This article seeks to explain how philanthropy influences international development and can play a strategic role in the agroecological transition in cities. A historical timeline elucidates the intersection between the professionalisation of philanthropic funding and the expansion of international development with a focus on analysing the impact of philanthropy on the international development of agriculture. It is argued throughout the article that family philanthropic organisations have a responsibility and a strategic opportunity to support the agroecological transition specifically in urban territories, minimally offsetting prior philanthropic grants to agriculture established with little ecological and social concern. Recommendations and lessons learned are shared at the end of the article in order to highlight replicable best practices and bottlenecks in philanthropic support for urban agroecology in Brazil. To this end, specialised literature published in magazines and events, transparency reports and audio-visual storytelling materials from philanthropic foundations, donor associations, civil society and international organisations were used as analysis tools.