Following nearly a year of careful deliberation and consultations with our members, the Funders Network on Transforming the Global Economy and Grantmakers without Borders are forming a new funders alliance, built on shared values and combining core programs to deepen the collective impact of our work.

This is a logical and exciting step that creates substantial benefits for our members and stakeholders and for socially committed grantmakers around the world.  Enriched by what we have developed in parallel over more than a decade, EDGE Funders – Engaged Donors for Global Equity – will allow us to work collectively in creating:

• A unique and diverse community of donors, foundation officers and advisors spanning the  international philanthropic landscape sharing knowledge, tools and approaches, with differing priorities and strategies but a shared commitment to global social change;

• A fresh conversation recognizing that today’s economic, social and ecological crises require greater dialogue across issues, geographies and funding strategies to bridge perspectives and deepen cooperation around key issues and challenges of the day;

• A comprehensive and principled approach for greater impact that understands that combining funding for local empowerment and grounded efforts to improve community well-being with support for transnational movement-building are complementary, reinforcing and more likely to bring about meaningful and lasting social transformation;

• A streamlined affinity group:  The histories and strengths FNTG and GwoB possess will be melded into a single organization with significantly-reduced administrative and operating overhead, eliminating redundancies and duplicative costs, lightening the burden and increasing accessibility for members and civil society partners as well.

Leadership for EDGE Funders will come from members of GwoB and FNTG governance boards, joined by other committed grantmakers who know our legacies and who are enthusiastic about the work ahead.  We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Randazzo as Director of the EDGE Funders Alliance and Lola Ibrahim as Communications and Operations Manager, with Pete Stanga helping oversee Conference organizing and anchoring the institutional transition through the Fall.

Given the changes we see both within philanthropy and in the world around us, we feel the time is right to embrace synergies that can build on our respective histories, and on the sense of purpose that our organizations and members have embodied for over a decade.

We thank all of the dedicated GwoB and FNTG members and donors who have contributed ideas, energy and financial support during the last dozen years, and ask all of you to join and support this new endeavor just as enthusiastically. We look forward to developing this network with you over the coming months,  and exploring together how we can build a successful alliance that expands our community of grantmakers and enhances the social impact of all of our work.