By Graciela Hopstein
Since 2018, the coordination of RFJS has been carrying out annual surveys among its members with the purpose of mapping and producing information about its activities in order to have an updated database (which allows the construction of historical series), but mainly to give visibility to the work carried out in the field of Brazilian philanthropy, focusing on the areas of social justice, human rights and community development.
Fresh from the oven, the data indicates that the Network has been growing visibly, not only because it has managed to include six new members in the last three years[1], but because donations to civil society – involving NGOs, informal groups, networks, social movements and leaders – have increased considerably since 2018.
As can be seen in the table below, the research collects information on both direct donations – linked to the transfer of financial resources – and indirect donations – involving the financing of capacity strengthening activities, support for operational costs, etc. - totalizing in 2020 an amount of R$94,001,365.01 donated directly to civil society, a value that represents a 100% increase in relation to donations from the previous year (R$48,825,036.90 donated in 2019). These data are certainly significant taking into account the economic and political crisis that Brazil has been facing, a situation that has had a strong impact on the sector with regard to the financial and institutional sustainability of social organizations, especially those that work in the field of defending rights that has been suffering visibly (both due to the lack of resources and the closure of civic spaces) in the current political situation.
Direct and indirect donations made by RFJS member organizations, by period and year
The big jump in donations in 2020 can be understood in the context of the health and humanitarian emergency linked to the pandemic, since in this context, organizations in the Network directly donated R$ 14,019,120, 70 to 1262 initiatives, data that demonstrates a great mobilization of members to develop actions in the Covid-19 scenario.
Looking at the trajectory of donations made by members of the Network from the moment of foundation of each of them until the year 2020, a value that adds up to an amount of R$404,539,432.08, it is possible to state that the organizations that make up it represent a significant source of funding for grassroots organizations in the country that work in defense of rights. It is important to highlight here that donations made by member organizations of the Network – both direct and indirect – imply the transfer of resources to the grassroots, that is, once donated, they are managed by leaders, collectives and social organizations of different nature. The majority of member organizations were founded in the 2000s, at a time when international cooperation and philanthropy began a process of withdrawal from Brazil and certainly the emergence of national funds – thematic and community – were installed in the face of the vacuum in financing that the civil society began to face the lack of resources, mainly in the areas of social justice and human rights. In fact, it is important to highlight that the origin of the resources mobilized by member organizations still predominantly comes from international foundations (public and private), as there are still few that have partnerships with philanthropy and/or national companies, although this line of approximation comes progressively strengthening in recent years.
Regarding support strategies, it is interesting to note that most member organizations organize calls for proposals (84.6%) for the selection of projects, as well as through invitation letters for specific audiences (61.5%). The highlight of emergency actions draws a lot of attention as 84.6% of members have been providing strategic support to organizations and activists and leaders in risk and/or vulnerable situations.
Making these resources quickly reach the bases, the communities, the strategic actors who work in the field of defending rights in different areas is a great transformative power and a differentiator in the performance of the organizations that make up the RFJS which has been consolidating itself as reference actors in local financing (in Brazil) in the priority areas of activity: social justice, human rights and community development. And this action is certainly possible thanks to the strong articulation and knowledge that the funds have about Brazilian civil society and the field of action, and the needs and demands of their networks.
The research collects other relevant data on governance, support areas and priority audiences (among others), information that will be disclosed in other publications such as Activity Report 2018-2020 which will be released between May and June.
