Santi Assessoria e Gestão

Brazil-based organisational development advisory

Organisational development and funding readiness in Brazil

Santi supports international funders and Brazil-based impact organisations with governance, financial architecture, compliance, leadership and impact measurement.

By combining local knowledge with strong management practices, we help build the institutional conditions required for effective funding and implementation.

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Local expertise for effective funding in Brazil

A strong programme idea is only the beginning. Effective funding also depends on organisations having the governance, financial systems, leadership, processes and evidence required to manage resources and deliver results.

Brazilian organisations operate within specific legal, financial, institutional and cultural contexts. International funders, in turn, have their own due diligence, compliance, reporting and accountability requirements.

Santi works at the intersection of these realities, translating expectations into practical structures that organisations can adopt and sustain.

Who we support

International foundations and grantmakers

Organisations funding social and environmental initiatives or institutional development in Brazil.

International organisations operating in Brazil

Organisations that need locally grounded support to design, structure, implement or monitor programmes.

Brazil-based impact organisations

Nonprofits, networks and social enterprises preparing to receive, manage or expand national and international funding.

Expertise

Expertise across the funding lifecycle

1

Programme and funding readiness

We translate programme designs into feasible implementation and financial structures.

Our work may include multi-year budget architecture, cost modelling, implementation planning, definition of institutional responsibilities and preparation for conversations with prospective funders.

2

Due diligence and grant readiness

We help Brazil-based organisations prepare for funder assessments and international grant requirements.

This may include the organisation of governance, financial and accounting information; internal processes and policies; institutional documentation; and support during equivalency determination and due diligence procedures.

3

Governance and post-award implementation

We develop the structures required to turn approved funding into coordinated and accountable implementation.

Our work includes governance models, decision-making processes, financial management, organisational design, leadership structures, executive recruitment and implementation routines.

4

Impact measurement and organisational systems

We help organisations transform strategic intentions into practical systems for monitoring, learning and decision-making.

Our work includes theories of change, strategic indicators, data collection processes, privacy and data governance guidelines, responsibilities, monitoring tools and implementation plans.

Selected case studies

Santi works across different stages of the funding lifecycle, from programme design and grant readiness to governance, implementation and impact measurement.

ActionAid

Financial architecture for a large-scale nationwide programme

Santi translated a complex programme design into an integrated and traceable financial architecture, providing a consistent basis for feasibility assessment, implementation and accountability.

View the ActionAid funding readiness case

Mahin

Preparing a Brazil-based nonprofit for international funding

Santi supported Mahin’s organisational development and NGOsource equivalency determination process, enabling the organisation to receive a significant institutional grant from Imaginable Futures.

View the Mahin grant readiness case

Viva Pequena África

Building the institutional structure for a multi-funder programme

Santi developed the financial, governance and executive leadership structures required to support the implementation of a complex programme involving Brazilian and international funders.

View the Viva Pequena África governance case

NESsT and Diáspora.Black

Turning strategic intentions into an implemented impact measurement system

Santi developed a complete impact measurement and data governance system that was validated by NESsT and Diáspora.Black and fully implemented.

View the NESsT impact measurement case

Organisations we have supported

Santi has worked with nonprofits, social enterprises, networks and international organisations across social impact, human rights, racial equity, education, culture, health, public management and sustainable development.

ActionAid logoNESsT logoAnistia Internacional Brasil logoARTIGO 19 logoInnocence Project Brasil logoAgência Mural logoAgo Social logoCEAP logoCEDRA logoDiaspora.Black logoImpulsoGov logoFeira Preta logoMahin Consultoria Antirracista logoAssociação Vaga Lume logoViva Pequena África logo

About

Fábio Santiago

Founder and Principal Consultant at Santi Assessoria e Gestão

Fábio Santiago is a business administrator with a specialisation in Strategic Business Management and an MBA in Sustainability Management from Fundação Getulio Vargas.

He brings nearly 30 years of experience across education, culture, health, technology, sustainability and social impact organisations.

His career includes executive roles at Instituto Tomie Ohtake, the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo, Umane and Vetor Brasil, as well as experience at Fundação Estudar, Ismart, Banco Real, Artemisia and Instituto Unibanco.

BOARD AND GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE

Fábio serves on the governance bodies of organizations and businesses committed to social impact, sustainability, and diversity. He chairs the Fiscal Councils — statutory oversight bodies under Brazilian governance structures — of Integrare – Centro de Integração de Negócios and the Brazilian Creative Learning Association (ABAC). He also serves as a Fiscal Council member at the Baobá Fund for Racial Equity and Instituto Ame Sua Mente, as a business advisor to Gestão Kairós – Sustainability and Diversity, and as an Advisory Board member at Instituto Devive.

This experience encompasses financial and institutional oversight, strategic guidance, risk management, transparency, financial sustainability, and institutional accountability across organizations with different operating models and governance structures.

CONSULTING AND MENTORING

As Santi’s founder and principal consultant, Fábio supports leaders and organizations through institutional strengthening, decision-making, and change implementation processes. His work combines executive experience, strategic perspective, and close collaboration, seeking to turn diagnoses and recommendations into practices embedded in day-to-day operations.

Through his mentoring practice, he has delivered more than 600 hours of individual and group sessions, supporting over 120 leaders and professionals in career decisions, management, leadership, and institutional development.

View Fábio’s experience on LinkedIn
Fábio Santiago, Founder and Principal Consultant at Santi Assessoria e Gestão

Frequently asked questions

Does Santi work directly with international funders?

Yes. Santi can be engaged by international foundations, grantmakers and organisations operating in Brazil, as well as by the Brazil-based organisations and initiatives they support.

Can Santi support an organisation before a grant is approved?

Yes. Santi supports programme and funding readiness through financial architecture, organisational assessment, governance structures, due diligence preparation and implementation planning.

Can Santi provide post-award support?

Yes. Santi can support governance, financial management, organisational structures, executive leadership, monitoring systems and implementation processes after funding has been approved.

Are services available in English?

Yes. Services are available in Portuguese and English, helping international funders and Brazil-based organisations navigate different institutional requirements and working contexts.

Santi Assessoria e Gestão

Contact

Planning to fund or strengthen organisations in Brazil?

Whether you are designing a new initiative, assessing the readiness of a prospective partner, preparing an organisation for international funding or strengthening post-award implementation, Santi can help build the structures required for responsible and sustainable delivery.

Email SantiContact Santi on WhatsApp

Phone/WhatsApp

+55 11 2495-0564

São Paulo, Brazil

Services available in Portuguese and English