Sol de Janeiro pledges US$7 million to empower women and protect biodiversity

Sol de Janeiro has committed US$7 to support women’s empowerment and biodiversity conservation through its foundation. The Sol de Janeiro Foundation focuses on protecting and restoring rainforests, increasing access to clean water, and expanding opportunities for young women globally.

Sol de Janeiro is the foundation’s sole donor. The global beauty brand, recognized for its Brazilian-inspired ethos, says its commitment to driving impact is not dependent on outside donations. Instead, the brand directly fuels the foundation’s success. 

“Sol de Janeiro started with passion and purpose. We’ve always believed that beauty and responsibility go hand in hand, and thus the Sol de Janeiro Foundation was born, ” says Heela Yang, chairwoman and president of the Foundation board and co-founder and CEO of Sol de Janeiro.

“Our brand draws inspiration and key ingredients from nature, particularly the rich biodiversity of Brazil. But nature is under threat, and so are the futures of millions of girls around the world who face barriers to opportunity. The foundation is our way of giving back and ensuring our success drives meaningful impact. It’s about community, impact, and leaving the world better than we found it.”

Sol de Janeiro committed four million dollars this year, and an additional US$2 million so far for 2026. The total for 2026 will amount to US$7 million. The foundation has given US$5.77 million in grants, and Sol de Janeiro has donated US$6 million in the past.

Women and environmental empowerment

Sol de Janeiro says it forges long-term partnerships rooted in trust and collaboration. “The foundation aims to ignite change that is both tangible and transformational, nurturing the planet and the people who care for it.”

The foundation’s initial biodiversity investments focus on conserving and restoring Brazil’s Atlantic and Amazon Rainforests. Its grantees include Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, which is developing biodiversity corridors to reconnect forest fragments in southern Bahia.

Another partner, SOS Mata Atlântica, is expanding its nursery capacity to produce 1.7 million native seedlings over the next five years. Meanwhile, Filha do Sol is empowering local women leaders by training them in climate resilience and biodiversity restoration practices.

Through its New Generation of Women pillar, the foundation funds organizations with global reach that equip young women with the “confidence, resources, and skills needed to shape their futures.”

Sol de Janeiro’s five-year grant to the Girls Opportunity Alliance — a program of the Obama Foundation — advances efforts to educate adolescent girls worldwide, unlocking opportunities that can transform families and communities. The program has reached over 120,000 girls in more than 40 countries.

These initiatives are among the 13 partners the Sol de Janeiro Foundation supports.

In June, we spoke to the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) about the importance of humanizing women in the shea supply chains.

At the time, the GSA, EOS Products, and non-profit Water for West Africa partnered to empower women shea processors in Northern Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Similar to Sol de Janeiro, the initiative works to improve access to clean water, quality infrastructure, sustainable livelihoods, and equitable value chains.