The aim of this book was to analyse the solidarity economy and social organisations as mediators in the process of acquiring resources, as well as the contributions that public policies to promote this segment can make to the local development of small municipalities. The assumptions of this study are that associative practice has influenced local development processes in rural municipalities and specifically in Portalegre - RN, through the mediation of government programmes and projects aimed at combating rural poverty. The research is analytical in nature, as it analyses the information selected through bibliographical and documentary research, and qualitative in nature, as it uses semi-structured interviews with the presidents/members of the associations, as well as other actors considered indispensable for understanding the study (religious leaders, local political power), in addition to field observations and documentary research in the records of the organisations themselves