Who sustains the Pact? Legitimacy and funding in racial equity

Abstract

This teaching case examines the challenge faced by Gael Trigueiro, executive leader of the Pacto pela Promoção da Equidade Racial (Pact for the Promotion of Racial Equity), a civil society organization (CSO) that brings together corporations, philanthropy, academia, and actors from the anti-racist ecosystem around the racial equity agenda in Brazil. Over just a few years, the Pact consolidated its engagement with major organizations, structuring the Racial ESG Protocol as a tool for driving corporate practices, generating data, and mobilizing affirmative action initiatives. Despite this progress, the initiative’s growth has begun to strain its organizational structure and its financial sustainability model. The case invites reflection on how CSOs can raise funds and expand their institutional capacity without compromising their independence, political legitimacy, or the trust of the actors that underpins the public credibility of their work.