The Formation of a Municipal 'Third Sector' in Brazil

The chapter analyses some theoretical elements concerning the actors' conformation in the so-called third sector and it discusses the experience of a non-governmental organisation which has been created and operated for more than 18 years in an industrial municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A literature review and some interviews were conducted to explain what the third sector is and what are its roles in capitalist society in Brazil. We also bring the discussion of the leadership role in the third sector, which assumes different forms depending on the goals and the context of the institution. We found that the management organisation of this type oscillates between formality and informality, not least because they depend on the roles that the founders - and the leaders - play in the construction of organisational identity and in obtaining financial and political support from public and private agents, both local and supralocal.