Fundação Terra

What Fundação Terra does

Fundação Terra is a Brazilian non-profit charitable foundation founded on September 8, 1984, by Pe. Airton Freire in the 'Rua do Lixo' community near the solid waste deposit of Arcoverde, Pernambuco. The foundation addresses extreme poverty and social exclusion in Brazil's semi-arid sertão region, serving vulnerable populations including children and adolescents, people with disabilities, elderly residents, people experiencing homelessness, and university students from low-income backgrounds. It operates an integrated service model across three pillars — education, health, and social welfare — through multiple units in Pernambuco and Ceará states.

The service portfolio includes Pax Christi Schola (elementary education in Arcoverde), Creche Pleno Viver (daycare in Maracanaú), Centro de Reabilitação Mens Sana (a SUS-accredited CER IV serving 35 municipalities with 120,000+ annual procedures across physical, intellectual, auditory, and visual rehabilitation), Lar dos Idosos Domus Christi (24-hour elderly care for 25 residents), C Amor street outreach centers, Centro Renatus sports/culture facility, Casa da Fraternidade student housing, Casa da Terra child shelter, Marcenaria da Terra carpentry workshop, and SENAI-certified vocational courses. Cumulative outcomes exceed 639,000 rehabilitation appointments, 11,926 children reached with education, and 292,499 social sector service appointments.

Revenue is generated through five streams: individual recurring sponsorships (R$30-R$150/month for water, food, education, and elderly care), corporate 'Empresa Amiga' tiered partnerships (R$300-R$1,000/month with 12-month minimums), income tax-deductible donations via Fundo da Criança e do Adolescente and Fundo do Idoso, government convênios and emendas parlamentares with multiple federal ministries (Health, Education, Culture, Sports, Labor, Tourism) and state/municipal secretariats, and utility-bill donation channels. The foundation operates a digital donation platform with WhatsApp integration, a Transparency Portal (Portal da Transparência), e-SIC electronic information access, webinars, and digital books. It holds CEBAS certification, municipal/state/federal public utility certificates, and registrations with CMAS, CMDPI, and COMDDICA, governed by a Board of Directors, Supervisory Council, Fiscal Council, and Ombudsman.

Name

Fundação Terra

Legal name

Fundação Terra dos Servos de Deus

Website

https://site.fundacaoterra.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fundação Terra is a Brazilian non-profit foundation serving low-income communities in Pernambuco and Ceará through integrated education, specialized rehabilitation healthcare, and social welfare programs — including elderly care, street outreach, and vocational training — funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and government convênios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit social services (education, health, and social welfare)

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (62311), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused) (HLADABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Income Support & Cash Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Non-profit social services
• Charitable education programs
• Rehabilitation health services
• Elderly and child care
• Community social assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcoverde

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly recurring donations from individuals starting at R$30/month (water, milk for a child for 30 days) up to R$150/month (elderly care). One-time and variable-value donations also accepted via WhatsApp, Pix, bank transfer, and energy/water utility bill contributions.
2. Corporate Partnerships (Empresa Amiga): Monthly corporate subscription tiers: Pureza (R$300/month), Graça (R$500/month), Sabedoria (R$1,000/month). Benefits include company listing as Empresa Amiga, digital badge, and printed materials. Annual minimum commitment of 12 months.
3. Income Tax Donation (Destinação do IR): Tax-deductible donations through Fundo da Criança e do Adolescente and Fundo do Idoso. Individuals can donate up to 6% of owed IR (3% per fund); corporations (lucro real) can donate up to 2% (1% per fund). Donors must use Modelo Completo declaration and submit DARF proof.
4. Public Incentives and Convênios: Funding through federal, state, and municipal government partnerships. Projects receive financing from ministries (Saúde, Educação, Esporte, Cultura, Trabalho), FUNARTE, and municipal secretaries via Termos de Fomento, Convênios, and emendas parlamentares. Multiple active projects with public funds.
5. Utility Bill Donations: Donations via water and energy utility bills, in partnership with local concessionárias. Also available: direct bank transfer, Pix, and in-kind donations of food, clothing, and household items at collection points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundação Terra provides free education, health, and social welfare services to vulnerable populations in the Brazilian sertão. Education includes elementary schooling (Pax Christi Schola), daycare (Creche Pleno Viver), and professional training. Health is anchored by the CER IV Mens Sana rehabilitation center serving 35 municipalities. Social services comprise elderly care (Domus Christi), street outreach (C Amor), student housing (Casa da Fraternidade), child shelter (Casa da Terra), and vocational workshops.

Product overview

Fundacao Terra operates as a non-profit charitable foundation organized around three core service areas: Education, Health, and Social Welfare. In Education, the organization runs Pax Christi Schola (elementary education in Arcoverde-PE) and Creche Pleno Viver (daycare in Maracanau-CE), offering constructivist and inclusive pedagogical approaches. In Health, the flagship offering is the Mens Sana Rehabilitation Center (CER IV), the first in Pernambuco credenced by SUS, providing physical, intellectual, auditory, and visual rehabilitation across 35 municipalities. The Social sector encompasses the Domus Christi elderly care home, C Amor street-population support centers, Centro Renatus sports facility, Casa da Fraternidade student housing, Casa da Terra child shelter, as well as vocational training (Marcenaria workshop and SENAI courses), community articulation with over 3,500 families, and health campaigns (Semana de Acoes and Sorrisos da Terra dental program). These services function as integrated programs rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pax Christi Schola: Educational institution offering Infant Education (creche and pre-school) and Elementary School in Arcoverde, PE.
• Creche Pleno Viver
• Centro de Reabilitação Mens Sana
• Lar dos Idosos Domus Christi
• Centro Renatus
• C Amor
• Casa da Fraternidade
• Centro Odontológico da Terra

Products and services

• Pax Christi Schola Free educational institution offering childhood education (creche and pre-school) and elementary school, organized in Learning Cycles with a constructivist, socio-interactionist, Freirian pedagogical approach in Arcoverde-PE, serving children from infancy through elementary school.
• Creche Pleno Viver Free daycare center in Maracanaú-CE serving babies and young children aged 4 months to 3 years 11 months, focused on holistic development through play, exploration, and sensory experience.
• Centro Especializado em Reabilitação Mens Sana (CER IV) Free SUS-accredited specialized rehabilitation center providing physical, intellectual, auditory, and visual rehabilitation services, serving patients from 35 municipalities in the III Macrorregião de Saúde of Pernambuco with 120,000+ procedures performed annually.
• Lar dos Idosos Domus Christi (ILPI) Free 24-hour long-term elderly care institution providing medical assistance, hygiene, physiotherapy, medication, social activities, and recreation for approximately 25 elderly residents in Arcoverde-PE.
• C Amor (Centro de Apoio aos Moradores de Rua) Free support centers for people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty, providing daily assistance including food, clothing, personal hygiene items, and spiritual support, with locations in Recife, Arcoverde, and Campina Grande.
• Centro Renatus Free sports, culture and leisure center in Maracanaú-CE serving more than 290 people including children, adolescents, youth, adults and elderly through sports, artistic, and cultural activities.
• Casa da Fraternidade Free student housing project in Recife that welcomes young male students from the interior of Pernambuco who have entered universities in the capital, providing housing, food, and adequate infrastructure for academic formation.
• Casa da Terra Free child and adolescent shelter service preventing situations of vulnerability and social risk through development of potentialities and strengthening of family and community bonds, serving 27 children and adolescents.
• Sorrisos da Terra Free dental health project with volunteer dentists and medical professionals providing over 350 annual dental appointments, focused on eradicating dental caries in children at Fundação Terra schools.
• Semana de Ações da Terra Free semi-annual action week involving volunteers from across Brazil providing healthcare services including ophthalmology, pediatrics, nutrition, dentistry, dermatology, and cancer prevention diagnostics for populations served by Fundação Terra.
• Marcenaria da Terra Free woodworking workshop providing professional training for youth and adults in carpentry, with technical staff mostly composed of former students and community members who transformed their lives through Fundação Terra projects.
• Cursos Profissionalizantes (SENAI Partnership) Free professional qualification courses in partnership with SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial), including masonry (alvenaria) and baking (panificação), with more than 90 people trained in 2022.
• Centro Odontológico da Terra Free dental center inaugurated in 2019 in Arcoverde-PE, providing oral health services to the community served by the foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 639,355+ rehabilitation appointments at Mens Sana
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SENAIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional training partnership with SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial) providing qualification courses in masonry (alvenaria) and baking (panificação). In 2022, more than 90 people were trained through this partnership.
• UPE-Arcoverde (Universidade de Pernambuco)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the dentistry course of UPE-Arcoverde to provide basic oral health care to people with disabilities and their families at Mens Sana center.
• AudisaminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas (Friendly Companies) section of the website, contributing to community programs.
• Plataforma EminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Calcário BRminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• CalVivaminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• CarbomilminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Columbia ConstruçõesminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Domingos FerreiraminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• DuraMetalminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• EternizeminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• FAP - Faculdade do AraripeminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Frias e MoreiraminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Fomento MercantilminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Grupo ServalminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• IndovminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• MasterboiminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• MarquiseminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• NattominorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• NetunominorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Coco BambuminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Onda NorteminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• SFCSminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Supermercado São JoséminorOthersPartner company listed in the Empresas Amigas section of the website.
• Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde)coreOthersPrimary government funder of the Mens Sana rehabilitation center. Accredited the CER IV Mens Sana in all four rehabilitation modalities. Provides ongoing financing through convênios and termos de fomento for rehabilitation, orthopedic equipment, and center reform.
• Ministry of Education (Ministério da Educação)coreOthersGovernment funder for education programs, providing financing through emendas parlamentares and termos de fomento for Pax Christi Schola, including the technology and robotics education projects.
• FUNARTE (Fundação Nacional de Artes)coreOthersFederal arts funding agency providing financing for multiple cultural projects including Orquestrando os Sons da Terra, Incubadora de Animadores Culturais, and Projeto Arte e Cultura Conectando Saberes through termos de fomento.
• Ministry of Culture (Ministério da Cultura)coreOthersGovernment funder of cultural projects including Auto do Filho da Terra (R$600,000), Terra das Culturas (R$450,000), and Raízes Artísticas da Terra (R$550,000) through emendas parlamentares.
• Ministry of Sports (Ministério do Esporte)coreOthersGovernment funder of sports projects including Festival de Esportes da Terra and Ciclos de Esportes through termos de fomento and emendas parlamentares.
• Ministry of Tourism (Ministério do Turismo)coreOthersGovernment funder of cultural tourism projects including Terra das Culturas and Raízes Artísticas da Terra.
• Ministry of Labor and Employment (Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego)coreOthersGovernment funder of the Semeando Territórios Produtivos project (R$300,000) promoting sustainable development and solidary economy in rural communities.
• State Government of Pernambuco - Multiple SecretariescoreOthersState government partners including Secretaria de Educação (for Terra que Educa, technology, school uniforms, and food programs totaling R$360,000+) and Secretaria de Saúde (for rehabilitation and dental equipment). Multiple active state-level projetos.
• Prefeitura Municipal de ArcoverdecoreOthersMunicipal government funder of Idosos da Terra: Alegria de Viver IV project (R$1,239,991.79) at CMDPI, and C Amor municipal programs.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Instituto Jô Clemente: São Paulo-based NGO providing rehabilitation, diagnosis, and inclusion services for people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable to Mens Sana's intellectual disability modality and to Casa da Terra's child/adolescent support services.
• AACD: São Paulo-based non-profit specializing in physical and intellectual disability rehabilitation. Directly comparable to Mens Sana in service model (multidisciplinary rehabilitation, SUS-accredited) and target population, though operating at larger scale and concentrated in the Southeast.
• Pastoral da Criança: National Catholic non-profit focused on child nutrition, health, and education in vulnerable communities. Comparable given shared Catholic roots and integrated health-education-social welfare model targeting the same Northeast beneficiary base.
• Visão Mundial Brasil: World Vision Brazil operates child sponsorship, education, and community development programs in the Northeast. Closely comparable given the sponsorship-donor model (akin to Apadrinhamento de Crianças) and integrated community development approach.
• Lar Escola São Francisco: Brazilian non-profit providing residential care, education, and rehabilitation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Comparable service mix and faith-inspired operating model to Fundação Terra's integrated programs.
• Aldeias Infantis SOS Brasil: International NGO operating in Brazil providing residential care, family strengthening, and youth programs for children in vulnerability. Directly comparable to Casa da Terra child shelter and integrated education/social welfare approach.
• APAE Brasil: National federation serving people with intellectual and multiple disabilities through rehabilitation, education, and social services. Highly comparable as a non-profit operating CER-style disability services across Brazilian states, including the Northeast.
• Fundação Abrinq: São Paulo-based non-profit focused on child and adolescent rights, education, and protection. Comparable as a non-profit serving similar beneficiary segments (vulnerable children) with a fundraising + advocacy model.

Regional players

• AVAPE: São Paulo-based non-profit providing physical and intellectual rehabilitation services through SUS-accredited centers. Comparable to Mens Sana in rehabilitation specialty and SUS-funding model, though geographically focused on São Paulo state.
• Movimento de Educação Promocional do Nordeste (MEP-N): Pernambuco-based non-profit focused on popular education and community development in the Northeast. Comparable given geographic overlap in Pernambuco sertão and community-empowerment orientation similar to Fundação Terra's community articulation work with 3,500+ registered families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fundacaoterraoficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacaoTerra
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacaoterra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacao-terra

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundação Terra