The mission of the Funders Network on Trade and Globalization is to support foundations and other members of the funding community in their efforts to promote global relations, policies and institutions that foster environmentally sustainable, human-centered and just economic development in the US and around the world.

FNTG emerged out of a series of briefings organized by the Environmental Grantmakers Association and the Consultative Group on Biodiversity in Seattle during the 3rd Ministerial Meetings of the World Trade Organization towards the end of 1999. Over 40 funders attended these briefings and civil society-led events during those dramatic days, and a decision was made soon after to launch a new network devoted to trade and broader globalization issues.

FNTG is for grantmakers who care about human rights, democracy, peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability. The starting point for FNTG is that globalization matters to these issues. While each of our perspectives on globalization may differ, as grantmakers we share a common commitment to a more just and sustainable society. As a consequence, globalization and its impacts—good and bad—matter to all of us.

Globalization, a central phenomenon of our time, deserves our attention. FNTG has emerged out of concerns that the full implications of globalization are neither sufficiently understood nor adequately addressed by foundations and other members of the funding community.

The network’s goals are to:

• Raise awareness of the relevance of international trade and other globalization issues to the funding community;
  
• Identify information needs of funders, focus on emerging global issues and promote potential funding opportunities and alliances in ways that help increase the strategic impact of grantmaking; and
  
• Increase financial resources devoted to environmentally sustainable, human-centered and just economic development worldwide.