At 29, Nathalia leads initiatives that help NGOs in Brazil’s Northeast discover their potential, secure resources, and overcome regional inequalities in access to social funding
The Brazilian Northeast is historically rich in culture, biodiversity, and social movements. Still, when it comes to philanthropy and funding for civil society organizations, the region faces a scenario of inequality. According to social entrepreneur Nathalia Kaluana, 29, founder of the company Impacto Sustentável and leader of the Capta Nordeste network, this disparity is evident in the distribution of resources and in access to information about grants and opportunities.
Nathalia’s journey began in education. Even though she holds a degree in Biology and a master’s in Biological Evolution, she discovered her true calling not inside classrooms, but behind the scenes of social projects. By writing educational proposals and volunteering, she realized it was possible to make a strategic contribution to the third sector. Over time, she enrolled in law school, focusing on third-sector legislation, an essential step to engage with funders more effectively.
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Her company, Impacto Sustentável, emerged as a response to the lack of strategic support for social organizations. Since 2021, the consultancy has supported between 10 to 15 NGOs per year, focusing on institutional management and fundraising. One of its main services is the creation of a “social dossier,” which helps NGOs better understand their mission, target audience, and potential for impact. “Many organizations don’t realize the size of the potential they have,” Nathalia explains.
Through her experience with numerous initiatives, she realized that financial fragility is the biggest challenge for those working in the third sector. “The culture of giving in Brazil is still very weak, especially in the Northeast,” she says. With that in mind, Capta Nordeste was born, a network created by Nathalia and other social leaders to strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem in the region. The initiative, which has an open form for registrations, provides training, shares calls for proposals and funding opportunities, and connects local NGOs with companies interested in socially responsible investment.
Although still in its early stages, with around 30 participating NGOs and its first training cohort scheduled for August 2025, the network is already seeing results. Its greatest achievement so far is symbolic, yet powerful: the creation of its own regional coordination space, where the needs and specificities of the Northeast are not pushed to the background.
Another important milestone is the involvement of companies in the process. By applying the same methodology used with NGOs, such as the institutional dossier, Nathalia demonstrates how businesses can make concrete contributions to social and environmental causes. The goal is to move beyond generic ESG practices and promote genuine action in support of sustainability.
At its core, what Nathalia proposes is a structural shift in the social funding model. She advocates that resources should not be allocated only to specific projects, but also to the institutional strengthening of NGOs. “Funding needs to ensure that these organizations exist beyond individual projects, that they have structure, teams, and continuity,” she says.
Alongside Capta Nordeste, the young consultant is building a bridge between local urgencies and available resources, an essential task in a country where social justice remains geographically unequal. Through active listening, regional coordination, and strategic planning, Nathalia and her network demonstrate that strengthening the third sector in Brazil’s Northeast is not only urgent, but also possible.
