Maria Amália Souza

Maria Amália Souza is founder and Executive Director of CASA Socio-Environmental Fund. She has dedicated more than 35 years to designing systemic strategies that ensure that philanthropic resources reach the most excluded and vulnerable grassroots communities. Maria Amália is also co-founder of the Brazilian Philanthropy Network for Social Justice and leads her organization in many global/regional funder coalitions. In addition, she is an advisor at The Ocean Foundation and Chair of the Board of Directors of the NUPEF Institute (Research, Education and Training Nucleus). She holds a B.A. in International Services and Development, with an emphasis in Environmental Studies, from World College West in California, and is a fellow of the Donnella Meadows Leadership Program on Systems Thinking. In 2016, Maria Amália was a finalist, among seven global leaders, to receive the Olga Alexeeva Award on Innovative Philanthropy in the Global South.