Photo: Andre Will / Adobe Stock
By: Roberto Vilela
In October this year, Rede Comuá participated in the Wings Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, a triennial event that brings together philanthropy networks from around the world to reflect on how to improve and make philanthropy more transformative. The event was attended by a wide range of actors in this field, from corporate philanthropy to community-based philanthropy, international, regional and local organizations.
Rede Comuá and some of its members (Fundo Elas and Baobá) contributed to the Forum's reflections by proposing the session “Transformative Philanthropy: strengthening civil society when human rights are under attack”.
Among the points highlighted at the Wings Forum as challenges for the development of philanthropy, based on the discussions that took place during the meeting, is how to make access to philanthropic resources more flexible, with fewer constraints and rules of use, and with an appreciation of support for the institutional strengthening of grassroots organizations, based on the assumption that it is essential to invest in the support areas of organizations and not just in their final activities, since they are the activities means that allow, for example, to better evaluate impacts, systematize experiences to be able to disseminate them, improve the qualification of employees to achieve more lasting results.
The duration of philanthropic support was another aspect brought to the debate, since social and environmental processes as well as institutional transformations and results occur over a period of more than one year. The logic of short-term support generates continuity uncertainties that are replicated throughout the philanthropy support chain, from sources of resources to action at the base.
Another aspect mentioned is the urgency in build a more horizontal philanthropy – less hierarchical, and more diverse, incorporating the dimensions of race and gender as structuring issues. Txai Suruí, leader of the Indigenous Youth Movement of Rondônia, said on the panel
“existential challenges and shared futures: rediscovering the role of philanthropy”: “we want to help you listen to the forest”.
According to the young woman, her people have known how to take care of the forest for thousands of years based on listening that current society is not capable of doing. Rena Kawasaki, director of Earth Guardians Japan, highlighted in the same panel the importance of organizations incorporating young people into decision-making spaces.
Another highlighted point is the need to that philanthropy is more willing to take risks, in order to achieve better results. This logic, present in the economic world, where those who risk more can also reap more transformative results, applies to the philanthropic world. It is necessary to increase the number of actors willing to take the risk of supporting disruptive and innovative ideas so that philanthropy becomes more transformative.
Roberto Vilela He has a degree in business administration from USP (2001) and a master's degree in public administration from FGV-SP (2007). He has supported public and private organizations for strategic planning as a consultant. He was a professor at government schools on various public management subjects such as organizational model, project development and indicators for monitoring and evaluating public policies. He is a specialist in microcredit and microfinance and a consultant for municipal governments, CSOs and banks for the creation and development of organizations and programs. He is currently executive director of Tabôa Fortalecimento Comunitário since 2016.