors in Brazil. According to the survey, a surprising 84% of those interviewed said they made donations. However, it is crucial to differentiate between general donations and “institutional” donations. The latter refer to contributions made to organizations, projects or socio-environmental initiatives, excluding alms, tithes or funds intended for family members and acquaintances. Notably, only 36% donors made institutional donations. This number has remained relatively stable over the years, with 46% in 2015, 37% in 2020, and 36% in 2022. The remaining portion of donations comprises in-kind contributions and volunteer work. Furthermore, there is an observable trend towards fewer monthly donors and an increase in the proportion of donors contributing every three months.
This data points to the low volume of resources donated to non-profit organizations. From our perspective, this trend generally indicates a gap in funding for civil society institutions, an aspect that can be explained by the lack of trust on the part of donors (whether individuals or legal entities). Certainly, this phenomenon can be understood as a result of the criminalization that civil society has been systematically suffering since the beginning of the 2000s.
Motivations of People who Donate and Causes they Support
Furthermore, understanding why people donate is as important as knowing who makes the donations. The research revealed that a significant portion (76%) of institutional donors made spontaneous donations in 2022, indicating that Brazilian donors donate even without being asked. The survey also identified a positive outlook regarding the increase in donations, with 93% of non-donors indicating that they could start donating.
However, the donation culture seems to be motivated mainly by emergency and welfare issues, moving away from social justice and access to rights agendas.
When asked about their motivations for donating, 66% of the interviewees spontaneously mentioned “solidarity with people in need”. This trend indicates that the donation culture still remains predominantly welfare-oriented for a significant group of Brazilian donors.
Although the majority of donors expressed satisfaction with their donations, it is essential to consider the purpose of these donations. A crucial question raised as we analyzed the study was: What causes do these donors support and who are they inclined to donate to?
The research highlighted that causes such as childhood and health (considered less controversial from a political point of view) receive more donations, as also observed in the scope of Private Social Investment. The GIFE Census (2020) reveals that socio-environmental justice agendas, access to rights, with a focus on political minorities are not priorities for corporate and family philanthropic organizations. Only 5% of GIFE members directly finance initiatives linked to racial justice, 9% support women, 3% LGBTQIA+ communities and 4% people with disabilities. These data indicate that philanthropy and ISP in Brazil are mostly not committed to agendas for reducing sociopolitical inequalities.
Trust in Organizations
Interestingly, only 9% of people donating to institutions stated that they donated because they trusted the organization to which they contributed. As mentioned above, when it comes to trust in civil society institutions, there is a significant gap. While 66% of respondents trust the CSOs they donate to, the remaining 34% appear to have reservations. In fact, examining the reasons behind not donating or stopping donations, the research identified two main factors: a lack of resources and concerns about how the money would be used. The latter concern includes uncertainty about where funds will go and a lack of trust in organizations requesting donations, with 24% of respondents citing these causes. On the other hand, among the significant factors that encourage donations, the research points out that “knowing how the money is being used” and “knowing an organization I trust” are decisive for making this type of donation, which reinforces the existence of behaviors driven by lack of trust
During and after the pandemic, research has observed a fluctuation in trust levels. Initially, the study revealed that there was an increase in the credibility of CSOs, which subsequently decreased. This change can be attributed to several factors, such as the political climate, negative media coverage or the attacks on civil society that have been faced cyclically since 2005 with the installation of the NGO CPI. Despite this drop, levels of trust did not return to pre-pandemic levels, raising questions about the sustainability of trust on the part of the population in relation to organized civil society.
These findings emphasize the importance of transparency and trust in motivating donations, and are important data to inform organized civil society's resource mobilization strategies. As emphasized at the Research launch event, we need to build positive and constructive narratives about who receives these donations, as a strengthened organized civil society is crucial to strengthening democracy in Brazil.
However, strengthening democracy also involves investing resources in groups linked to political minorities, which are excluded from access to philanthropic resources, originating both from donations from individuals and companies, as mentioned previously.
Therefore, we highlight some gaps that need to be addressed to obtain a more comprehensive view of donations in Brazil.
Recommendations for Social Clippings to Deepen Research
Firstly, the absence of an ethnic-racial focus in the research is notable, as it does not map donations made by black, indigenous communities, etc. We consider this approach to be fundamental for the new editions, taking into account the trajectory and ancestry of these groups in philanthropic initiatives, as well as organizations located in the “peripheries” that play an important role in mobilizing resources for racial equity in Brazil.in The research “Periphery and Philanthropy” of the PIPA Initiative published in 2023 highlights some important data. On the outskirts of the country, the majority of black women and mothers are mobilizing resources to maintain civil society organizations. However, 89% of managers in these organizations divide their time with other functions, which limits their ability to dedicate themselves entirely to the sustainability of their initiatives. Furthermore, on the outskirts, the vast majority of organizations are constituted as collectives (41.8%) and more than half do not have a CNPJ. These collectives are extremely important to enable access to rights for black people in the outskirts. However, 96% from peripheral organizations state that they have difficulties in accessing financing for their projects. Shining light on the work and needs of peripheral organizations is important for Brazilian donors to understand their relevance in peripheral contexts and in the national context, contributing to an even deeper understanding of the culture of donation in Brazil. And this is a relevant aspect for analyzing the culture of donation, which must focus beyond the origins of donations, on their destination, that is, where the largest flows of resources go.
Another significant gap is the absence of non-normative genders and sexualities. Marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+ people, face daily difficulties in accessing rights and socio-environmental justice. It is important to have a broader perspective in this sense, including transgender and other non-heteronormative identities, to understand the needs and initiatives that these groups develop to mobilize resources.
We need to overcome the white, heterocisgender and conservative paradigm of Brazilian donations, and make them directed towards structural changes, and not just emergency and welfare changes.
Trust and resource mobilization as a political act: contributions of Community Philanthropy and Socio-Environmental Justice to the culture of donation in Brazil
Finally, we highlight the strategic role of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice in the discussion about Brazil's culture of giving.
The community philanthropy approach involves mobilizing resources, talents, capabilities and trust at the local level. It transfers power to local communities and actors, allowing greater control over their own destiny. Social justice philanthropy directly supports civil society movements, organizations, and groups involved in social transformation, equal access, human and civil rights, distribution of well-being, and promotion of diversity and equality across gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture and disability.
Organizations that operate in the context of this philanthropy provide financial support directly to civil society organizations, collectives, groups, movements and community leaders. This continuous practice improves and adds resources and capabilities, ultimately strengthening its ability to drive broader social change, thus contributing to the strengthening of Brazilian democracy.
People and institutions that operate in the context of independent and community philanthropy start from the essential premise that donation is not an isolated act or something to be carried out only on a punctual or emergency basis, but rather a political act crucial for community development, the advancement of socio-environmental justice and the guarantee of rights. According to the survey “Philanthropy that transforms: mapping of independent donor organizations for civil society in the areas of socio-environmental justice and community development in Brazil”, 67% of the organizations mapped by the Network in 2022 receive resources from individuals. The 2022 Donation Survey reveals even greater potential for this mobilization.
Furthermore, one of the basic principles of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice is the trust, in contrast to traditional philanthropic practices in Brazil. This philanthropy strategically recognizes the power of grassroots initiatives and political minorities seeking access to rights and recognition. Thematic funds, community foundations and organizations within Rede Comuá, which represent independent local philanthropy, play a fundamental role in providing crucial donations to CSOs, grassroots organizations, social movements and defenders of access to rights in Brazil, trusting that they know the needs of their territories. These organizations maintain ongoing connections with community leaders and groups, forming a network of trust and support.
Another important contribution of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice lies in the destination of donations. 62% of independent philanthropy organizations make donations with the main objective of strengthening organizations or communities with specific agendas, whether thematic or territorial. Furthermore, almost two-thirds of these organizations prioritize improving the capacity of these entities, demonstrating donation practices that truly contribute to the sustainability of the organizations.
Furthermore, these donations extend to supporting social movements, collectives and various informal civil society arrangements. This approach is fundamental because it fosters a resilient civil society, consequently strengthening the country's democracy. Consequently, donations are directed to the advancement of socio-environmental justice among minority groups in Brazil. In addition to institutional strengthening, independent donor organizations invest in gender and women's rights issues, as well as culture (both with 48%). Other important themes include community development (42%), family farming, urban agriculture, agroecology and agroforestry (39%) and indigenous, quilombola, riverside and traditional communities (35%). This demonstrates the crucial contribution that community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice has to Brazilian democracy and to strengthening the culture of giving in communities and territories that often have difficulties accessing these resources.
Conclusion
The 2022 Donation Survey provides valuable information about the donation scenario in Brazil. She highlights the importance of understanding the motivations, preferences and concerns of donors and non-donors to promote a culture of philanthropy in the country.
Although the research shows positive trends, such as the growth of the donation culture and the greater willingness to donate, it also highlights the need for deeper analysis. Critical gaps, such as the lack of ethnic-racial and LGBTQIA+ disaggregation, must be addressed to obtain a more complete picture of the giving landscape.
Furthermore, community and socio-environmental justice philanthropy plays a crucial role in shaping this landscape. By supporting grassroots organizations and movements through financial and non-financial resources, these philanthropic efforts have the potential to drive structural change and contribute to a more equitable and just society in Brazil.
As we move forward, it is essential to deepen the debate about the culture of donation in Brazil, promoting engaging and inspiring narratives. This involves not just quantitative analyses, but also qualitative explorations to truly understand the complexities of the giving landscape and how it can be targeted so that we have a truly inclusive, fair and sustainable country.
