• Highlights

• With a 4% growth compared to 2022, 596,300 branches of Private Foundations and Non-Profit Associations (FASFIL) were counted in 2023.
• With 43.2% of the branches, the Southeast region has the highest concentration, followed by the Northeast (22%) and South (19.5%).
• There was a predominance of religious entities and those focused on defending the rights and interests of citizens.
• In 2023, 2.7 million people were employed, an increase of 3.3% compared to 2022.
• With a predominance of small entities, 85.6% of them (510,600) did not have any formally employed workers.
• The average salary of FASFIL in 2023 grew by 5.4% and reached R$ 3,630.71.
• Subgroups of Higher Education and Business and Employers' Associations pay the highest salaries: R$ 5,247.07 and R$ 5,226.07, respectively.
• Women represented 68.9% of the employed personnel, but earn 81% of men's compensation.
• 36% of salaried workers have a higher education level, a proportion above the average for private companies.

In 2023, the Central Register of Enterprises (CEMPRE) recorded 11.3 million local branches of active organizations in Brazil, encompassing all types of legal entities. Of this total, 1.2 million (10.3%) corresponded to Non-profit Entities (ENSFIL), which include Private Foundations and Non-profit Associations (FASFIL) and other non-profit entities. Among them, 596,300 branches (51.6%) were FASFIL, representing a growth of 4.0% compared to 2022 (22,900 more branches). This increase was also reflected in the 3.3% growth in salaried employees and the 5.4% increase in the average monthly salary, which rose from R$ 3,444.21 in 2022 to R$ 3,630.71 in 2023.

Within the group of non-profit entities, FASFILs absorbed 74.4% of salaried employees (2.7 million) and paid 78.2% of the total wages and other compensation (R$ 127 billion). Among the Major Regions, the Southeast, South, and Central-West show a higher concentration of these entities than their population. Religious entities and those focused on defending the rights and interests of citizens predominate in the number of these foundations and associations. Furthermore, almost seven out of ten workers in this segment are women. The information was released today (18) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

FASFILs have distinct characteristics and purposes, bringing together, for example, residents' associations, business and employers' associations, schools, hospitals, religious organizations, and entities focused on defending minority rights, among others. The survey is based on information from the IBGE's 2023 Central Register of Enterprises (CEMPRE).

Southeast accounts for 43.2% of branches

With a 4.0% increase, the number of FASFILs (Foundations and Associations for the Support of Social Interest) in Brazil rose from 573,300 branches (2022) to 596,300 (2023). Proportionally, the Southeast is one of the regions where the presence of FASFILs (43.2%) is greater than the population share (41.8%). The same occurs in the South and Central-West, with 19.5% and 8.6% of FASFILs, compared to 14.6% and 8% of the population, respectively. The Northeast has the second largest share, with 22.0% of these foundations and associations, but less than its population concentration (26.9%). The North Region had the smallest share of FASFILs (6.6%), although it was the fourth most populous, with 8.8% of Brazilians.

By state, all those located in the Southern Region, as well as Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast Region, Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District in the Central-West Region, and Rondônia and Tocantins in the North Region, showed higher concentrations of FASFIL than of population. The others registered higher population concentrations. “This allows us to conclude that there is a regional specialization of these FASFIL in the South, Southeast, and Central-West, in contrast to the lower relative presence in the North and Northeast,” considers the survey analyst, Eliseu Oliveira.

In absolute numbers, São Paulo (128,200), Minas Gerais (66,500), Rio de Janeiro (49,200), Rio Grande do Sul (44,500), and Bahia (39,900) are the five states with the largest quantities of FASFIL.

By Major Regions, between 2022 and 2023, the North Region gained 7.1% of the entities, followed by the Central-West region, which registered an increase of 5.7%, and the Northeast, with a gain of 4.6%. In these three regions, the increase was higher than the national average. "It is observed that the recent growth of FASLFIL is greater in small-sized regions, which reveals a territorial expansion outside the great centers," says the survey analyst.

Although the Southeast Region did not show a significant increase in terms of percentage change (3.5%), the increase in the number of entities, in absolute values, was the most significant (8,800); with the state of São Paulo paticipating with 44.8% of this figure.

Almost three out of four employed persons of non-profit organizations work in FASFILs 

The study reveals that 42.6% of FASFILs were created between 2011 and 2023, a contingent of 254,300 entities, representing an average annual increase of 3.3%. On the other hand, 40.9% of active entities were created between 1991 and 2010. The oldest institutions, created before 1990, accounted for 16.5% of the total in 2023. These latter institutions absorbed the largest percentage of salaried employed persons (49.1%). Entities created between 1991 and 2010 concentrated 27.2% of salaried employed persons, and in more recent years (2011-2023), 23.7%.

In 2023, FASFILs were responsible for 2.7 million salaried employed persons, representing 74.4% of the workforce employed by ENSFILs  and 5.1% of the total workforce. Compared to 2022, this represents a 3.3% increase. Of the salaried workforce employed by FASFILs, 1.6 million (57.9%) were employed in institutions located in the Southeast Region, particularly in the state of São Paulo, which accounted for 951,000 of these workers (35.4%), a more concentrated distribution than the overall employment structure in the Brazilian labor market. Following São Paulo are the South (16.5%), Northeast (14.8%), Central-West (7.3%), and North Regions (3.5%).

“This concentration in the Southeast was largely due to the participation of the groups of  Health (621,900) and Education and Research (446,700), which together employed 1.1 million people, 39.8% of the total FASFIL workers. The lower employment rates in the North and Northeast regions can be explained by the proportionally stronger presence of entities defending citizens' rights and interests, which were the ones with the lowest emoloyment,” explains Eliseu Oliveira.

The differences in the scope and complexity of the services provided define this distribution of salaried personnel. The group of Education and Research entities, which represented only 4.8% of the total number of FASFIL, conversely concentrated 27.7% of the total workforce; in 2022, it was 27.5%. Within this group, the concentration was much sharper in the Higher Education subgroup, as three thousand universities or colleges (0.4% of FASFIL) employed 190,000 workers (7.0% of the total; in 2022 it had been 7.5%). The same phenomenon is observed in the Health sector, as approximately 8,300 entities employed 1.1 million people (41.2% of the total salaried workforce; in 2022 it had been 41.5%).

In terms of job creation, while Education and Research created 30,900 new jobs between 2022 and 2023, Religion created 926 and Environment and Animal Protection created 420. The Housing group was the only one that showed a reduction in personnel, with a decrease in positions. "It should be noted that in the distribution of salaried workers, Health and Education and Research entities continued to concentrate the largest share of this contingent: approximately 69% of FASFIL workers are found in them, both in 2022 and 2023," the analyst points out.

Average salaries grew 5.4%; Higher Education and Business and Employers' Associations pay more

Salaried workers at FASFIL earned, on average, R$ 3,630.71 per month, an increase, in real terms, of 5.4% compared to 2022, when they received R$ 3,444.21. The 2023 value is equivalent to 2.8 minimum wages, similar to the average compensation of all public and private organizations in the country that year.

According to Eliseu Oliveira, in the same year, the average compensation of all salaried employees of public and private organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, active in CEMPRE was also 2.8 minimum wages per month. “Thus, the average salaries observed in FASFIL were equivalent to other salaries in the country.”

By entity group, the lowest salalries were found for those who provide services in the areas of Housing (1.3 minimum wages), Social Assistance (1.9 minimum wages), Religion (1.7 minimum wages), and Development and Defense of Rights (1.7 minimum wages). However, all groups showed a positive change in the average monthly salary compared to 2022, with the most significant increases recorded in the Health (7.0%); Environment and Animal Protection (6.4%); Development and defense of rights (6.1%); and Social assistance (6.0%). The sector with the smallest change was Culture and recreation, with only 1.5%. The group of Employers' and professional associations paid the highest average monthly salary, R$ 4,263.26; in 2022, the value had been R$ 4,063.01. Next is the group Environment and animal protection, with R$ 4,076.13; in 2022, it had been R$ 3,829.22.

Regarding the subgroups, the largest changes in average monthly salary are in: Other forms of development and defense of rights (18.0%); Associations of rural producers (17.4%) and Rural development (16.2%). However, the highest salaries in the subgroups are in Higher education with R$ 5,247.07 and Business and employers' associations with R$ 5,226.07.

Women represented 68.9% of the employed population, but earned 81.0% of men's pay

Contrary to what the statistics of the Central Register of Enterprises (CEMPRE 2023), where women's participation reached 45.5%, in FASFIL, they are the majority, representing 68.9% of salaried employed persons. The data follows the trend of 2022, when they were 68.4%.

Female presence predominates in 19 of the 25 subgroups analyzed. In the areas of Hospitals, Other health services, Early childhood education, Primary education, Secondary education, and Social assistance, the presence of women deviated from the national average, representing 75.3%, 74.7%, 91.7%, 76.5%, 70.5%, and 72.5% of salaried employed persons in the respective areas. In 2022, the percentages were, in sequence: 75%, 74.7%, 91.6%, 75%, 70.3%, and 71.6%.

Male presence was more evident in six of the 25 subgroups, exceeding the national average (31.1%), particularly in Housing (54.0%); Culture and art (50.1%); Sports and recreation (66.9%); Rural producers' associations (73.8%); Residents' associations (77.3%); and Rural development (74.5%). In 2022, these figures were, respectively, 41.6%, 51.2%, 67.1%, 73.6%, 77.3%, and 76.7%.

However, despite being the majority of salaried workers, the average compensation for women was equivalent to 81.0% of the average compensation for men. Men's average monthly salary was 3.2 minimum wages, while women's was 2.6 minimum wages. Considering all CEMPRE organizations, the average compensation for women corresponded to 86.4% of the amount men received.

No formally employed workers in 85.6% of FASFILs 

The survey showed a predominance of small entities among FASFILs: 85.6% of them (510,600) had no formally employed workers. "The strong presence of volunteer work and the provision of autonomous services may partially explain this phenomenon, but other information reinforces the previous statement," notes Mr. Oliveira.

While 93.3% of the entities (556,400) had fewer than 5 salaried employed persons, conversely, only 0.7% of the entities (4,100) had 100 or more salaried employed persons. Within this small group, however, were concentrated 1.8 million people, or 67.4% of the total salaried workforce. On average, FASFILs had 4.5 salaried employed persons per entity in 2023. The same number as in 2022. However, the average number of salaried workers in FASFILs in the Southeast Region was 6.0, while in the North Region it was 2.3. Hospitals had an average of 269.7 salaried employed persnons, for example, while in the entities that make up the Religion group the average was only 0.6.

The differences in the size of entities with the same purposes, but located in large, distinct regions of the country, were significant: the average number of salaried employed persons in Hospitals in the Southeast Region was 305.9 people per entity, while in the North Region it was 150.3; In employment and training entities, the average was 58.2 in the Central-West Region, while in the Northeast Region it was 6.6 people.

Most entitites are religious or dedicated to defending citizens' interests

Regarding objectives, it is observed that most FASFILs have a primarily religious call and are dedicated to defending citizens' rights and interests. Religious entities represented 35.3% of FASFILs, and subgroups linked to the defense of rights and interests totaled 25.1%. Together, they account for 60.4% of FASFILs. Next are social assistance entities, with 9.0% (54,000). "However, the distribution of these does not reflect the reality of poverty in Brazil, since 69.5% of social assistance entities were located in the wealthier regions, i.e., the South and Southeast," highlights Eliseu Oliveira.

Entities whose purpose was to develop actions in Education and research and in Health totaled 6.2% (37,200). Within these groups, entities in Early Childhood Education (10,000), Other forms of education/teaching (5,300) and Other health services (4,700) stood out, with the majority of them located in the Southeast Region.

Between 2022 and 2023, there was an increase in all groups of non-profit entities. The largest increases occurred in Other private non-profit institutions not previously specified (7.4%) and Education and research (4.7%). In absolute numbers, the largest increase was seen in entities in the Religion group (7,900 branches).

Regarding areas related to government public policies, an increase was observed in Education and research, which gained 1,300 entities (4.7%). Within this group, the largest positive changes were in entities in Studies and research, Other forms of education and teaching, and Early childhood education; 8.3% (311 branches), 5.7% (287 branches), and 5.4% (515 branches), respectively. The Health group gained 197 branches (2.4%), Culture and recreation gained 4,000 branches (4.6%), and Social assistance gained 1,700 branches (3.1%).

More than half of professionals in Education and Research have a higher education degree

Regarding education, 36.0% of FASFIL employed presons had a higher education degree. In 2022, this figure had been 36.2%. This rate is higher in institutions within the Education and Research group (56.0%), particularly in Higher Education (70.0%) and Secondary Education (62.9%). In 2022, these figures were 57.2%, 69.7%, and 63.8%, respectively. On the other hand, entities in the subgroups Religion, Rural Producers Associations, Residents' Associations, and Employment and Training showed the lowest participation rates of employed persons with higher education: 15.8%, 12.1%, 7.1%, and 8.4%, respectively. In 2022, these same subgroups presented, in sequence, 15.5%, 12.1%, 7%, and 7.8%.

According to Eliseu Oliveira, the proportion of professionals with such training was 1.5 times higher than that observed in formal Brazilian companies (23.6%), but lower than that recorded in public administration (50.9%), according to CEMPRE 2023.

The participation of personnel with higher education was higher than the national average (36.0%) in three of the Brazilian Major Regions: Central-West (37.5%), South (36.4%), and Southeast (36.3%). In 2022, they were 36.7%, 36.7%, and 36.4%, respectively. The Federal District is the state that contributes most to the result for the Central-West Region, as there is almost an equality between personnel with (49%) and without (51%) higher education. The state's profile in 2022 showed 47.5% with and 52.5% without.

Schooling level is directly reflected in the average compensation of professionals. In terms of minimum wages, salaried workers with higher education received 4.4 minimum wages, while the average for other salaried workers, i.e., those without higher education, represented only 40.7% of that value (1.8 minimum wages). “The average compensation of salaried workers with higher education in FASFIL was 22.2% lower than that earned by salaried workers in all organizations active in CEMPRE, which recorded an average of 5.7 minimum wages,” points out Mr. Oliveira.

The greatest difference between those employed with or without higher education is observed in the compensation of business and employer associations, in other health services, and in the environment and animal protection sector, with differences of 5.0 minimum wages, 4.0 minimum wages, and 3.9 minimum wages, respectively. The highest compensations, in minimum wages, for those with higher education were granted by business and employer associations and other health services: 7.1 minimum wages and 6.3 minimum wages, respectively.

About the FASFIL 2023 Study

The study presents the profile of Private Foundations and Non-Profit Associations in Brazil (FASFIL) for 2023, considering aspects such as purpose, age, location, employment, and compensation, in addition to changes in relation to the previous year. The results are detailed by Major Regions, Federation Units, and municipalities, based on information from the IBGE's Central Register of Enterprises (CEMPRE).

The current edition incorporates methodological changes resulting from the series break initiated in CEMPRE starting with the reference year 2022, with the inclusion of all active companies in the National Registry of Legal Entities (CNPJ) of the Special Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil and the consolidation of eSocial (Digital Bookkeeping System for Tax, Social Security and Labor Obligations), of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE).