Local philanthropy (donations originating from the region itself) is on the rise in Latin America and new issues such as democratic governance and human rights are attracting philanthropic efforts and displacing traditional issues such as poverty, education and health. These are among the findings of the AVINA Foundation’s newly published Major Philanthropy Trends in Latin America. However, there are important reservations. The 283 organizations registered in AVINA’s donor index, on which the report is based, provided nearly USD70 billion in funds in 2007, but only 11 per cent of these funds were for Latin America.

The publication goes on to suggest two challenges for the new philanthropy in Latin America: to review and strengthen the role of the social investor and to reexamine the role of beneficiaries so that the construction of alliances stimulates innovation and social change.