Projeto Quixote

What Projeto Quixote does

Projeto Quixote (legally AAPQ - Associação de Apoio ao Projeto Quixote) is a Brazilian nonprofit social organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Vila Mariana, São Paulo, serving children, adolescents, and families in complex situations of social vulnerability. The organization operates five integrated programs — Pedagógico, Clínico e Psicossocial, Atenção à Família, Educação para o Trabalho, and Refugiados Urbanos — delivering a tridimensional approach combining clinical, pedagogical, and social interventions, with street-outreach methodology forming a distinctive component. Since inception, it has served more than 23,000 individuals with over 366,000 attendances, including 994 direct beneficiaries and 24,613 attendances recorded in 2025. Operational scale extends nationally through training programs that have reached 6,643+ professionals across 1,171 municipalities.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across individual and corporate donations (channeled through Brazilian tax-incentive mechanisms FUMCAD, CONDECA, and Lei Rouanet), parliamentary amendment funding (including R$ 600,000 from FUNARTE in 2025), government co-delivery partnerships (CAPS II IJ with the Ministry of Health, SMADS municipal social development, SPVV/CUIDAR violence protection), and social businesses. The Brechó thrift store sells donated and new goods both in-person and via the Shopee online marketplace; the Agencia QXT Spray Arte generates income through graffiti services; the Vila Mariana facility is rented for events; and the organization sells books and publications through Editora Peiropolis and Amazon. The consulting and training arm delivers courses for educators and social sector professionals.

Proprietary technology is not part of the operating model — the organization is fundamentally a human-services delivery platform augmented by social businesses. A separate entity designation (AAPQ) holds OSCIP certification from the Brazilian Federal Government, and the organization is LGPD-compliant with a designated DPO. There are no subsidiaries, no disclosed headcount figures, no funding rounds, and no equity investors; ownership rests with the nonprofit association structure. Multiple strategic partnerships with PwC Brazil and four universities support capacity building, while 14 published books establish intellectual authority in street-children, drug prevention, and social pedagogy domains.

Name

Projeto Quixote

Legal name

AAPQ - Associação de Apoio ao Projeto Quixote

Website

https://projetoquixote.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Projeto Quixote is a São Paulo-based nonprofit founded in 1996 that delivers integrated clinical, pedagogical, and social services to children, adolescents, and families in vulnerable situations through five programs, social businesses, and tax-incentivized donation channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Social services nonprofit
• Youth education programs
• Community mental health
• Vulnerable children support
• Social enterprise training

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue source consists of donations from individuals (recurring 'Amigo Quixote' donors) and corporations, including tax-deductible contributions via Brazilian incentive laws (FUMCAD, CONDECA, Lei Rouanet) and parliamentary amendments.
2. Social Commerce - Brechó (Thrift Store): The Brexóte thrift store sells donated and new clothing, accessories, footwear, books, vinyls, home goods, and pet products. 100% of profits are reinvested in Projeto Quixote's programs. Sales are conducted via Shopee online marketplace and in-person at the headquarters.
3. Space Rental: The organization rents out its event facility (capacity 100 people, equipped with Wi-Fi, stage, projector, sound system) for workshops, courses, theater presentations, and corporate events, generating revenue while participants contribute to the organization's mission.
4. QXT Spray Arte Agency: A social business that generates income through graffiti and spray art services (murals, facades, internal walls, illustrations, t-shirts, live performances, courses and workshops). Professional graffiti artists and young apprentices are paid for services, with proceeds supporting the organization.
5. Publications Sales: Sale of books and publications authored by the Projeto Quixote team on topics including childhood vulnerability, community reparation, urban refugees, and social pedagogy. Publications are sold through external publishers (Editora Peiropolis, Amazon).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Projeto Quixote (AAPQ - Associação de Apoio ao Projeto Quixote) is a Brazilian nonprofit social organization that delivers integrated clinical, pedagogical, and social services to children, adolescents, and families in vulnerable situations in São Paulo. It operates five core programs — Pedagogical, Clinical and Psychosocial, Family Attention, Education for Work, and Urban Refugees — supplemented by revenue-generating social businesses including the QXT Spray Arte agency, Brechó (Brexóte) thrift store, space rental, and publications, plus consulting and training services for the broader social sector.

Product overview

Projeto Quixote is a charitable social organization operating a multi-program service platform for children, adolescents, and families in vulnerable situations in São Paulo. The organization offers an integrated ecosystem of programs including the Pedagogical Program, Clinical and Psychosocial Program, Family Attention Program, Education for Work Program, and Urban Refugees Program. Complementary revenue-generating services include the QXT Spray Arte Agency (graffiti services), Brechó (thrift store), Space Rental, and professional training/consulting services. The organization also publishes books and research documenting its methodologies. All programs are delivered through a tridimensional approach integrating clinical, pedagogical, and social dimensions, with the mission of transforming lives through art, education, and health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Agência QXT Spray Arte: A social business that generates income through graffiti services for individuals and businesses, within the work world education program. Young apprentices are mentored by professional graffiti artists.
• Brexóte

Products and services

• Programa Pedagógico Educational program providing global, social, expressive, and cognitive formation through artistic workshops — including dance, music, graffiti, IT, sports, gardening, theater, capoeira, and cooking — for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
• Programa Clínico e Psicossocial Clinical and psychosocial program offering medical, psychiatric, and psychological care, speech therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and nursing services, operating CAPS II IJ and CUIDAR services for children and adolescents.
• Programa de Atenção à Família Family support program offering groups on family issues, intergenerational artistic workshops, income-generation activities, clinical follow-up, and home visits to strengthen family bonds.
• Programa de Educação para o Trabalho Work-education program developing life projects for youth, with weekly workshops on personal development, sustainability, entrepreneurship, communication, technology, and pathways to job placement.
• Programa Refugiados Urbanos Street-outreach program forming teams that build relationships with children and adolescents living on the streets and gradually integrate them into workshops, with the goal of 'rematriamento' (reinsertion into communities of origin).
• Agência QXT Spray Arte Social business offering graffiti services — murals, facades, interior walls, illustrations, canvases, t-shirts, furniture, live performances, courses, and workshops — delivered by professional graffiti artists alongside young apprentices who are compensated for their work.
• Brechó (Brexóte) Thrift store selling new and donated clothing, shoes, accessories, children's items, books, vinyl records, home décor, and pet products, with 100% of profits reverting to Projeto Quixote. Available in-person at headquarters and via the Shopee online marketplace.
• Aluguel do Espaço Event-space rental (capacity 100) fully equipped with Wi-Fi, chairs, whiteboard, stage with curtains, theatrical lighting, projector, sound equipment, and microphones, available near the Vila Mariana subway in São Paulo for workshops, courses, theater presentations, and corporate events.
• Publicações (Publications) Books and research publications documenting methodologies and findings — including titles on 'Rematriamento Comunitário', 'Refugiados Urbanos', 'Mundo da Família', 'O escritório é escola', and research on children/adolescents in social risk — sold through Editora Peirópolis and Amazon.
• Consultorias e Cursos Consulting and training services for educators, social workers, psychologists, and managers on pedagogical approaches, family services, violence prevention, street work, and drug-abuse prevention, delivered in-person or online (EAD).

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,000+ children, adolescents, and family members served since 1996
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Social de São Paulo (SMADS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership through the Serviço de Convivência e Fortalecimento de Vínculo (SCFV) and Centro de Convivência Intergeracional (CCinter) programs, providing social services and strengthening social bonds for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
• Secretaria Municipal de Cultura / Secretaria da Cidadania e Cultura (SMDHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Termo de Fomento No. TFM/146/2024/SMDHC/CPCA for the 'Quixote: Cidadania e Cultura' project, delivering free workshops in theater, audiovisual, artistic expression, and crafts to the community.
• CAPS II IJ Projeto Quixote (Ministry of Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infanto-juvenil operated in partnership with the Ministry of Health, providing specialized mental health care for children and adolescents as part of Brazil's public healthcare system (SUS).
• SPVV / CUIDAR (Municipal Violence Protection Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServiço de Proteção a Vítimas de Violência and CUIDAR program providing specialized care for children and adolescents who are victims of violence and sexual abuse, operated in partnership with the São Paulo municipal government.
• Universities (4 partner institutions)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 4 universities providing internships across disciplines. In 2025, 46 interns were hosted at Projeto Quixote as part of their academic training.
• PwC BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership for the 'O Escritório é Escola' (The Office is School) program, a social technology developed in partnership with PwC that enables young people from vulnerable backgrounds to experience the corporate work environment, while corporate employees discover their role as social educators.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Childhood Brasil (Instituto Childhood): Brazilian NGO dedicated to protecting children and adolescents from sexual violence and exploitation, with similar donor-base reliance on corporate ESG partnerships and Brazilian tax incentive mechanisms (FUMCAD/CONDECA).
• Casa do Zezinho: São Paulo-based NGO providing integrated social, educational, and cultural services to children, adolescents, and families in vulnerable situations, with similar vocational training and artistic methodology emphasis. Direct peer in scale, geography, and mission.
• Instituto Alana: Brazilian NGO advocating for children's rights with emphasis on childhood, education, and combating inequality, running programs that combine research, advocacy, and direct service delivery.
• Instituto Ayrton Senna: Large Brazilian nonprofit focused on education and youth development, with national training programs for educators and managers serving vulnerable public-school populations. Comparable in scale of professional training reach and policy influence.
• Associação Cidade Escola Aprendiz: São Paulo-based NGO that integrates education, culture, and social services for children and youth in vulnerable territories, with similar tridimensional (educational, social, cultural) approach and Vila Mariana/São Paulo operational roots.
• Fundação Abrinq pelos Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente: Major Brazilian foundation focused on child and adolescent rights and well-being, running programs in education, health, and social protection. Directly comparable as a national-scale third-sector organization serving the same beneficiary population.

Emerging players

• Repórter Brasil: Brazilian investigative journalism and advocacy organization working on human rights, labor, and social issues including vulnerable populations. Comparable as Brazilian third-sector organization with research publication output and donor-funded model.

Regional players

• CEDECA Interlagos: São Paulo-based child and adolescent rights defense organization providing psychosocial and legal support to vulnerable youth and families. Comparable as regional peer in the same São Paulo social service ecosystem serving overlapping populations.

Broad incumbents

• Fundação Itaú Social: Larger Brazilian foundation funding education and social development programs at national scale, including vulnerable children and youth populations. Comparable as institutional funder in the same beneficiary space, though operating primarily as grantmaker rather than direct service provider.

Others

• Ashoka Brasil: Brazilian arm of Ashoka, the global social entrepreneur network that awarded Projeto Quixote's QXT agency in 2000. Comparable as ecosystem participant and fellow funder of social innovation in the same beneficiary space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/projetoquixoteoficia
• Facebookfacebook.com/projetoquixote
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/projetoquixote
• Instagraminstagram.com/projetoquixote
• Xx.com/projetoquixote

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Projeto Quixote