The year 2021 was very significant for the Philanthropy Network for Social Justice (RFJS) in terms of collective learning with its member Funds and also in the construction of programmatic strategies, partnerships and in the field of knowledge production in order to promote its mission to strengthen and expand the field of community philanthropy and social justice.
The Network has made great strides in developing collective strategies for advocacy (incidence) to position the community philanthropy and social justice agenda in the Brazilian philanthropic ecosystem.
For the RFJS team, 2021 was marked by the growth of the Network, the consolidation of new partnerships and the development of different programs, which points to an even more powerful performance in 2022.
“In 2021, I highlight the Donate to Transform Program and the Network’s involvement in this Alliance. This inclusion was absolutely relevant, as it allowed us to reinforce and give more substance to many of the agendas we already had and, mainly, gave us input to structure the advocacy program. This line of action was already being developed, but today it is designed and implemented in a more structured way,” says Graciela Hopstein, executive coordinator of the Network.
“At the same time, the Network has been occupying an important space of visibility in the Brazilian philanthropic ecosystem, which has allowed us to open new doors, with new funders, strengthen the relationships we already had and renegotiate all our budgets, including in the context of the pandemic, the which made it possible to reallocate resources for the development of new activities. National and international partners were absolutely relevant, including in recognizing the Network as a reference for thinking and contributing to the field of community philanthropy and social justice”, highlights Graciela.
The Network's program advisor, Betina Sarue, highlights, as does Graciela, how the program DONATE TO TRANSFORM “It helped to add and give more substance to the Network's lines of action, both in strengthening its members, through Communities of Practice, and also in strengthening the community philanthropy and social justice agenda. I think this was a big leap in 2021.”
Betina highlights that Communities of Practice have a double meaning of strengthening both the members themselves and the advocacy agenda, producing inputs and narratives to give visibility to the power of philanthropy guided by communities and social justice. In this sense, important initiatives are being consolidated based on the Strategic Support Program, strengthening actions and alliances between the Funds that are part of the Network, such as the Alliance of Casa Fund, Baobá Fund and Brazil Human Rights Fund.
For Milena Peres, operations manager at the Network, “The year 2021 was the beginning of a consolidation of RFJS in the field of philanthropy. The exponential growth that the Network has had in the last three years is putting us on another level, with a huge potential impact on our operations in the coming years.”
Graciela also highlights the intense production of knowledge throughout the year, with the launch of the seal DONATE TO TRANSFORM and the publications and research developed. The Strategic Support Program, through which the Network will donate approximately R$ 1 million to its members to strengthen the advocacy program in the fields of social justice, human rights, community development and protection and security, and the structuring of the Network's communication strategy are absolutely relevant actions.
Influence and partnership with the philanthropic ecosystem to expand the grantmaking culture
In 2021, the Network began restructuring its programmatic area with the creation of an Advocacy Program that aims to strengthen the network's agenda. grantmaking, community philanthropy and social justice within the philanthropic ecosystem.
This action is already part of the Network's strategy, being woven through participation in forums, networks and spaces for articulation at national, regional and international levels. This provides visibility to the actions developed and also the construction of relevant guidelines and agendas for the philanthropy and civil society sector.
Throughout the year, the Network followed the Covid Emergency initiative, coordinated by GIFE, which promoted monthly meetings, articulating reflection and exchange of knowledge on initiatives developed by organizations in the field of philanthropy and private social investment in combating the pandemic.
Member of the Knowledge Group coordinated by GIFE since 2018 – which brings together public and private organizations, producers of research and knowledge that subsidize and strengthen the field of philanthropy in Brazil. In this context, RFJS produced a study, published by GIFE, on The role and protagonism of civil society in confronting the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. In general terms, the Network sees its partnership with the institution strengthened, being invited to participate in various activities promoted by the network of social investors. Among them, the facilitation of the thematic workshop Independent Social Investment, during the 11th GIFE Congress. New activities are being prepared to continue the partnership in 2022.
RFJS's relationship with ABCR (Brazilian Association of Fundraisers) was also strengthened throughout 2021. In the context of this year's ABCR Festival, the Network organized the panel Donate to Transform: mobilizing resources for Socio-environmental and community-based Justice.
Other partnerships contribute to visibility and reflections in the field of regional philanthropy. The Network integrates and monitors the activities of the LAC Affintiy Group WINGS working group, which debates current issues that affect the field of philanthropy in Latin America. The main philanthropic networks and organizations in the region participate in the group. The Network has participated in several activities promoted by the WINGS network and is part of the WINGS ClimateTask Force initiative.
Also in 2021, RFJS participated in webinars promoted by the GFCF and in meetings and other activities in the context of the Alliance of Donate to Transform Program, developed with support from Dutch Cooperation. Among them, the panel #SshiftThePower: whatpowerandhowfarhas it shifted?, organized in partnership between the GfC Program and Alliance Magazine.
Started in 2021, the Donate to Transform Program – consortium involving eight countries (Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Palestine, Kenya, Palestine and Uganda) and 13 organizations – has further strengthened the Network's activities, and creates a space for exchanging experiences in southern cooperation. south, by promoting community philanthropy and social justice as a strategy to leverage community-led development, strengthening the demand for rights.
Promoting communication for advocacy
In 2021, RFJS began the development and implementation of a communication strategy articulated with the Incidence Program.
Member organizations participated in meetings between communicators, which embody the Community of Practice (CoP) Communication and Narratives. The objective of this CoP is to promote specific interaction spaces on communication for community philanthropy and social justice, providing an exchange of experiences and collective construction among communicators.
The CoP intends to provide answers to the challenges and concerns highlighted by RFJS member communicators, systematized in the publication Challenges in communicating community philanthropy and social justice, launched in 2021, which brings together the reflections of communicators from the Funds on the topic.
For 2022, in addition to strengthening this CoP, RFJS has on its radar the construction of partnerships, strategies and products that not only contribute to advocacy in the philanthropic field, but also to the experiences of the Funds themselves. The products designed to carry out advocacy actions will be developed within the scope of this CoP, in a collaborative manner.
The process seeks to enhance the construction of narratives that demonstrate the transformation that community philanthropy and social justice has the capacity to encourage based on the powers and strengths of the territories. And at the same time it seeks to contribute to a process of reflection on the decolonization of philanthropy.
Production and dissemination of knowledge and experience
2021 was also a year of production and dissemination of knowledge across the Network. In addition to the publication mentioned above, the study was relaunched Expanding and strengthening community philanthropy in Brazil (originally published in 2019). Both publications inaugurated the D seallisten to transform, which aims to create a space for reflection and debate, bringing together knowledge of theoretical debate, strengthening capabilities and sharing experiences.
The label also published the Conceptual and Strategic Map, prepared with the aim of supporting the participatory and collaborative process for the development of Network actions within the scope of Donate to Transform Program, including for the structuring of the Incidence Program.
The Network has published, on its blog, contributions from organizations and people who work in the social and philanthropic fields, expanding and reverberating a diversity of voices to make the sphere of knowledge and reflection increasingly plural.
The contents are published in monthly newsletters and on its Facebook page, which is increasingly consolidated as a space that reflects the vitality and plurality of community philanthropy in Brazil. The year 2022 will also be focused on developing strategies to further expand the visibility and reach of the Network's content.
Network turns ten years old in 2022
The year 2022 projects even greater advances in the community philanthropy and social justice agenda. RFJS will complete ten years since its creation, in 2012.
The date brings two important milestones that will significantly impact the Network's operations: its institutionalization and a brand repositioning process, which should bring even more power and visibility to the work.
A mapping of Brazilian funds and organizations that work to support civil society initiatives in the fields of community development and social justice will also be underway, seeking to expand the Network and further enhance the exchange of experiences.
“For next year, I expect the continuity of what we planted in 2021. We still need a lot of fertilizer and watering, but the seeds we planted are strong and will help with the expansion of the Network and the consolidation of these first 10 years of growth,” he says Milena.
“I have great expectations regarding the strengthening of the advocacy and community philanthropy for social justice, through the Network's entire advocacy program, because I believe that this will reverberate and have a great impact on the philanthropic sector in Brazil and on the international scene through these partnerships that the Network has built this year. And also regarding the strengthening of the Network itself with the arrival of new members, a reflection of all this work in 2021”, assesses Betina.
“There are many expectations. In particular, 2022 brings the celebration of the Network’s 10th anniversary. And the fulfillment of a desire that the Network has been expressing for a long time, which is the repositioning of the brand. I believe it will be a year in which it will be possible to hold some face-to-face meetings, more open activities. This is a debt we owe to the sector. And we will also take care of strengthening the team, as all these fronts, in addition to the inclusion of new members, will create many demands”, analyzes Graciela.
All these actions articulated around the Network and its members continue to contribute to strengthening the advocacy agenda through support for member organizations, the development of partnerships and strategies that affect the philanthropic ecosystem, promoting the community philanthropy agenda and social justice, and with notable developments projected for 2022.
