Authors:
Patricia Kunrath Silva (GIFE)
Ivone dos Passos Maio (FURG)
Abstract:
In recent decades, debates about philanthropy's role in promoting social justice, challenging traditional practices that oftenperpetuate the status quo are present in the field. In this context, the approach of justice philanthropy has gained prominence,proposing to address the structural causes of social, economic, and racial inequalities by supporting social movements and trans-formative public policies. Such discussions are not restricted to academia, but also mobilize agents in the practical field, amongwhich the Group of Institutes, Foundations, and Enterprises (GIFE) stands out in Brazil, a non-profit association that bringstogether about 160 philanthropic organizations. Given this scenario, this article investigates how leaders and organizations asso-ciated with GIFE position themselves in relation to the principles of justice philanthropy. To this end, it combines a critical reviewof the literature on traditional philanthropy, with an emphasis on justice philanthropy, with empirical analysis of qualitative andquantitative data. The results indicate that institutional philanthropy in Brazil remains concentrated in the Southeast region,has a predominantly corporate profile, and adopts governance practices that are still not very permeable to diversity, equity, andinclusion policies. Although grantmaking is not yet dominant, its promotion in the field is growing, especially by new actors suchas Independent Funds, which emerged in the 2000s. Finally, it is worth noting that, despite the progressive discourse conveyedin GIFE's public materials, effective adherence to practices aligned with justice philanthropy remains limited and uneven amongits members.
