CUFA: Scaling the Power of Favelas Globally

Monteiro L. Felipe; Lucciola Correia Leonardo

Product #:IN-2389

Supplier:INSEAD

Discipline:Strategy

Setting:Global

Details:Case (PDF) • 36 pages • 2026-03-24

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This case examines the international expansion of CUFA (Central Única das Favelas) into France and the strategic tensions that emerged as the organization sought to balance CUFA Brasil’s grassroots identity with France’s institutional formalization. Students are invited to analyze trade-offs between autonomy and access to funding, governance structures in cross-border nonprofit expansion, and the operational implications of scaling a social movement in a new institutional context.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze trade-offs between autonomy and institutionalization in nonprofit organizations • Understand governance challenges in international expansion of mission-driven organizations • Evaluate funding models and their operational implications • Explore strategic adaptation across different institutional environments • Discuss identity preservation versus strategic flexibility in scaling social movements