Associacao Vaga Lume
About
Empoderando crianças na Amazônia
We are Vaga Lume - a movement for equity through literacy in the heart of the Amazon. Our name means "firefly" in Portuguese, a symbol of light in the dark, just like the power of books in remote communities. We were founded in 2001 with a vision for a more equitable Brazil - a country where, regardless of a child's socioeconomic status, ethnic background, disability, or region, access to literary education is always within reach and no dream is too big. To bring this vision to life, we empower children in rural communities in the Brazilian Amazon through literacy and community, by fostering reading and operating community libraries as spaces for knowledge sharing. Over the past 23 years, we have constructed and maintained 97 community libraries throughout the region. Each one serves as a space where knowledge and culture are exchanged, always honoring the unique traditions and needs of each community. These libraries have benefitted more than 111,000 children, opening doors to new worlds and perspectives through reading, literacy, and respect for their own cultural diversity. But our mission goes far beyond the walls of our libraries. By expanding access to literacy, we help children in the Amazon understand cultures and customs different from their own, empower them to embrace their identity, and - most importantly - inspire them to dream bigger. Our work takes place in the Amazon, one of the most vital regions in the world - rich in cultural and environmental diversity, vast in territory, and home to millions. It spans 9 countries, includes 33 million inhabitants, and shelters 385 distinct Indigenous ethnic groups. Yet, it also faces deep challenges: one of the lowest Human Development Indexes in Brazil, and a population where 20% are functionally illiterate. We operate in 97 rural communities - including Indigenous, riverside, roadside, rural settlement, and quilombola (Afro-Brazilian) populations - across 22 municipalities in the Brazilian Legal Amazon.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Leadership at a glance
Official filingsSimilar charities
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
GiveRadar's verified records show Associacao Vaga Lume with a substantially complete profile.
- GiveRadar has verified OSCIP qualification for this organization, which only 2% of comparable charities hold. View this cohort
- It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable charities, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
- Its integrity score of 59 places it in the top 1% of the 27,435 environment charities in Brazil GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its registration and its governance. View this cohort
- government registration
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- third-party accreditation
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to Associacao Vaga Lume lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of Brazil under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
ASSOCIACAO VAGA LUME is registered in Brazil. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
ASSOCIACAO VAGA LUME is registered in Brazil. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
1 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar environment charities in Brazil.
Cause areas in Brazil
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Receita Federal (Brazilian Federal Revenue) · 1 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about Associacao Vaga Lume
Associacao Vaga Lume is a registered environment nonprofit based in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. It is registered with the Receita Federal (CNPJ). It was founded in 2001 and has been operating for 25 years. Its registration number is 04711157/0001-86. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds OSCIP qualification from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, a public-interest civil-society status with associated reporting obligations. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 59/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate.
Associacao Vaga Lume is qualified as an OSCIP (Organização da Sociedade Civil de Interesse Público) by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública, MJSP) under Lei 9.790/1999. The OSCIP qualification is granted only to nonprofits whose activities fall within one of 13 public-interest areas (social assistance, culture, education, health, environment, consumer protection, citizenship, free legal aid, scientific research, microcredit, ethical economic development, etc.) AND that meet strict governance, financial-transparency, and audit requirements. Holders may sign 'Termo de Parceria' contracts with federal, state and municipal governments to execute public programmes. You can verify the qualification at https://mapaosc.ipea.gov.br/detalhar/04711157000186.
Associacao Vaga Lume is a Brazilian private association (associação privada) - the most common legal form for nonprofits in Brazil. An associação is a membership-based legal entity created by at least two people for a non-economic purpose; decisions are made by the general assembly of members, governed under articles 53-61 of the Brazilian Civil Code (Lei 10.406/2002). Associações privadas are by far the largest category of Brazilian nonprofits - there are roughly 670,000 of them registered with the Receita Federal under nonprofit 'natureza jurídica' codes. It is registered with the Receita Federal under the Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica (CNPJ), with CNPJ 04711157/0001-86.
Associacao Vaga Lume's official registration number is 04711157/0001-86, as recorded in the national registry of Brazil.
Associacao Vaga Lume is located in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. The organization was established in 2001 and has been active for 25 years.
Check any charity before you give
Search 7.9M+ nonprofits across 100+ countries. Free, and no account needed.
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong with this charity's page. We review every report and typically reply within 2 business days.
Report sent
Thanks for flagging this. Our team will review it.
Press Esc to close
Save Associacao Vaga Lume?Download this profile as a PDFVisit Associacao Vaga Lume's websiteLog a donation to Associacao Vaga Lume
Create a free GiveRadar account to save charities and track them in your dashboard.Create a free GiveRadar account to download charity profiles as a clean PDF.Create a free GiveRadar account to open charity websites and keep your research in one place.Create a free GiveRadar account to record donations and track your giving over time.
Quick facts about Associacao Vaga Lume
- What is Associacao Vaga Lume?
- Associacao Vaga Lume is a environment private association based in São Paulo, Brazil. Empoderando crianças na Amazônia
- When was Associacao Vaga Lume founded?
- Associacao Vaga Lume was founded in 2001.
- Where is Associacao Vaga Lume located?
- Headquartered in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Is Associacao Vaga Lume trustworthy?
- Associacao Vaga Lume has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 59 out of 100 (Partial transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Associacao Vaga Lume's registration number?
- Registration: 04711157/0001-86 (Brazil).
- What is Associacao Vaga Lume's website?
- https://vagalume.org.br
- Are donations to Associacao Vaga Lume tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of Brazil under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.