Capital Fundraising Request

May 1, 2006

From the Board of Directors
Dancing Monkey Institute, Inc.
Dear Friends —

We have embarked on an ambitious and tremendously exciting project to improve the lives of people around the world. Our goal is to impact the basis of global trade and create new standards for international business. The principles for humanizing the exchange of goods are commonly known as Fair Trade. The mission of our organization, the Dancing Monkey Institute, Inc., is to bring Fair Trade into the mainstream of international commerce. We are asking for your partnership and support.

There are many names for the endeavors that fall under the umbrella of Fair Trade: alternative trade, ethical business, social entrepreneurship, conscious consumerism, sweat-free community building, labor organizing, grass-roots political mobilization, green industry. They all point to a world where producers of goods, ranging from coffee to furniture, from dishware to denim jackets, receive a guaranteed just and equitable wage for their labor, free from the whims of “market forces.” We envision a world where producers of the goods we purchase can work in safe, healthy conditions free of exploitation and environmental degradation. At the same time, consumers would receive high quality products with high intrinsic value, made with care and affection by empowered producers.

In order for a world of just commerce to emerge, it is vital that we consumers here in the global North become aware of where our money is going. Dancing Monkey is focused on the complementary tasks of:

  1. educating the buying public about the impact their purchasing dollars have on the lives of people in developing nations and here in the U.S.,while
  2. simultaneously creating a wealth of opportunities for consumers to make ethical purchases by seeing to it that Fairly Traded goods are widely available.

Guided by our mission, we have already undertaken a variety of projects to:

Please Click Here for more detailed descriptions of these projects.

After an intensive exploration of the current marketplace, it is Dancing Monkey’s conviction that an abundance of desirable, high quality, fairly traded products are available from around the world, but that retail outlets for these goods have not been developed. Without retail access, consumers simply do not have the option to buy with their hearts. That’s why an organization like Dancing Monkey is so vital to the growth of Fair Trade right now. We are attempting to address the full spectrum of the market, from empowering producers to developing retail outlets. Only such a broad approach can lift Fair Trade out of “niche” markets like coffee and gift shops, and propel conscious consumerism into the mainstream.

We are incredibly excited about the impact that all of us working together can have. We can support and empower battered women in Mexico and indigenous weavers in Bolivia. We can provide retail outlets for quality handmade goods from the Global South in key U.S. cities. We can support union and ethical wage movements right here in the U.S. Most importantly, we can change the way consumers think about how and where they spend their money.

We need significant start-up capital to pursue these ambitious objectives. We are unlikely to get the funds we need from banks or venture capitalists. Our mission to provide viable economic alternatives for all residents of planet earth will not be funded by governments or industry. These changes will happen person by person, outside of financial systems and without regard to borders. It will be individuals of conscience who will bring compassion to global commerce. By giving a gift of financial support to Dancing Monkey, you will be moving all of us one step closer to a world we can be proud of, where global trade is based not on exploitation and profit, but on mutual benefit, understanding and shared humanity. You will also help us show foundations that our vision is shared by others, so that we can grow our organization.

Do you want to help? Click the “Make a Donation” button on left menu. Or you can mail a check to:

The Dancing Monkey Institute, Inc.
253 E. 4th Street, Suite 76
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

Dancing Monkey is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are 100% tax deductible.

PLEASE LET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY KNOW ABOUT DANCING MONKEY.

Only a concerted grassroots effort will provide the kind of impetus that compassionate commerce needs at this critical juncture. In a democracy voting is important and every dollar you spend is a vote, be it for sweatshops and exploitive production, or Fair Trade and justice.

In grateful solidarity,

The Board of the Dancing Monkey Institute, Inc.:

 

Art Mandler

Philip Bryant

Bruce Shoemaker

Joe Miller

Mark O'Brien

Rosita Balch

Eduardo Cardenas