Gabriela Dias Foundation | Cross-Border Nonprofit Leadership
Role: Founder, Executive Director & Strategic Partnerships Lead
Sector: Nonprofit / Arts & Education
Dates: 2017–2020
Project Overview
I founded the Gabriela Dias Foundation to expand access to arts, literacy, and creative learning for underserved youth across Brazil and the United States. What began as a grassroots initiative quickly evolved into a multi-location nonprofit effort—combining education programs, community partnerships, and donor strategy under one mission.
I led every aspect of the foundation’s work: from designing cross-cultural programming to building sustainable funding through private events and brand collaborations. We created book clubs, museum visits, and music instruction programs for students in low-access areas—while also producing high-impact donor experiences with fashion and beauty sponsors to fund these efforts.
During COVID-19, I adapted our strategy by reallocating resources to local partners in Brazil, ensuring continuity despite global disruption. Across all programs, I focused on storytelling, inclusion, and long-term community impact—helping young people express themselves, discover new opportunities, and feel seen.
Mission & Strategic Focus
I launched the Gabriela Dias Foundation to support education, access to the arts, and social impact programs across Brazil and the United States. The foundation’s mission centered on using creativity and community engagement as vehicles for empowerment — especially for children and underserved populations.
From the beginning, I focused on grassroots execution, fundraising strategy, and cross-sector partnerships. Our work spanned music education, sports access, literacy programs, and cultural enrichment — each designed to reflect both local needs and broader systemic gaps. Rather than awarding scholarships or grants, we directly funded programming by covering supplies, hiring outside instructors, and supporting operational costs for our partner sites. Every initiative was built with accountability in mind, ensuring tangible outcomes for both donors and the communities we served.
Program Design + On-the-Ground Impact
I led the development of community-based programs focused on arts education, literacy, and youth development, working closely with public schools, municipal nurseries, and cultural institutions. From initial concept through delivery, I oversaw curriculum planning, hired local educators, and ensured that programming met the needs of each location.
I remained deeply involved in the field — supporting educators, joining classroom visits, and creating continuity with the students we served. In the U.S., our community partners included Stamford Public Schools, Family Centers, the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, the Bruce Museum, and the Brant Foundation Art Study Center. Every program was rooted in care, collaboration, and a deep respect for the communities we worked with — both locally and abroad.
Results
Between the U.S. and Brazil, our programs reached hundreds of children and families across multiple years — with seasonal initiatives running year-round in partner schools and community centers. From literacy labs and cultural workshops to music, arts, and sports programs, each initiative was rooted in care and designed to meet the unique needs of the local community.
In the U.S., we partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford and local organizations to deliver creative programming. In Brazil, we launched and sustained year-round arts education in four municipal schools, adapting each cycle — summer, fall, winter, and spring — to the rhythm of the school calendar.
Though the formal foundation was sunset during the pandemic, I continue to support partner schools in Brazil independently — maintaining relationships, offering funding, and contributing to creative continuity wherever possible.
The most meaningful outcome has always been the impact we see in the students themselves — their joy, pride, and sense of possibility.
Reflection
I started the Gabriela Dias Foundation because I came to the U.S. with very little — but what I did have was a strong foundation in arts and education. That access changed my life. It shaped who I became. I wanted to create something that could give back, that could open even a small window of possibility for someone else.
This work challenged me in ways I didn’t expect — navigating two cultures, limited resources, and the realities of community-based programming. But it also grounded me. It reminded me what matters. From classrooms in Brazil to local museums in Connecticut, I saw how creativity, consistency, and care could build something meaningful.
The Foundation remains one of the most personal and rewarding chapters of my life. Its spirit continues in everything I do.