2024 Retrospective – A Year of Progress and Achievements at the Casa Socio-Environmental Fund

The year 2024 was marked by significant achievements for the Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, reaffirming its commitment to local communities by scaling up support and consolidating its actions on multiple fronts. With over 500 projects supported this year and approximately R$28.6 million allocated to grassroots initiatives, Casa Fund continues to strengthen its role as one of the leading philanthropic organizations dedicated to socio-environmental protection in Brazil, expanding its impact nationally and internationally.

Twelve project calls addressed critical and urgent themes, focusing on climate resilience, gender equity, community communication, and human rights. These initiatives expanded support to vulnerable groups and territories across Brazil’s biomes.

In 2024, Casa Fund set a new record by launching 12 project calls.

The Climate Resilience and Gender Equity call started the year, promoting inclusive and sustainable solutions led by women and vulnerable populations. The 26 selected projects received a total of R$1.3 million in direct support.

In February, the Community Communication and Human Rights call aimed to strengthen local communicators, vital in climate emergencies and territorial defense. Twenty projects were approved, receiving nearly R$1 million in total support.

Notable calls included Living Amazon and Resilient Amazon II, emphasizing the role of indigenous and traditional communities in environmental preservation and territorial protection. Together, these calls supported 109 projects, with 52 from the first call and 57 from the second, each receiving up to R$50,000.

As a major step toward strengthening Amazonian communities, Casa Fund launched the Environmental Defenders: Voices for Climate Action call, aimed at supporting organizations and networks defending human and environmental rights in the Amazon. Eighteen organizations received up to R$50,000 each to develop their projects.

Faced with increasingly frequent extreme weather events, Casa Fund launched the Extreme Climate Events Program to support local populations in strengthening their autonomy, resilience, and adaptive capacity. The program’s first call, Rebuild RS – Support for Climate Resilience and Community Reconstruction, was created in response to the historic floods that devastated Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024. Focused on climate resilience and community rebuilding, the call mobilized resources to restore livelihoods deeply affected by environmental disasters. A total of 68 projects received up to R$40,000 each.

The Just Energy Transition: Strengthening and Applying Social and Environmental Safeguards call supported indigenous communities, quilombolas, and artisanal fishers in seeking sustainable and just energy alternatives in Brazil’s Northeast. Twenty projects were selected, each receiving up to R$50,000.

In April, Casa Fund opened the Just Energy Transition and Strengthening Artisanal Fisheries call, focusing on supporting fishing communities in Brazil’s North and Northeast. The initiative aimed to defend these communities’ rights against the negative impacts of large-scale energy projects, promoting a transition that respects nature and traditional ways of life. Nineteen organizations were selected, each receiving up to R$50,000.

Casa Fund Launches Its First Call Focused on Youth Tackling Environmental Racism

This year marked a significant milestone with the launch of the call Strengthening Youth in Addressing Environmental Racism – Support for Climate Justice Solutions Led by Youth from Peripheral and Traditional Communities. For the first time, Casa Fund dedicated an initiative exclusively to empowering young people in the fight against environmental racism and the pursuit of climate justice.

The call aimed to strengthen youth movements and organizations to develop local actions addressing the compounded injustices exacerbated by climate change. A total of 35 projects were selected, each receiving up to R$50,000 to support their initiatives. In the context of increasingly frequent extreme events, young people from peripheral and traditional communities face significant barriers in accessing resources and leading transformative actions within their territories.

Emergency Support for Forest Fire Brigades in 2024

Casa Fund has expanded its support for voluntary and community fire brigades across various regions of Brazil. In response to the pressing environmental urgency, the fund launched two important calls.

The Emergency Support for Voluntary and Community Fire Brigades Call, in partnership with Instituto Itaúsa, allocated resources to strengthen existing brigades and enable more effective operations in combating forest fires, particularly in the most affected biomes. A total of 30 projects were selected, each receiving up to R$20,000 in funding.

In 2024, Casa Fund expanded its support for voluntary and community brigades. Photo: Ahmad Jarrah

Furthermore, Casa Fund launched the Call for Structural Support to Voluntary and Community Brigades, aiming to expand preventive and firefighting actions by strengthening existing brigades and creating new teams. Both initiatives are part of the Casa Strengthening Communities Program, which seeks to boost the autonomy of local communities in territorial and environmental protection. A total of 45 projects received up to BRL 60,000 each, amounting to over BRL 2.6 million in direct support.

The Largest Call in Casa Fund’s History: The Sociobiodiversity Web

Among the year’s highlights is the Sociobiodiversity Web Call, which mobilized a record number of over 2,000 project submissions from across Brazil. This initiative, in partnership with the CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund, stands out as the largest ever conducted by both funds, uniting efforts to further expand the scale of their support. The program will allocate BRL 40 million across two calls to 400 projects nationwide, with financial support of up to BRL 100,000 per project.

The Sociobiodiversity Web is the largest initiative ever undertaken by Casa Fund and also the largest ever supported by the CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund.

Launched in October, the Sociobiodiversity Web call aims to strengthen local and traditional communities, promoting sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. Presented during the COP16 on Biodiversity in Colombia, the call will cover both rural and urban areas in Brazilian biomes. This is the third partnership between Casa Fund and the CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund, consolidating the promotion of bioeconomy and sociobiodiversity as pathways for local development.

2024 Gatherings Strengthen Territorial Actions and Indigenous Education

Throughout 2024, Casa Fund held in-person gatherings that fostered dialogue, shared experiences, and drove collective actions essential for territorial protection and the promotion of Indigenous education in Brazil.

In August, the Strengthening Territorial Governance gathering took place in São Luís (MA), bringing together 50 representatives from projects supported under the calls “Community Strengthening and Territorial Rights Defense in MATOPIBA” and “Strengthening Territorial Rights Against Energy Megaprojects.” During the event, central topics such as territorial threats, best governance practices, the sociobiodiversity economy, and advocacy in public policies were discussed, emphasizing the value of unity and collective strategies for territorial protection.

In September, Casa Fund held the Education for Well-Being gathering, which brought together leaders and representatives from Indigenous projects across 14 states. The initiative focused on valuing traditional knowledge, strengthening Indigenous languages, and creating educational materials that promote intercultural education aligned with each community’s way of life. Discussions and workshops emphasized the importance of community leadership in defining educational policies and preserving cultural heritage.

The 2024 gatherings highlighted the strength of the communities supported by Casa Fund and reinforced the role of dialogue and mutual learning in the pursuit of solutions that combine environmental preservation with social justice.

Strategic Events and Participation

In 2024, in addition to meetings with groups supported in various parts of Brazil, Casa Fund participated in key events such as the F20 Climate Solutions Forum, Aquilombar, the People’s Summit, and the 13th Brazilian Forum of Philanthropists and Social Investors. The organization also dedicated itself to participating in international events.

In May, Casa Fund launched the publication Rapid Response Funds – Lessons Learned in Supporting Human and Environmental Rights Defenders in Brazil. The publication compiled insights and lessons on rapid response funds for human rights defenders. The launch took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the Funding Futures Festival, an event hosted by the HRFN.

In September, in New York, Casa Fund participated in discussions highlighting the importance of community philanthropy and the essential role of local communities in mitigating the impacts of climate change. In October and November 2024, Casa Fund was present at two significant international events: the COP16 on Biodiversity and COP29, both focused on promoting climate solutions and biodiversity conservation.

At the COP16 on Biodiversity in Cali, Casa Fund, the CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund, and ISPN hosted a joint panel at the Brazil Pavilion.

At COP16, held in Cali, Colombia, Casa Fund emphasized the vital role of local communities in environmental preservation and highlighted the need for continued support for those facing environmental threats. During this event, which brought together representatives from over 190 countries, discussions focused on advancing the Kunming-Montreal Targets and fostering collaborative solutions that value traditional knowledge.

At COP29 in Baku, Casa Fund hosted panels in the Blue Zone in collaboration with strategic philanthropy partners.

At COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Casa Fund, with a delegation of 15 members, engaged in discussions about the essential role of local and territorial funds in biodiversity protection and the promotion of global climate justice. The delegation emphasized the urgency of effective adaptive strategies in addressing the climate crisis. This year, Casa Fund’s participation also included hosting two panels in the event’s Blue Zone, where some of the most critical discussions took place.

A publication that paves the way for the future

Supporting Solutions From Traditions is a publication that celebrates nearly two decades of work by the Casa Socio-Environmental Fund. It highlights the transformative impact of direct support to Indigenous communities, which led 727 projects and safeguarded 63 million hectares in the Amazon between 2020 and 2022.

The data underscores the strength of Indigenous peoples, who are the true guardians of the forests, in protecting biomes and the pressing need to balance the distribution of resources, expanding initiatives across all regions of Brazil. The publication emphasizes how trust- and autonomy-based support drives tangible environmental conservation actions led by Indigenous communities.

Closer to Communities and the Future

With 532 supported projects, 2024 marked a milestone for the Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, further solidifying its position as one of Brazil’s leading philanthropic funds supporting civil society. These initiatives directly impacted thousands of families, strengthening local communities and fostering solutions for biodiversity preservation and social and environmental justice.

Over nearly two decades of operation, Casa Fund has expanded in both scale and reach. The results of 2024 reaffirm its commitment to democratizing access to resources, addressing historically underserved regions, and broadening its support network. This widespread reach has enabled more communities to lead transformative actions, particularly in threatened biomes and vulnerable regions.

In 2025, as it celebrates 20 years of operation, Casa Fund plans to further scale its efforts, introducing new financing mechanisms and extending its geographic scope. This milestone celebration is both a reflection on the past and a commitment to the future. With the continued support of partners and funders, Casa Fund remains a vital bridge between financial resources and the communities leading the way in environmental preservation and the promotion of socio-environmental and climate justice in Brazil, demonstrating that local solutions hold the power to drive global change.