8 Civil Society Organizations in Chile Started the MC Social Accelerator 2026 Program

Fundación MC announced that it has incorporated 8 civil society organizations aiming to increase social impact in Chile into the 2026 period Social Accelerator (Aceleradora Social MC) program. Lasting for six months, this comprehensive program aims to strengthen the internal management structures of foundations and associations, ensure their financial sustainability, and scale the impact they create in the long term. The selected organizations have already achieved significant work with their field experience, proven methodologies, and dedicated teams. However, they need structural support to professionalize their institutional capacity and scale their existing impact to broader audiences. Launched precisely to address this need, the program not only provides funding for a specific project but also aims to strengthen the roots of the organizations generating that impact.

The biggest feature of the program is its direct focus on institutional development, in contrast to traditional funding mechanisms. The comprehensive training curriculum covers vital topics such as institutional management (governanza), program evaluation, communication strategies, human resources management, and financial sustainability. At the core of all these modules lies the concept of 'strategy', which will chart the future course of the organizations. Over six months, participants undergo an intensive mentoring process alongside the Fundación MC team and find opportunities to build valuable connections with other actors in the philanthropy ecosystem. Additionally, expert partners such as IMAGO and Adolfo Ibáñez University's Center for Social Investments and Philanthropy provide critical support to the training processes.

At the end of this intensive training and consultancy process, which will last approximately six months, each organization will be left with a concrete legacy. Having received over 70 hours of one-on-one consulting and expert training, the institutions will possess a comprehensive strategic development plan covering the next three to five years. These plans will enable the organizations to transform their dreams into systematic and realistic steps. Thus, the success stories in the field will be placed within a corporate framework, becoming much more permanent and scalable. Managers expect the strategy maps emerging from this process to guide them and make their organizations more resilient against potential crises.

The eight organizations selected for the 2026 period focus on Chile's most critical social issues, such as education, child development, equal opportunity, and school climate. For instance, while Fundación ALMA works on early language development and reading culture for 4-8 year old children living in vulnerable areas, Asociación Sembrando un Sueño facilitates disadvantaged students' access to higher education. Organizations such as Fundación Volando en V and Fundación ama+ implement innovative psychosocial models to prevent peer violence in schools and improve teacher and student well-being. Fundación MC Director Alejandra Grebe emphasizes that these organizations have already proven their great dedication and impact in the field, but they need this strategic structure to grow institutionally. It is stated that the goal is not simply to transfer money to social programs, but to uplift the organizations and teams that sustain those programs.

As part of the kickoff event, Ignacio Irarrázaval, director of the Catholic University Center for Public Policies, shared the current state and future vision of the civil society ecosystem in Chile with the participants. Irarrázaval stated that civil society organizations play an absolutely indispensable role in Chile's social fabric, often reaching places and addressing needs that the state or the market cannot. However, he added that good intentions alone are not enough to sustain this vital contribution; transparency, strategic planning, and long-term financial resources are essential. In this context, it is noted that this accelerator program launched by Fundación MC is considered a milestone in the professionalization of civil society in Chile. Ultimately, such capacity-building steps will pave the way for organizations to respond to the needs of local communities in a much stronger, effective, and institutional manner.