What Instituto Rizomas does

Instituto Rizomas is a Brazilian nonprofit civil association (Instituto) founded in 2017 and headquartered in Capão Redondo, São Paulo, Brazil. It delivers supplementary educational programs to children and adolescents aged 4–17 living in situations of social vulnerability, with a stated mission of promoting quality education and socio-emotional development. The organization's operating model is community-led: weekly programs run at the headquarters and through school partnerships, supported by a volunteer network and family engagement activities. The portfolio of programs includes Ações Voluntárias (Sunday socio-emotional development using the Design for Change methodology), Socioemocional, Contraturno Escolar (after-school academic program covering Portuguese, mathematics, and English), Rizomas Aberto (Saturday family and community engagement), and RizoArte (literature and arts for ages 10–14, launched in 2023 as a rebranding of earlier literacy work).

The organization operates entirely on a donation-based revenue model with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring via the Colabore.org platform), solidary gift partnerships that convert birthday, wedding, and baby shower gifts into donations (Niver do Bem, GiftAid, and photography sales via Pedro Moreira), and corporate partnerships for sponsorship and pro-bono support. Corporate sponsors include DHL, Macquarie, Align Technology, JSL, Wickbold, Mastertech, TRX, Vintage Invest, RBR Asset, Baker Tilly, and Admaiora, among others. Impact measurement is conducted through a partnership with Australian social impact firm Huber Social, which quantifies wellbeing across past, present, and future dimensions; academic and curriculum alignment is rooted in Project Based Learning, the Design for Change framework, WHO life skills education guidelines, and UN SDG 4.

The organization is founder-led and governed by a three-person Board of Directors (Manoela Moreira as President, Bruna Pereira as Executive Director, Pedro Multari as Financial Director), with a Consultative Board and Fiscal Board providing oversight. Operating team is approximately 12 employees supplemented by volunteers and educators. The geographic footprint is single-site (Capão Redondo, São Paulo), and no revenue figures are publicly disclosed, though annual reports (2019–2024) and audit reports (2021–2024) are available.

Name

Instituto Rizomas

Legal name

Instituto Rizomas

Website

https://institutorizomas.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Instituto Rizomas is a Brazilian nonprofit founded in 2017 in Capão Redondo, São Paulo, delivering weekly socio-emotional and academic education programs (Socioemocional, Contraturno Escolar, Rizomas Aberto, RizoArte) to children and adolescents aged 4–17 in social vulnerability, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsors, and solidary gift partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Services (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wraparound & Community-Based Behavioral Support (ABA-Adjacent) (EDAKAHAO)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Socio-emotional learning
• After-school programs
• Nonprofit education services
• Social vulnerability support

Headquarters

HQ city

Capão Redondo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters through online donation platform (Colabore.org) and solidary gift campaigns
2. Solidary Gift Partnerships: Partnership with Niver do Bem and GiftAid enables donors to convert birthday/wedding/baby shower gifts into donations; photography sales through Pedro Moreira also generate donations
3. Corporate Partnerships: Companies conduct solidary campaigns, provide pro-bono services, or sponsor programs for children in vulnerability

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Instituto Rizomas delivers free, in-person educational programs for children and adolescents aged 4-17 living in social vulnerability in Capão Redondo, São Paulo. Its programs combine socio-emotional skill development with academic reinforcement (Portuguese, mathematics, English) and life-project planning using Project Based Learning and the Design for Change methodology. All services are offered free of charge and funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Instituto Rizomas operates as an educational nonprofit organization offering multiple complementary programs for children and adolescents in social vulnerability situations in Capão Redondo, São Paulo. The core portfolio includes: Socioemocional (weekly Sunday socio-emotional skill development through real projects), Contraturno Escolar (after-school program teaching academic subjects and socio-emotional skills), Rizomas Aberto (Saturday family engagement activities), and Rizoarte (literacy and art program for older children). All programs use Project-Based Learning methodology and are designed as complements to formal education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Socioemocional Weekly Sunday meetings at the Capão Redondo headquarters for children and adolescents ages 4-17, featuring real volunteer-led projects focused on developing socio-emotional skills through Project Based Learning.
• Contraturno Escolar After-school program teaching socio-emotional and academic skills (Portuguese, mathematics, and English) for children and adolescents ages 7-14 living in social vulnerability, forming engaged citizens committed to building a better world.
• Rizomas Aberto Saturday weekly activities focused on developing socio-emotional skills and life-project planning, strengthening family and community bonds.
• Rizoarte Art and literacy program for children and adolescents ages 10-14, featuring real projects centered on literature and art, with focus on increasing reading fluency and cultural repertoire.
• Ações Voluntárias (Voluntary Actions) Weekly Sunday meetings following the Design for Change methodology, where volunteers facilitate real projects led by children and adolescents ages 4-17 for socio-emotional skill development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal: At least 80% of graduating youth have defined dreams for adult life and are taking first steps toward them (higher education, technical courses, entrepreneurship, internships)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Huber SocialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Australian social impact measurement company that works with Rizomas to measure outcomes based on Wellbeing concept, quantifying life satisfaction across past, present, and future dimensions
• Niver do BemcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSolidary gift platform partner that allows donors to celebrate birthdays, weddings, and baby showers by converting gifts into donations to Rizomas
• GiftAidcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSolidary gift platform partner enabling donors to transform celebrations into donations for the organization
• Base ColaborativacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working and collaborative space where Rizomas was founded in 2017; serves as the operational base for community education initiatives
• Instituto PhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner organization supporting educational initiatives
• Avenues: The World SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational school partnership for educational collaboration
• Pedro MoreiraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotographer who donates proceeds from solidary photography sales to Rizomas
• Instituto Mauricio de SousaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting educational initiatives

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Instituto Ayrton Senna: Large Brazilian nonprofit focused on education and youth development, operating socio-emotional and competency-based programs in public schools nationwide. Comparable to Rizomas in mission (youth socio-emotional development) but at vastly greater scale and with a school-system rather than community-based delivery model.
• Instituto Unibanco: Brazilian foundation investing in public secondary education, including socio-emotional skills, youth protagonism, and life-project planning — all themes central to Rizomas' program theory. Comparable mission with a school-system B2B/government orientation rather than Rizomas' community-led approach.
• Fundação Bradesco: One of Brazil's largest corporate education foundations, operating schools and digital learning programs targeting children and youth in low-income communities. Comparable in beneficiary profile and funding model (corporate-backed) but at substantially larger scale with formal school infrastructure.
• Fundação Lemann: Major Brazilian impact foundation focused on quality basic education, including socio-emotional learning and life skills. Shares Rizomas' beneficiary focus and SDG-4 alignment but operates as a funder/incubator for system-level interventions rather than a direct service provider.
• Instituto Natura: Brazilian foundation investing in education quality and socio-emotional development, particularly in vulnerable contexts. Comparable mission and impact-measurement rigor (Natura also emphasizes evidence-based outcomes), though Natura operates primarily as a grantmaker/incubator rather than a direct program operator.
• Ashoka Brasil: Brazilian arm of global network supporting social entrepreneurs in education, including youth protagonism and changemaker programs. Rizomas' "Design for Change" methodology (children as protagonists of community change) overlaps directly with Ashoka's "Everyone a Changemaker" framework and target demographic.
• CUFA (Central Única das Favelas): Large Brazilian NGO operating in favelas with education, literacy, and youth programs for vulnerable children/adolescents. Comparable beneficiary base and community-led ethos, though CUFA spans multiple favelas nationally with a much larger operation.

Direct peers

• Associação Cidade Escola Aprendizes: São Paulo-based nonprofit that runs after-school (contraturno) and socio-emotional programs for vulnerable children and adolescents, structurally identical to Rizomas' Contraturno Escolar and Socioemocional programs. Most directly comparable as a same-city, same-model community operator.
• Gerando Falcões: Brazilian nonprofit delivering community-based education, citizenship, and youth programs in favelas/periferias, including socio-emotional and life-skills curricula. Shares Rizomas' community-led, volunteer-supported model and target population but with a broader geographic footprint across São Paulo state and beyond.

Others

• Itaú Social: Brazilian corporate foundation funding education and child/youth programs targeting vulnerable populations, including socio-emotional learning initiatives. Not a direct operator of Rizomas' program type but a relevant funding/peer foundation shaping the same funding landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/pedrovgmoreira

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto Rizomas