Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has awarded a $200,000 Financial Crisis Grant to the Tides Canada Foundation's Halifax Initiative project, a coalition of Canadian NGOs that work to promote reforms in international financial institutions with a focus on the environment.

The project has facilitated NGO responses to the global financial crisis through various fora, including the Group of Eight, Group of 20 and the United Nations, and will focus on identifying opportunities and challenges for transforming current international financial systems in the wake of the financial crisis.  In addition, the project will continue to monitor and evaluate international financial institution policies to assess whether they protect the environment and human rights.

The Initiative project will conduct research, education and outreach to the public and policymakers, monitor projects of international financial institutions and advocate for policy reform and coalition building.