Right now, there needs to be a redefinition of donations and philanthropic actions.

With the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spreading across the country, the culture of giving is strengthening in Brazil. Solidarity, from north to south of the country, has multiplied through extremely relevant actions and donations. There is no shortage of examples, from small to mega-business owners, from NGOs, and from every citizen who has committed themselves individually to this network of protection against the coronavirus.

The Bem Maior Movement aims to promote private social investment, with the goal of developing and strengthening the third sector and the culture of collaboration in the country.

Furthermore, it connects causes, companies, and people, uniting their purposes. While attentive to current emergencies, principles of compliance and management cannot be disregarded.

Together, the founders and the Bem Maior Movement anticipated investments from future projects to address emergency needs related to the coronavirus, in two areas: health and food.

In partnership with IDIS and BSocial, we created the Emergency Fund for Health – Coronavirus Brazil, to provide supplies and equipment for the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Santa Marcelina Hospital, São Paulo Hospital, Santa Casa de Misericórdia SP, and Comunitas. In one month, the fund raised R$ 6.6 million, with more than 5,000 donors. And we are finalizing the addition of another R$ 5 million.

In the health sector in Minas Gerais, MBM is managing the " Better Days" Campaign, a project by businesswomen from Minas Gerais that aims to raise funds to purchase PPE for the state's public health network.

On another front is the Citizenship Action , and through this partnership, 2,200 tons of food have already been collected, destined for 782,000 people, distributed across 21 states, equivalent to 6.8 million meals. It has raised R$ 8.8 million and is awaiting the transfer of funds from other partnerships totaling R$ 3 million.

Furthermore, the institution is carefully monitoring 50 locally impactful projectsacross various thematic areas that fall under its governance and are currently receiving funding to continue their activities and assist their surrounding communities in addressing the pandemic.

“The more we donate, the closer we get to our purpose and the stronger we become. We believe in people, in engagement, and in the power that structured actions have to transform the world,” says Elie Horn, businessman and owner of the Cyrela real estate development company and one of the founders of Bem Maior.

Another founder of the Bem Maior Movement, Rubens Menin, affirms that networking is the way forward. "It is through this proactive approach that we will be able to strengthen the third sector, creating a common and inclusive agenda, as well as articulating strategies for the social development of the country."

According to Eugênio Mattar, also founder of the Bem Maior Movement and CEO of Localiza, “reducing inequality is essential for a better society and involves creating equal opportunities. Therefore, the Bem Maior Movement invests in strategic actions and projects, engaging with the public sector, with the aim of scaling significant pilot projects on a national scale.” 

Image Credit: Press Release/MBM