Just like the US, Brazil was hit really hard with COVID, and the Lemann Foundation was instrumental in forming a coalition of leaders to figure out how they could develop and distribute, what became the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine that now has been deployed throughout the country. This foundation has been particularly successful at building coalitions of leaders from a wide range of sectors, including the government, for-profit and nonprofit sectors in order to address some of Brazil’s biggest challenges. They were also deeply involved in Brazil’s COVID response.

Rob’s guest today is the first nonprofit leader from the country of Brazil to be on the show. Denis Mizne is the CEO of the Lemann Foundation, which is one of Brazil’s leading nonprofit foundations that led the way in transforming educational opportunities in Brazil. The Lemann Foundation’s mission is to make Brazil a more just and equitable place by guaranteeing access to high quality public education for Brazilians of all backgrounds, while supporting the development of leaders committed to the social transformation of Brazil.

Denis explains how the coalition was built and what led to its success, along with the role of nonprofits when it comes to solving complex problems and why facilitating dialogue is crucial, especially in a polarized political environment. He shares advice for other NGOs and nonprofits to leverage existing resources to tackle big issues by creating a plan, engaging stakeholders and monitoring where support is needed to help shift policies. Finally, Denis sheds light on the emotional and long term impacts of COVID, particularly for Brazil’s school-aged children, why it was vital to establish a national learning standard and the importance of improving school connectivity for the future of Brazil.    

Links to Resources:

Lemann Foundation: Website | Twitter | Linkedin | 

Denis Mizne: Linkedin

If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at rob@ccofpc.org

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The current Pandemic has certainly affected all of us, but there’s no denying that it has affected nonprofits quite deeply, throwing into question how foundations can best support them.

Rob’s guest today is Steve Gumaer, the founder and president of the global NGO Partners Relief and Development. For decades, Steve has served women, children, and families in impoverished, war-torn areas all over the world. Partners is working to address the ongoing global issues of food shortages, human trafficking, COVID19 and more by providing resources in areas of conflict, specifically where children are highly susceptible to poverty and hunger.

Steve shares the “why” behind Partners’ mission and how it all started with a promise to one little girl, which then grew into an organization dedicated to helping children trapped by circumstances out of their control. He explains how COVID19 created a challenging shift from providing face-to-face services to offering only online support meetings, and other ways Partners is adapting to provide sustainability for education and healthcare to those who need it most. Steve believes that being personable and grateful as a leader is more important now than ever.

Links to Resources:

Partners Relief & Development: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Accounting and donation software: Aplos 

If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at rob@ccofpc.org
To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

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