Instituto Mattos Filho
Instituto Mattos Filho is a São Paulo-based non-profit founded in 2018 by Mattos Filho law-firm partners that funds access-to-justice projects, awards scholarships to underrepresented law students, and produces legal-education content in partnership with Civicus and Politize!.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSão Paulo, Brazil
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Instituto Mattos Filho does
Instituto Mattos Filho is a non-profit institute founded in 2018 in São Paulo, Brazil, by the partners of the law firm Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga. It positions itself as the first institute created by a Brazilian law firm's partners to promote law and strengthen access to justice. The institute operates a portfolio of social programs rather than a single product: an annual grants competition (Desafio de Acesso à Justiça), a scholarship and mentoring program for law students from low-income backgrounds, a series of educational-content projects explaining constitutional rights, human rights, taxation, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (developed with NGO partners Politize! and Civicus), and a partnerships pillar funding civil-society research on diversity and citizenship. It is led by three Directors and a Council of 11 members, with an underlying operational team of roughly 8 people.
The institute does not produce proprietary technology. Its "products" are content artifacts (articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, digital books) and program deliverables (grants, scholarships, mentoring sessions). Distribution is digital-first through the institute's website, YouTube, and partner platforms, with earned media providing supplemental reach.
The revenue model is non-commercial and dependent on a single funding source: annual donations from over 110 Mattos Filho law-firm partners, complemented by 20% of the annual income from an independent investment fund maintained by partners and the firm itself. Programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, and total disbursements through the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça have exceeded R$1.3 million across 30 winning initiatives over seven editions (2019–2025).
Instituto Mattos Filho firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Instituto Mattos Filho
- Legal name
- Instituto Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga
- Website
- https://institutomattosfilho.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Instituto Mattos Filho is a São Paulo-based non-profit founded in 2018 by Mattos Filho law-firm partners that funds access-to-justice projects, awards scholarships to underrepresented law students, and produces legal-education content in partnership with Civicus and Politize!.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Instituto Mattos Filho industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Philanthropy and Access to Justice Nonprofit
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding (EDAIAOAD)
Keywords
Where Instituto Mattos Filho is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- São Paulo
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Instituto Mattos Filho business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Partner donations: Instituto Mattos Filho is financed by annual donations from over 110 of Mattos Filho's partners. This constitutes the primary funding mechanism for the institute's operations and programs.
- Investment fund income: Supported by 20% of the annual income of an independent investment fund maintained by contributions from the firm's partners and the firm itself, providing a sustainable long-term revenue stream.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Instituto Mattos Filho product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Instituto Mattos Filho is a nonprofit institute that funds and runs programs to promote law and strengthen access to justice in Brazil. It administers an annual award competition (Desafio de Acesso à Justiça) for civil society initiatives, a scholarship and mentoring program for underrepresented law students, and co-produces free legal education content projects (Artigo Quinto, Equidade, Tributos e Desigualdade, Direito ao Desenvolvimento) with partners Civicus and Politize!.
Product overview
Instituto Mattos Filho is a non-profit institute created in 2018 by the partners of Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga law firm. The organization operates as a portfolio of social programs rather than a unified technology product. Its offerings include the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça (annual access to justice award competition), the Bolsas de Estudo e Mentoria (scholarship and mentoring program for law students), and four educational content projects (Projeto Artigo Quinto, Projeto Equidade, Projeto Tributos e Desigualdade, and Projeto Direito ao Desenvolvimento) developed in partnership with Civicus and Politize!. The institute also supports civil society partnerships for diversity and citizenship. All programs focus on promoting law, strengthening access to justice, and generating positive long-term social impacts in Brazil.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Desafio de Acesso à Justiça (Access to Justice Challenge) An annual award program that recognizes and funds civil society initiatives expanding access to justice, strengthening democracy, and promoting human rights in Brazil. Between 2019 and 2025, eight editions have distributed over R$1.3 million to 30 winning initiatives.
- Bolsas de Estudo e Mentoria (Scholarships and Mentoring Program)
Quantifiable outcome
- R$ 1.09 million+ distributed in prize money to 25+ winning access to justice initiatives across Brazil (2019–2024)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Instituto Mattos Filho
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Instituto Mattos Filho technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Instituto Mattos Filho partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- ponteAponte (consultancy)coreponteAponte is the technical execution partner for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça (Access to Justice Challenge). The consultancy manages the annual call for projects, application process, evaluation, and overall program execution, allowing Instituto Mattos Filho to operate the award program efficiently at scale.
- Politize!corePolitize! is a Brazilian political education NGO and the primary content distribution partner for Instituto Mattos Filho's knowledge diffusion pillar. Together they developed Artigo Quinto (explaining Article 5 of the Brazilian Constitution), Equidade (human rights education), Tributos e Desigualdade (tax system and inequality), and Direito ao Desenvolvimento (UN SDGs and Brazilian rights). Politize! hosts and distributes all content to its broad public audience.
- CivicuscoreCivicus is an international civil society organization and co-developer of the Tributos e Desigualdade (Taxation and Inequality) and Direito ao Desenvolvimento projects alongside Instituto Mattos Filho and Politize!. Civicus contributes global civil society expertise and international visibility to these initiatives.
- Instituto SemearsupportingInstituto Semear is a scholarship partner organization that helps identify and support law students with high academic potential facing socioeconomic hardship. It is one of the social organizations through which Instituto Mattos Filho channels scholarship funding.
- Instituto SolsupportingInstituto Sol is a scholarship partner organization acting as a distribution channel for scholarships to law students from underrepresented backgrounds. It partners with Instituto Mattos Filho in the scholarship and mentoring program.
- LAUT (Liga de Ação Universitária e Territorial)supportingLAUT is a university and territorial action league listed as a scholarship partner organization, helping identify and support target students for the scholarship program.
- FGV EndowmentsupportingFGV Endowment (Fundação Getúlio Vargas Endowment) is listed as a university/scholarship partner, providing an institutional channel for the distribution of scholarships to law students.
- PUC-SP (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo)supportingPUC-SP is one of the university partners for the scholarship program, hosting and supporting law student scholarship recipients through institutional channels.
- PUC-RJ (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro)supportingPUC-RJ is a university partner for the scholarship and mentoring program, providing institutional support and hosting for scholarship recipients.
- Mackenzie (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie)supportingMackenzie is a university partner for the scholarship program, providing institutional channels for identifying and supporting target law students.
- Escola de Direito de São Paulo da Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV Direito SP)supportingFGV Direito SP produced the research publication 'Mulheres na política' (Women in Politics / Candidatas em jogo), funded wholly or partially by Instituto Mattos Filho through the Parcerias pillar. This publication promotes diversity and citizenship in the legal and political sphere.
- Instituto BiiLab (Behavioral Insights for Inclusion Lab)supportingInstituto BiiLab co-authored the publication 'Pessoas e Práticas: Como as Ciências Comportamentais podem promover a Diversidade e a Inclusão nas Organizações' (People and Practices: How Behavioral Sciences Can Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations), funded by Instituto Mattos Filho through its Parcerias pillar.
- Instituto DDD (Instituto para Crianças, Adolescentes e Famílias)minorIDDD is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, contributing to the ecosystem of partners backing the annual access to justice challenge.
- Sou da Paz (Instituto Sou da Paz)minorInstituto Sou da Paz is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, contributing to the network of backers for the access to justice challenge.
- Conectas Direitos HumanosminorConectas is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, providing backing and legitimacy to the access to justice challenge.
- Instituto Pro BonominorInstituto Pro Bono is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, contributing to the network of institutional supporters.
- Fundo Brasil de Direitos HumanosminorFundo Brasil de Direitos Humanos is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, providing backing to the access to justice challenge.
- GIFE (Grupo de Institutos, Fundações e Empresas)minorGIFE is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça, representing the philanthropy and social investment sector in the support network.
- Rede ComuaminorRede Comua is listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Instituto Mattos Filho competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BrazilFoundation: US-based foundation supporting Brazilian civil society organizations through grants and capacity building. Comparable as a grantmaking entity funding access-to-justice and human-rights initiatives in Brazil, though externally funded rather than tied to a single firm.
- Instituto Unibanco: Brazilian nonprofit institute created by Unibanco bank partners to improve public secondary education. Direct comparable model — institute founded by corporate partners, providing grants, scholarships, and educational content, with a similar structure of annual challenges and partner-network distribution.
- Conectas Direitos Humanos: Leading Brazilian human-rights NGO actively working on access to justice, rule of law, and civil society support. Listed as a supporter of Instituto Mattos Filho's Desafio, and operates in the same Brazilian access-to-justice space with overlapping award-winning grantees.
- Instituto Sou da Paz: Brazilian nonprofit focused on public security and access to justice, especially for vulnerable populations. Listed as a supporting organization for Instituto Mattos Filho's Desafio de Acesso à Justiça and operates in an adjacent access-to-justice funding space in São Paulo.
- Fundo Brasil de Direitos Humanos: Brazilian independent fund that grants to civil society organizations working on human rights and social justice. Direct comparable as a Brazilian grantmaking entity funding human-rights and access-to-justice NGOs — also listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio.
- Instituto Ayrton Senna: Brazilian nonprofit founded by the Senna family to advance public education through partnerships, content, and program funding. Comparable as a high-profile Brazilian social-impact institute combining grantmaking, educational content production, and national program distribution.
- Instituto Pro Bono: Brazilian organization promoting pro bono legal services to expand access to justice for vulnerable populations. Direct comparable in mission and Brazilian legal-sector nonprofit space; listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio de Acesso à Justiça.
- Fundação Lemann: Brazilian family-led nonprofit foundation funding education and social-impact programs nationally. Comparable as a large Brazilian grantmaking nonprofit combining education scholarships, public-policy advocacy, and partnerships with civil society — though focused on broader education rather than access to justice.
Broad incumbents
- Fundação Roberto Marinho: One of Brazil's largest corporate-origin foundations, focused on education, culture, and citizenship. Comparable as a Brazilian grantmaking and educational-content foundation, but at significantly larger scale with broader program mandate beyond legal sector.
Others
- GIFE (Grupo de Institutos, Fundações e Empresas): Brazilian association representing institutional philanthropy and corporate social investment. Listed as a supporting organization for the Desafio, and operates as the sector's membership body — comparable as ecosystem infrastructure rather than direct grantmaking peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Instituto Mattos Filho social profiles
Digital presenceInstituto Mattos Filho financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Instituto Mattos Filho leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Instituto Mattos Filho funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Instituto Mattos Filho M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Instituto Mattos Filho
What does Instituto Mattos Filho do?
Instituto Mattos Filho is a nonprofit institute that funds and runs programs to promote law and strengthen access to justice in Brazil. It administers an annual award competition (Desafio de Acesso à Justiça) for civil society initiatives, a scholarship and mentoring program for underrepresented law students, and co-produces free legal education content projects (Artigo Quinto, Equidade, Tributos e Desigualdade, Direito ao Desenvolvimento) with partners Civicus and Politize!.
Is Instituto Mattos Filho a public or private company?
Instituto Mattos Filho is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Instituto Mattos Filho founded?
Instituto Mattos Filho was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Instituto Mattos Filho based?
Instituto Mattos Filho is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Instituto Mattos Filho make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Partner donations are the primary driver. The others are investment fund income.
Who are Instituto Mattos Filho's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BrazilFoundation, Instituto Unibanco, Conectas Direitos Humanos, Instituto Sou da Paz, Fundo Brasil de Direitos Humanos, Instituto Ayrton Senna, Instituto Pro Bono and Fundação Lemann. Fundação Roberto Marinho is listed as a broad incumbent. GIFE (Grupo de Institutos, Fundações e Empresas) is listed as an others.
Does Instituto Mattos Filho have an API?
No public API is recorded for Instituto Mattos Filho.
What industry is Instituto Mattos Filho in?
Instituto Mattos Filho's product category is Legal Philanthropy and Access to Justice Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAI, Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law, with a secondary code of EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.