FNTG was established in the wake of the 1999 Seattle Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization, by foundation officers with diverse interests and portfolios impressed both by the profound impacts of trade and economic globalization on the issues they care about, and by the character and significance of the civil society response to the policies being negotiated.

FNTG is an alliance of grantmakers committed to building just and sustainable communities around the world.

FNTG provides a space for collaboration across issues and funding strategies among domestic and international grantmakers who recognize the global and systemic nature of the challenges confronting us. Within the context of key social, economic and ecological issues of the day, FNTG members organize briefings, delegations, work groups, research and other activities in collaboration with civil society allies, to strengthen organizing and advocacy locally and globally.

Through these efforts, FNTG seeks to empower funders to more effectively support the transformation of the global economy into one that fosters a just, responsible and sustainable world.

FNTG, a project of Community Partners, Inc., is governed by a Steering Committee made up of program and other foundation officers, led by a two-person executive committee, and two full time employees.

FNTG's activities are open to all members of foundations and giving programs who act primarily as grantmakers not as grant seekers, with current or planned philanthropic activities of $100,000 or more a year, who endorse the basic purpose of FNTG. Involvement does not require dues, as the network relies on grants and relatively modest fees for convening and delegation activities. Funders are asked to share basic information on their funding activities and areas of interest, some of which is shared through a funder directory on the FNTG web site.

Grantmakers receive periodic announcements of programs and events, priority participation in funder delegations and convenings, access to network materials and publications, and opportunities to participate in FNTG working groups and committees.

Whether one's grantmaking is focused on global policy advocacy, on local community organizing in the U.S. or abroad, or on the impacts of globalization on issues as diverse as immigration, food security or corporate power, FNTG and our diverse membership can help funders stay on top of changing and complex issues, and offer venues for strategic discussions with colleagues and civil society leaders concerned about some of the key social and political issues of our time…