Partnership with the Vakinha Institute: strategic planning for the Largest Solidarity Campaign in Rio Grande do Sul

In 2024, the Rio Grande do Sul faced the largest natural disaster in its history . Intense rainfall affected 471 cities, impacting over 2 million people — around 90% of the state’s territory. The balance was devastating: 170 deaths, 600,000 displaced people, and severely damaged critical infrastructure .

In response to this calamity, the “Largest Solidarity Campaign in the History of Rio Grande do Sul” was born. Led by the Vakinha Institute, in collaboration with Badin Colono and Pretinho Básico, the initiative “SOS Floods Movement RS” raised approximately R$ 79 million.

In light of the magnitude of the funds raised, the Vakinha Institute recognized the need for strategic planning to ensure the efficient distribution of resources.  Following a meticulous search for a specialized consultancy, the institute selected Synergia to develop a donation distribution plan. Recognizing the project’s magnitude, its urgency, and society’s pressing needs, Synergia undertook the project through an institutional partnership on a pro bono basis. Our objective was to maximize the impact of donations and ensure transparent accountability, responding swiftly and effectively to the critical demands of the moment.

The distribution plan was developed based on a meticulous analysis of the immediate and long-term needs of the affected areas. We prioritized the following focus areas:

• Education
• Health
• Social Assistance
• Economic Reconstruction
• Accessibility
• Housing
• Sanitation
• Fauna
• Emergency

After the initial meetings, the fundamental assumptions of the Plan were defined and validated with the Vakinha Institute. It was necessary to promote the distribution of donated resources in a way that adapted to local realities. Therefore, it was decided to prioritize the most vulnerable territories and populations, addressing both emergency needs and structural recovery, strengthening the resilience of populations and territories in the long term. Furthermore, a careful selection of organizations to receive the funds was considered a key premise, aiming to ensure proper use of resources and transparency in accountability to donors.

Eligibility criteria for organizations requesting funds were established, based on their nature, and the prioritization of projects was designed to optimize resources and align efforts with the defined strategic goals. For this, the prioritization was structured in three dimensions:

1. Institutions: Assessed by work capacity (team size/volunteers), counterpart contributions offered, origin location, registration status, and submission of negative certificates.
2. Projects: Measured by the number and type of beneficiaries, the complexity of the proposed action, and per capita resources.
3. Territories: Analyzed by the Human Development Index (HDI) of each municipality, flood impact level, and general accessibility situation post-flood.

This project demonstrates the power of collaboration in transforming realities and promoting a fairer and more sustainable future. Transparency and accountability were the pillars of our actions, aiming to strengthen the long-term resilience of populations and territories.