Latin American funders shift the question from what to fund to who decides
At the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York, Latin American philanthropy turned from what to fund to who makes the funding decisions. The Latin American Laboratory for Philanthropic Innovation and Collaboration brought together funders, civil society and diaspora groups. Participants came from six countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Open Society Foundation, Avina Foundation and Hispanics in Philanthropy hosted the sessions.
Fabiola Salman, Partner and Latin America Director at Dalberg Advisors, said years of work on flexibility, collaboration and scale may only have refined a model that no longer fits. When the funders who built that system also set the reform agenda, change mostly improves how the same model runs. Anaid Alcazar of Fundación Avina said democracy funding stalls because donors treat it as a partisan stance.
Source: Alliance Magazine · November 12, 2026