Initially called the Angela Borba Fund, the first social investment fund aimed at women in Brazil was born 15 years ago from the Brazilian feminist movement. It all began on August 30, 2000, when CEMINA - Comunicação. Education and Information on Gender, a feminist civil society organization created in the 1980s, promoted the Women: Social Responsibility and Financial Resources Seminar.

The event was attended by feminist and gender equality organizations, as well as representatives of international funds such as the Global Fund For Women (USA), Fondo Semillas (Mexico), Tewa (Nepal), African Women Development Fund, Mama Cash (Netherlands), and national organizations such as the Ethos Institute for Social Responsibility and the SOS Corpo group. The aim was to discuss resources for women's rights and Leadership for women and girls in Brazil.

One of the conclusions of the meeting was the need to create an independent fund dedicated specifically to donating financial resources to women's organizations and informal groups in the country. This demand gave birth to the ELAS Fund, which was launched on August 30, 2000 and registered as an independent organization in May 2011.

Amália Fischer, general coordinator of the ELAS Fund, highlights the main achievements of these 15 years of work: "In general terms, the ELAS Fund has promoted a new philanthropy in Brazil, which is social justice philanthropy, and has established partnerships with other community funds and foundations, which is very important for the country. As far as women are concerned, the ELAS Fund not only mobilizes resources but also advocates with individual and institutional international donors so that Brazil has more resources to advance the rights of women and girls."

"Finally, keeping innovation as one of its main characteristics, the ELAS Fund has been in dialogue with different sectors so that financial resources and training for women's organizations are on the national agenda," emphasizes Amália.