The formation of alliances for philanthropic purposes aims to promote structural change, with the awareness that the union will solve problems
By Carola Matarazzo*
I believe that philanthropy represents a powerful tool that we have in our hands to build a more just society. I believe that we need engagement between civil society, companies and governments in a coordinated way, and that strategic philanthropy is one of the financing paths for the social transformation we seek. Amid the task of establishing partnerships, engaging investors and increasing social impact, there are different perspectives on the relationship of trust between members of the philanthropic ecosystem.
A first topic that we can address is the relationship of trust between civil society organizations and the collaborative ways to form this link. At this point, we must keep in mind that the world faces complex problems that often require equally complex solutions. These are situations that we cannot change overnight, but we need to face them, planning and executing strategic and coordinated actions, thinking about the long term.
The formation of alliances for purpose aims to promote structural change, with the awareness that the major challenges will not be solved by just one specific organization. “Union” and “collaboration” are powerful words, which we could also call collective intelligence.
Trust between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has the strength to drive flexible and efficient partnerships, reflected in the activities carried out, that is, more people benefiting. And, as the work progresses, one organization also learns from the other, increasing levels of understanding and credibility, making the alliance more solid.
Now, when we look at the relationship with the investor, we have to raise a point that, even in the midst of so many emergency crises, cannot be forgotten: it is essential that the supporter also directs social investment so that each (OSC) can achieve its objective, so that it becomes stronger, and is not limited to specific actions. When institutions are supported (and not just their projects), they have a greater chance of growing and innovating, to change the realities of the regions where they operate.
What did we see during the intense cold wave in São Paulo? Many people sought to help projects that provided immediate support to the homeless population. As the cold passes, solidarity cannot stop. If society continues to support organizations whose purpose is to promote reception, housing, health, job creation and education, for example, we will be on the way so that, in the future, a specific blanket distribution project will no longer be a problem. necessary.
This trust placed in organizations, which have experience and understand local challenges, so that they can fight for their causes, in a structural way, helps to make the third sector much stronger and more resilient, including to act on emergency problems when necessary.
Another issue, when we talk about trust in philanthropy, concerns the monitoring of projects, from the demand presented by the person being financed until the moment of accountability. The intention that the aid be applied in the best way cannot mean excessive bureaucracy that borders on micromanagement and that blocks actions.
Big names in philanthropy, such as Melinda French Gates and Mackenzie Scott, gained the spotlight not only for the amounts donated, but also for their attitudes and approaches, based on trust with partners. They decided to let the supported organizations make their own decisions about what to do with the donations received.
In her letter of commitment to The Giving Pledge, Melinda stated that she has always tried to be guided by data and statistics and that she has sought to set goals and evaluate the progress made. However, she highlighted that she learned that it was equally important to trust partner organizations and let them define the progress of actions. She continued by pointing out that “philanthropists generally help the world more when they are behind a movement than when they are trying to lead one.”
Of course, you can't talk about trust if you barely know the organization you're going to finance. To reach a position like this, it certainly took a lot of previous work in which a great relationship was established between the parties. A very long path was taken to reach such a high level of credibility that would lead investors to act in this way.
In the same sense, I read a post by Mackenzie Scott in which she highlights, first, the confidence she had in the impact history and discernment of the selected teams that worked directly in the communities. Based on this generated credibility, she made the donation and then got out of the way of the teams, “encouraging them to spend the money in any way they chose”.
To reach this format, there was no magic, but a lot of work by social organizations. Therefore, we cannot create myths around the proposal. I believe that the greater the knowledge of Brazilian society about the serious and transparent actions carried out by institutions in the country, the greater the trust gained. This is one way forward.
*Carola Matarazzo is executive director of Movimento Bem Maior
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Article published on Exame’s Plataforma Bússola on June 29, 2022: check it out here
