Through flexible, trust-based funding and partnerships with local networks, communities on the frontlines of climate and environmental justice are leading the way.
During São Paulo Climate Week, the Global South House showcased the impact of locally led initiatives and the importance of direct philanthropy in supporting grassroots climate solutions.
On the morning of August 5th, we welcomed participants to the Museu das Favelas, a historic building in downtown São Paulo, for our São Paulo Climate Week session: “Redefining Financing Flows for Climate and Nature,” organized by The Global South House. The event brought together a diverse ecosystem of philanthropic actors – local and territorial funds, corporate and family foundations, activist and socio-environmental funds – to discuss how climate and nature financing can reach grassroots communities and organizations safely, directly, and effectively. The agenda emphasized community-led solutions, climate justice, and trust-based philanthropy to expand direct, flexible resources for frontline groups across the Global South.
This session highlighted the strategic role of base communities –Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, local and urban peripheries populations – who are at the forefront of resisting climate and humanitarian crises while designing scalable, sustainable solutions. Together, we reflected on a key question: How can climate and nature financing reach the communities facing – and resisting – the crises? Through practical cases and field experiences from Brazil, we explored institutional arrangements that enable direct support for socio-biodiversity businesses and nature-based solutions. We also examined community philanthropy mechanisms and participatory grantmaking that reduce transaction costs and accelerate equitable disbursements.
Chairs were arranged in a circle, with four in the middle, occupied by Cristina Orpheu (Casa Socio-Environmental Fund), Marcelle Decothé (PIPA Initiative), Vanessa Lucena (Bem-te-vi Diversidade), and Vitor Hugo Silva Neia (Fundação Grupo Volkswagen). Jonathas Azevedo (Rede Comuá), co-creator of The Global South House, interviewed them — a multi-stakeholder conversation at São Paulo Climate Week focused on climate finance reform.
The discussion opened with a question to Vitor Neia, referencing the 2022–2023 GIFE (Group of Institutes, Foundations and Companies, from Brazil) Census. Corporate foundations lead Brazil’s philanthropic investments – over R$2.5 billion– but only 17% goes to third-party initiatives. He highlighted the trend of funders favoring their own projects over civil society organizations. Fundação Grupo Volkswagen, however, stands out for prioritizing third-party support, a shift that enables more grassroots action and community-led impact.
Neia provocatively asked: “How can we talk about trust-based philanthropy if we [the donors] are creating mistrust?”. He criticized philanthropy’s “a lot of control, less impact” approach, urging debureaucratization and decentralization and trusting local organizations, especially local funds and networks from the Global South who know the territory and cause. His solution: “enhance what already exists.” He advocated debureaucratization and decentralization, shifting power and decision-making to territorial funds and networks.
Vanessa Lucena questioned labeling causes as “sensitive topics,” asking: “Are Indigenous peoples really a sensitive topic? What new clothes are we putting on old practices?”. She emphasized prioritizing community impact over risk and flexible funding. She called for unrestricted funding and risk-sharing approaches aligned with community priorities.
Marcelle Decothé highlighted that grassroots movements have long advocated democratizing resources to ensure funds reach those doing the work. Using the metaphor of confluence from Nego Bispo, Brazilian philosopher and quilombola community leader, she emphasized the power of collaboration without losing identity. Just as two rivers meet and strengthen each other without losing their essence, she argued that organizations and philanthropy must come together in a way that respects their unique identities and approaches. The confluence lens reinforces collaborative, multi-donor strategies without erasing identities, a pillar for climate justice and Global South leadership.
Cristina Orpheu added a historical perspective, noting that debates about democratizing resources and funding flow to territories have been ongoing for over twenty years. Despite the long history, philanthropic spaces have only recently opened to these conversations, with growing recognition of local communities as key defenders of biomes and essential actors in socio-environmental justice. Today, more funders are adopting community-governed grantmaking, acknowledging that local stewards are essential to protecting biomes and advancing socio-environmental justice at scale.
The next segment was showcasing a concrete example of collaboration between traditional philanthropy, a local fund, and a community-based organization. Participants included Ana Valéria Araújo (Fundo Brasil), Bruna Martins (Rede Cuíra – Rede de Liderança Juvenil da Mata Atlântica Amazônica), and Natalia Cerri Oliveira (Instituto Itaúsa), moderated by Gugo Siqueira (Rede Comuá). This tripartite case illustrated alignment among a corporate donor, an intermediary fund, and a community network.
“Cuíra is an Amazonian expression, a slang we use around here. It means restlessness, it can also mean an itch. For us, it’s a strong urge to do something. That’s why we named our network Rede Cuíra, to capture the restlessness of youth in defending our territories,” explained Bruna Martins. She spoke about how Fundo Brasil’s support transformed Rede Cuíra’s work in Belém, in the state of Pará, Brazil.
The network focuses on defending “maretórios”, mangrove territories, with youth on the front line. The Amazon coastal region has one million hectares of mangroves; in Pará alone, 400,000 hectares are home to more than 45,000 families. “It’s very important to have a connected youth network fighting for the defense of territories and a dignified life. Youth connects the generation of tomorrow and fosters the exchange of knowledge. That’s why it’s a crucial group for investment,” she said.
Bruna highlighted that the flexibility of the donation allowed Rede Cuíra to institutionalize and achieve previously unforeseen goals. The funds came from Instituto Itaúsa, with Fundo Brasil distributing and bridging the connection to the network. This flexibility — including unrestricted support — enabled faster execution and resilience.
Natalia Cerri Oliveira highlighted the importance of Instituto Itaúsa’s support to Rede Cuíra. This impact was only possible thanks to Fundo Brasil’s role in ensuring the resources reached the communities. She noted that local funds reach communities in ways corporate donors cannot, navigating bureaucratic processes and unlocking greater impact. Local intermediaries de-risk grants, localize due diligence, and speed up delivery.
Ana Valéria Araújo, Executive Director of Fundo Brasil, emphasized the impact of tripartite collaborations. Fundo Brasil bridges large-scale donors and grassroots organizations, ensuring resources reach communities quickly, safely, and flexibly. “Our approach is based on trust in local groups. They know their priorities and are the best designers of their own strategies,” she said.
She highlighted the Raízes Fund, in partnership with Instituto Itaúsa, as a model of aligned philanthropy. Focused on climate justice for Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, Raízes has supported over 70 groups since 2023, investing nearly R$ 4 million (approx. USD 800,000) in territorial defense, environmental management, public health justice, and solidarity economy, prioritizing intersectionality in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. This is place-based climate finance rooted in territorial governance.
In March 2025, a joint Raízes call for proposals allocated R$ 2.5 million (approx. USD 500,000) directly to communities, including Rede Cuíra, enabling them to implement their own climate solutions, combining traditional knowledge, youth leadership, and innovative practices. Beyond funding, Raízes provides technical assistance, training, and networking with other actors engaged in similar struggles. Support included legal, financial, and communications capacity to sustain community-owned, climate-positive projects.
For Ana Valéria, Rede Cuíra’s experience demonstrates how aligned philanthropy can generate structural change. By pairing corporate resources with the agility and territorial knowledge of a local fund, the partnership strengthens autonomy and expands the capacity to defend rights and protect biodiversity. “This is how we ensure that those already caring for territories can continue doing so — with dignity, structure, and the ability to transform realities,” she concluded. It is a blueprint for community-led climate solutions that align corporate capital with territorial governance.
As a closing activity in the morning, The Global South House offered participants an interactive experience with Funding the Planet’s Guardians, a game developed by Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur (Socio-environmental Funds of the Global South) and facilitated by Clara Daré. The session translated the concepts discussed earlier into practice, allowing attendees to experience the struggles faced by Global South communities and explore how local funds and activists overcome barriers to deliver resources directly to those on the frontlines of socio-environmental crises. This São Paulo Climate Week activity connected learning with action, reinforcing the value of trust-based, locally rooted grantmaking.
The game used a board, pieces, and cards that guided participants through challenges and strategic decisions. The activity highlighted the importance of trust-based funding and the role of local networks, encouraging reflections on how to support grassroots initiatives, strengthen community autonomy, and expand the capacity for effective and sustainable socio-environmental transformation. The exercise functioned as a community philanthropy and grantmaking simulation, surfacing operational barriers and power dynamics in real time.
The Global South House organizes public dialogues, roundtables, and interactive experiences during climate weeks to convene networks, foster informed listening, and influence climate finance flows so that resources reach frontline communities.
At São Paulo Climate Week, it hosted interviews, a fishbowl conversation, and a gamified experience at the Museu das Favelas, bringing together philanthropy, collectives, and funds to discuss climate finance connected to local territories.
Locally rooted solutions backed by flexible, trust-based funding enhance adaptive capacity, safeguard biomes, and center the rights and knowledge of peripheral communities and traditional peoples within the climate agenda.
The Global South House prioritizes decision-making and implementation from the territories themselves, valuing ancestral technologies and concrete practices that tackle the socio-environmental crisis with practical results.
Direct, flexible funding with low bureaucratic barriers reduces intermediaries, speeds up execution, and makes resources accessible to local organizations that understand their own realities and needs.
This approach rebalances power, improves spending effectiveness, and amplifies the impact of local climate solutions, especially in climate justice and biodiversity.
At SP Climate Week, the program featured open interviews, a fishbowl session, and a gamified dynamic led by Alianza Fondos del Sur, with participation from socio-environmental funds, collectives, and funders at the Museu das Favelas.
The agenda linked pre-launches and participation in other climate weeks (London, Rio, African Climate Week) to consolidate strategic partnerships and redirect climate finance toward solutions from the Global South.
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