Increasing social projects impact in communities

Hello, dear friend!
Happy 2025!

Another year has come to an end, and much has happened here at Ekloos!

In the last quarter of 2024, we redoubled our focus and energy to close the year on a high note—creating even more impact, growing and improving our work, and preparing for 2025 with even greater results.     

In recent months, our team has been invited to participate in many events and lectures on important topics for the Third Sector and for building paths for positive transformation in the future.
We participated in the W20 International Summit, which brought together women from all over the world for a conversation about gender equality, economic empowerment and female entrepreneurship, encouraging the exchange of experiences and the construction of support networks. In addition, one of our collaborators was selected from more than 700 candidates and attended Innovation Week 2024, with the theme "AI for Good, Innovation for Impact". The Ekloos Institute was also invited to participate in the BeDoCare event, which featured speakers from different parts of Latin America to talk about the theme "The legacy for future generations".

The last quarter of 2024 was also important for concluding some programs that we developed throughout the year and that generated inspiring results! We concluded the Leadership Development Program, in which, for 3 months, we offered mentoring, training, lectures and workshops to 16 beneficiaries committed to social and community causes in the Maringá region (South Brazil) and were able to contribute to the formation of new community leaders and enhance social impact projects. We also concluded the 'Conexão' Project, with the training of 22 social managers from Lençóis Paulista, a region in the interior of the state of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. The managers of the participating organizations answered a satisfaction survey about the Project and 100% declared that they were completely satisfied with the results of the program. It was an intense work of restructuring projects and seeking the sustainable development of organizations. For greater and more conscious impacts in the future!

While some cycles are being completed, our work continues! We have reached the halfway point of another Acceleration Program, in which we supported managers of organizations in the interior of Mato Grosso, Goiás and Maranhão, in the Central West and Northeast regions of Brazil, to boost their projects, increase visibility and raise funds, which are usually scarce in these regions.

We also had new projects starting! The Ekloos Institute held a one-day workshop, with the objective of creating a space for exchange between several participating organizations, with activities led by our mentors, encouraging the creation of support networks, taking advantage of the specific knowledge of each social manager. In this way, the 23 participants were able to identify opportunities for connection and mutual support, leaving full of partnership ideas for new projects and a desire to make an impact on even more beneficiaries.

In addition, at the end of 2024, a ‘bonus activity’ was held under the 'Conecta+' Acceleration Program, which took place in 2023, with 16 organizations that work with youth employability across Brazil. An initiative that aims to invest in the future! The managers of the 16 organizations received new content and committed to achieving specific goals in exchange for financial contributions. At the end of these bonus activities, all organizations successfully achieved their impact goals!

Over the past 3 months, the Ekloos Institute also launched the Cultural Training and Mobilization Program and carried out 2 of the 10 training sessions as part of the 'Cultura Viva' Program, from the Ministry of Culture. This initiative seeks to strengthen sociocultural organizations and producers in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to developing in-depth research on cultural diversity and cultural spaces in the territories. The first course, with the theme “Development of Sociocultural Projects”, was attended by 168 people from different sociocultural projects from across Brazil. The second training session had a total of 158 participants and had as its central theme “Cultures that Transform”. In parallel with this proposal, we also held the 'Cultura Viva' Forum, a space for dialogue and exchange, which brought together 62 cultural managers with the aim of finding creative solutions to cultural problems and promoting culture in communities.

To end the year with hope and inspiration, we had the privilege of getting to know and supporting another project with a moving story that invites us to reflect on something basic, but essential for all of us: the importance of a home.
Have you ever stopped to think about where you want to be in your old age? With whom to be with? Doing what kind of activities?

Thinking about the future always seems like a difficult task. Thinking about a future in old age can be even more difficult. With these aspects in mind, “Lar Espírita José Passos”, located in Morrinhos/GO, in the Center-West of the country, where 15% of the population is made up of elderly people, has been dedicated to transforming lives for 50 years of activities . Founded in 1974, the “Lar” welcomes elderly people, aged 60 or over, in situations of social vulnerability and risk, many of whom have been abandoned by their families and have no other alternative for shelter.
But what is a home? More than just housing, the institution seeks to provide comprehensive care, investing in areas of socialization, leisure and health, and essential services such as physiotherapy and nursing, ensuring that all residents have access to the basic conditions for a dignified and caring life. After all, a home is not just a physical space; it is where feelings, affection and comfort become a refuge and where true transformation takes place.

But ensuring the continuity of “Lar José Passos” is not an easy task. The project's survival faces challenges, especially due to its dependence on external funding and public support. To help overcome these obstacles, the institution was selected for the Ekloos Institute Acceleration Program. We began a series of mentoring sessions, mainly on fundraising, seeking to strengthen the financial autonomy and sustainability of the institution, ensuring that it continues to grow and transform the lives of more and more elderly people who are cared for. This is what motivates us to support such transformative projects as this one.

The year 2024 was incredible! We ended with results that not only filled us with pride, but also renewed our motivation for what is to come. Each organization and project we supported strengthened our learning about empathy, solidarity, and the true meaning of generating a positive social impact. May 2025 bring us new exciting stories and the opportunity to expand our impact. We are ready to continue transforming lives and contributing to the strengthening of those who make a difference, always counting on your support and solidarity!