Priority Agenda

In its annual meetings, the CASA team carries out an ongoing analysis of the socio-environmental challenges in the South American context to define priorities and action strategies. This is what sets the institution apart: its strategic way of acting and the work of building capacities in the organized civil society.
A majority of the small and medium socio-environmental organizations in Brazil and South America work only with volunteers and activists with little or no funding. For this reason, the support of CASA is essential for incentive, growth, building of capacities and consolidation of these organizations that cannot rely on financial support from other entities, as this type of support is rare in South America. Although small, these grants make a significant difference.
Direction of Projects
All projects are analyzed and approved by CASA's Advisory Board. Some of them are indicated by our own Board members, who have broad knowledge and experience with organized civil society and socio-environmental issues. Others arrive at CASA through concerted actions and networks of partners, funders, and supported groups. In this way, CASA keeps its capillarity, partnerships and relations with innovative projects in several South American countries.

Strategies
• Training of organizations so they can appropriate priority and strategic agendas.
• Expansion and qualification of society's participation in political monitoring.
• Priority for the implementation of strategic actions and connection between local, national and international work – in other words, synergy.
• Priority support to innovative projects that bring about environmental solutions.
• Help to small and mid-sized organizations in finding funding sources and preparing for fund raising.
• Aid in emergencies.


Support Criteria

• Small and mid-sized active socio-environmental organizations, in all of South America.
• Groups that influence and monitor the formulation of public policies, social mobilization and the interconnection of local, national and international work.
• Leadership and key organizations for socio-environmental development.
• Groups, collectives, and citizens associations;
• Organizations that work collectively in networks, forums, consortia, and alliances.
• Groups with the participation of youth for the education of new leaders;
• Socio-environmental groups that take gender balance into consideration.

Now, supported organizations have the word:Why is CASA an important or efficient way of support to the work of organizations dealing with socio-environmental issues?

"By prioritizing community-based projects, the continuing interaction with groups after they receive funding, the socio-environmental responsibility in face of conflicts in the community, cutting down red tape, and providing coherence in setting forth proposals and reports on activities and finance."
Arte Manha Cultural Movement - Bahia

"Supporting groups that are just starting their activities, stimulating organizations in different regions not reached by other types of financing, attending to specific themes of local relevance, and supporting legalization of groups that have difficulties in coming up with the funds needed to register."
Campos - Maranhão

"CASA support is important for its simple and effective procedures (project forms and reports), for enabling entities to implement and/or complement programs and activities not included in other projects, for helping new organizations or organizations with little structure, and for offering fast and efficient advice to help them cope with doubts that they may have while elaborating projects and presenting reports."
Mato Grosso Environment and Development Forum (Mato Grosso)