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| Fundação Lemann | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fundação Lemann |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Jorge Paulo Lemann |
| Headquarters | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Type | Philanthropic foundation |
| Focus | Education, public policy, leadership |
Fundação Lemann is a Brazilian philanthropic foundation established in 2002 by Jorge Paulo Lemann, dedicated to improving education in Brazil, strengthening public administration and supporting social leadership. The foundation operates through grantmaking, capacity building, and policy advocacy, collaborating with universities, non-governmental organizations, and public institutions across São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and other Brazilian states. Its work connects with global actors and philanthropic networks in the Americas and Europe.
The foundation was created in 2002 following the business career of investor Jorge Paulo Lemann, whose activities linked him to corporate entities such as 3G Capital, Ambev, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Brahma. In its early years the foundation partnered with Brazilian institutions including Fundação Getulio Vargas, Fundação Roberto Marinho, and Instituto Ayrton Senna to pilot programs in teacher training and school management. During the 2010s, Fundação Lemann expanded collaborations with international universities like Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, and with philanthropic organizations including the Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Open Society Foundations. The foundation’s timeline intersects with Brazilian policy moments such as the implementation of the Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional debates, the rise of municipal reforms in São Paulo (city), and partnerships with state secretariats like the Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo.
The stated mission centers on improving learning outcomes in Brazilian public schools, expanding access to high-quality higher education, and strengthening public institutions. Key objectives have included training teachers and school leaders in partnership with Universidade de São Paulo, improving assessment systems linked to Prova Brasil and Sistema de Avaliação da Educação Básica, and developing leadership pipelines connected to programs at INSPER, Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (FGV-EAESP), and Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). The foundation also emphasizes scaling initiatives with organizations such as Todos Pela Educação, Fundação Lemann Alumni, and civic tech groups like DataSenado.
Governance has featured a board of trustees and an executive leadership team informed by figures from finance, academia, and civil society. Prominent individuals associated with oversight and advisory roles include executives linked to 3G Capital, academics from Universidade de São Paulo, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, and leaders from NGOs such as GIFE and Instituto Votorantim. The foundation has engaged advisors connected to policy circles including former ministers and education secretaries from Ministry of Education (Brazil), and collaborating scholars affiliated with Harvard Graduate School of Education, London School of Economics, and Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
Major initiatives have targeted teacher preparation, school leadership, educational content, and public sector capacity. Notable programs include investments in teacher-training networks with Rede de Ensino, scholarships and fellowships aligned with Chevening Scholarships-style exchanges, and support for curricular resources comparable to projects at Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare. The foundation has funded research and pilot programs at Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (INEP), supported digital learning platforms used by municipal secretariats, and co-created leadership fellowships similar to programs at Ashoka and Schmidt Family Foundation. It has also sponsored policy labs and open-data projects in partnership with Open Knowledge Foundation affiliates.
Fundação Lemann collaborates with a wide set of partners: Brazilian universities such as Universidade de Brasília, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Estadual Paulista, and private institutions like INSPER; international universities including Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge; global foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York; NGOs such as Todos Pela Educação, Instituto Ayrton Senna, GIFE, and Instituto Ethos; and state actors like the Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo and municipal secretariats in Rio de Janeiro (city) and Belo Horizonte. The foundation has engaged multilateral agencies including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank on education projects.
Primary funding originates from endowments and donations by founder Jorge Paulo Lemann and philanthropic vehicles connected to his business network, including partners at 3G Capital and alumni donors associated with Ambev leadership. Financial reporting has followed practices common among Brazilian private foundations, aligning grant cycles with partners such as Fundação Getulio Vargas and multilateral funding schedules from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. The foundation issues multi-year grants and impact investments, often co-financing initiatives with entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and corporate partners from the private sector including executives linked to Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Evaluations of Fundação Lemann’s programs reference collaborations with academic evaluators from Universidade de São Paulo, Insper, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and evaluation firms aligned with the Global Partnership for Education framework. Impact assessments have examined learning outcomes measured by Prova Brasil and municipal indices, teacher retention rates in pilot districts, and scaling evidence from partner cities like São Paulo (city) and Curitiba. Independent analyses by think tanks such as IPEA and research centers at Fundação Getulio Vargas and Universidade Estadual de Campinas have informed iterative program design and public reporting.
Category:Foundations based in Brazil