Francisco Tancredi, former Latin American and Caribbean regional director for the Kellogg Foundation, wants foundations and other social investors to be more ‘daring’ in their approach to overcoming poverty in the region. Private social investment, he argues, should be more than just a supplement to the work of government; it should create social innovation and shed light on new ways. However, it should be done in a spirit of collaboration with governments in such a way as to reorient public policies and approaches.

He was speaking at the 4th International Forum of RedEAmerica, a network of corporate foundations and company CSR departments. The Forum, which ran from 29 February to 1 March in São Paolo, Brazil, also featured a presentation by Tiago Falcao, Brazil’s Secretary for Overcoming Poverty. Brazil has had conspicuous success in reducing extreme poverty, and Falcao outlined a government perspective on what private social investment should do next: support those pursuing professional qualifications; reduce the demands employers make for educational attainment among recruits; buy goods and services from low-income communities; and in general stimulate the supply chain.

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