Donations to social causes exceed R$ 1.1 billion.

BNDES stands out in these initiatives, accounting for almost 38% of the total

By Marília de Camargo Cesar — ​​From São Paulo

BNDES is consolidating its position as a major driver of private social investment in Brazil through its matchfunding programs, which are attracting more and more companies to support socio-environmental, educational, and health causes. The Donations Monitor, a platform that tracks publicly announced contributions of R$ 3,000 or more, surpassed R$ 1.1 billion in donations last week, of which almost 38% come from programs linked to BNDES.

According to João Paulo Vergueiro, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Fundraising Professionals (ABCR), the entity that created the monitor, "public companies account for almost 60% of all donations announced this year, and BNDES is the largest donor so far.".

With a total of R$ 412.60 million in contributions, the development bank surpassed Petrobras, which until the beginning of the week held first place. The oil company announced R$ 280.9 million in contributions, followed by the State Water and Sewage Company – Cedae, with R$ 70 million, and Cargill, with R$ 56.2 million. In total, there were 331 donors, of which 93 were companies, 207 individuals, 23 non-profit organizations, and eight miscellaneous entities, such as churches or unions.

“It’s not new that BNDES also attracts philanthropic resources for the country’s development, and this serves as inspiration for other banks,” observes Vergueiro. He explains that, as this is the first year of the monitor’s historical series, there is no basis for comparison with previous values. The tool was created to track philanthropic initiatives specifically linked to the health sector during the pandemic, but this year it has become an instrument for measuring the movement of donations in general.

The list of individual donors includes Lia Maria Aguiar, a Bradesco shareholder, president of the foundation that bears her name, and the biggest philanthropist in Campos do Jordão (SP), with R$ 40 million in contributions; Bernardo Paz, founder of the Inhotim Institute, with R$ 25 million; the Ribeiro family, linked to the media sector in Rio Grande do Sul, with R$ 10 million; Elie (founder of Cyrela) and Susy Horn, with R$ 1.4 million. Among the NGOs, Movimento Bem Maior contributed R$ 9.2 million, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein contributed R$ 7 million, and Fundação José Luiz Egydio Setubal contributed R$ 3.17 million.

Bruno Aranha, director of productive and socio-environmental credit at BNDES, highlights the bank's strong performance in socio-environmental initiatives over the past three years, with a total mobilization of R$ 2.5 billion for health during the pandemic, restoration of historical heritage, education, socio-environmental recovery and, more recently, in the area of ​​training professionals linked to education.

The "Rescuing History" program, for example, raised R$ 300 million for restoration work on national historical heritage, with participation from Ambev Brasil, EDP, Instituto Cultural Vale, Instituto Neoenergia, and MRS Logística. According to Aranha, this matchfunding model innovated by offering a larger counterpart from the bank for restoration projects in the North and Northeast regions. "Instead of contributing R$ 1 for every R$ 1 from the partner, we contribute R$ 3 for every R$ 1," says Aranha. The restoration of the Mercedários complex in Belém (PA), a 17th-century building, is an example of projects that are part of this program.

The Living Forest project, focused on sustainability initiatives, was launched in November 2021 with a goal of raising R$ 500 million, half from BNDES and half from partners, but in six months it had already surpassed R$ 700 million in budgeted investments. "We should reach R$ 1 billion in the first quarter of 2023," projects Aranha.

He clarifies that the bank now holds less than 50% of the fund, retaining the initially budgeted R$ 250 million. Partners include Cedae, Coopercitrus, Energisa, Eneva, Grupo Heineken, the Government of Rio de Janeiro, Minerva Foods, Norte Energia, Petrobras, Philip Morris, and Vale.

A program launched in August, at the request of companies, is Novos Rumos, a professional training program for people in situations of social vulnerability or low income, in the areas of Industry 4.0, information technology, and the green economy. According to Aranha, R$ 60 million has already been committed, half from the bank and the other half from partners such as TIM, Totvs, Ifood, Accenture, and XP. "We are now selecting the institution that will manage this program," he says.

. . .

This article was originally published in Valor Econômico. To read the full article, click here.

Image Credit: Press Release/MBM