PLATINUM2022

CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Ideas to Action

aka CGD   |   Washington, DC   |  www.cgdev.org

Mission

The Center for Global Development works to reduce global poverty and inequality through rigorous research and active engagement with the policy community to make the world a more prosperous, just, and safe place for us all. We generate new ideas, actionable policy proposals, and independent research, and spark critical global development conversations. We focus on the intersection of developing countries and the governments, institutions, and corporations that can help them deliver the greatest progress. As a nimble, independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit think tank, we leverage modest resources to combine world-class scholarly research with policy analysis and innovative outreach and communications to turn ideas into action.

Ruling year info

2002

President

Masood Ahmed

Main address

2055 L Street NW Fifth Floor

Washington, DC 20036 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

52-2351337

NTEE code info

Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis (W05)

International Development, Relief Services (Q30)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

The Center for Global Development works to reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives better policy and practice by the world's top decision makers. The world has signed up to a set of development goals for 2030. Reaching these objectives will require a commitment to smart policies that maximize returns on scarce resources and draw upon evidence to maximize positive impact.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Sustainable Development Finance

To meet the Sustainable Development Goals, development finance must increase from billions to trillions. Our work focuses on unlocking more finance more effectively from existing and emerging sources, and on allocating those funds to meet both ongoing needs and future challenges.

Population(s) Served
Adults

CGD's work in this area seeks to better understand the sources of global learning gaps and to identify solutions to help close these gaps.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

CGD’s work in this area focuses on strengthening financial systems in development countries through innovation and regulation.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people

CGD’s work on gender focuses policies in aid, development finance, trade, migration and peacekeeping that will improve women’s economic empowerment worldwide.

Population(s) Served
Women and girls

With more countries rising out of poverty, global health progress faces new challenges. CGD work focuses on building sustainable health systems, efficient global health financing, improving global health security, addressing disease and treatment inequities, and designing fiscal policies for better health.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Development is about more than foreign aid. Policies and programs of major country governments across many areas wield enormous influence on global progress. CGD provides data, evidence, and solutions that can help guide US Development Policy, UK Development Policy, and European Development Policy. We also produce the Commitment to Development Index that annually ranks the richest countries in the world according to how well their policies help improve lives in the developing world.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Today's displacement crisis calls for more than closed-border policies or traditional short-term humanitarian aid: it requires far-sighted development solutions that create economic opportunities. CGD brings evidence to these contentious political issues and devises policy solutions so migrants, refugees, and their hosts can thrive together.

Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants

Where we work

Awards

Highly Transparent Think Tanks (five stars) 2014

Transparify

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of list subscribers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

CGD's newsletter subscribers encompass an audience comprised of staff and stakeholders at government institutions, international institutions, non-profits, and more.

Number of public events held to further mission

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of attendees present at rallies/events

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Attendees to CGD's virtual and in-person events.

Number of overall donors

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of convenings hosted by the organization

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Private events designed to convene critical stakeholders to engage on specific research and policy topics.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

CGD works to reduce global poverty and inequality through rigorous, independent research and engagement with the policy community. The policies and practices of the rich and the powerful—in rich nations, as well as in emerging powers, international institutions, and global corporations—have significant impacts on the world's poor people. CGD aims to improve these policies and practices through economic research and policy engagement to expand opportunities, reduce inequalities, and improve lives everywhere. In CGD’s nearly 20-year history, our work has led to a measurable impact on the actions of development policymakers—from our proposal to build a full-service development finance institution to changing the conversation on China’s development debt.

Since its founding in 2001, CGD's data-driven approach to new ideas has informed the practices and policies of a variety of development actors and institutions. The Center's reach stems from a unique formula of independent and empirical research, timely and tactical outreach to decision makers, practical experience within the policy world, and our staff's passion for our mission.

The Center's research investigates the most pivotal issues of development policy, including migration, aid effectiveness and innovation; climate change; global governance; technology, global health and education; private investment and access to finance; and trade. CGD organizes work that is related to proposals for specific, practical policy improvements into initiatives, such as Development Impact Bonds, Cash-on-Delivery Aid, Commitment to Development Index (CDI), Europe Beyond Aid, and Tropical Forests for Climate and Development. Much of the Center's work is conducted by working groups of experts across disciplines who come together to find solutions to difficult policy challenges. Recent working groups include Unintended Consequences of Rich Countries' Anti-Money Laundering Policies on Poor Countries, the High Level Panel on the Future of Multilateral Development Banking, Energy Access Targets, and Value for Money: An Agenda for Global Health Funding Agencies.

CGD continues to capitalize on its institutional strength and academic rigor—pillars that have allowed it to actively engage with policymakers and other leaders in the international development space. It works to ensure that CGD research products and policy recommendations help inform the views and actions of policymakers, advocates, and public-opinion leaders by providing timely policy analysis derived from independent, nonpartisan research.

CGD's senior researchers and other experts are intellectual leaders in the field of economic development policy, combining academic rigor and practical experience to reduce poverty and inequality. The Center's visiting and non-resident fellows contribute an added level of knowledge to CGD's work. Many are simultaneously employed at leading universities, institutions, and NGOs around the world.

CGD also provides promising young researchers from developing countries an opportunity to work for one year at the Center as part of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) fellowship. CGD's complete staff listing includes policy analysts, program managers, communications professionals, and research assistants. The Center's growing Alumni Association links former staff, visiting fellows, and other associates, offering periodic updates on their diverse contributions to shared global prosperity after they leave CGD.

CGD benefits from the support and guidance of an influential Board of Directors composed of prominent individuals from the public and private sectors with a passionate commitment to international development. Its Advisory Group of top-tier development economists, political scientists, and policymakers helps CGD maintain the high quality of its research and identify over-the-horizon issues for proactive detection. Additionally, CGD works with others through contractual and informal partnerships with a wide range of organizations who share complementary goals.

CGD's position as an “insider-outsider"—an organization that understands the pressures, constraints, and systems of government policymaking while maintaining external its independence and credibility—lends CGD a unique comparative advantage in its research and engagement with the policy community. Using this approach, CGD is well placed to gauge how to most effectively devote its resources at any given time depending on policy opportunities that arise. Overall, CGD devotes roughly 40 percent of its resources to longer term research and 60 percent to initiatives and immediate policy opportunities; this tilt toward work that is actionable in the nearer term reflects CGD's commitment to being a “think and do tank."

CGD has earned a reputation as a "think and do" tank, where independent research is channeled into practical policy proposals that help to shape decisions in rich-country capitals and international financial institutions. In over a decade, CGD has, with a unique combination of rigorous and data-driven analysis, strategic opportunism, and savvy outreach, moved a number of ideas to action. The Center has informed and shaped a number of policies of international financial institutions, the G-8 and G-20, and various governments.

Thanks to CGD's approach of melding empirical research with timely nonpartisan policy outreach, it has been able to develop pragmatic policy recommendations to tackle global challenges such as climate change, poor schooling, energy poverty, trade barriers, immigration restrictions, and money laundering and tax avoidance. CGD has put on the global agenda—and sometimes helped to drive to implementation—proposals to accelerate vaccine development; to permit migration as a tool in disaster recovery; to write down $18 billion in Nigerian debt; to make the World Bank more effective, accountable, and legitimate; and to create a new international institution for independent evaluation of poverty-reduction efforts.

Policy change takes time, however, and since its founding in 2001, CGD has persistently identified pragmatic steps that can facilitate the process of moving evidence-based research and policy recommendations into measurable impact. As the international development landscape has evolved over the past decade, so has CGD—its cadre of scholars, experts, and allies continually stay abreast of these changes and proactively develop frameworks for step-by-step policy solutions. By conducting independent economic research on development issues, CGD helps produce the building blocks and momentum necessary to make the policies and practices of rich institutions and governments better, safer, and more humane.

Financials

CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Board of directors
as of 10/17/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Lawrence H. Summers

Harvard University

Edward W Scott

Masood Ahmed

Amrita Ahuja

Caroline Atkinson

Afsaneh Beschloss

George Casey

Jr.

Mary Ann Etiebet

Debra Fine

Tony Fratto

David F. Gordon

Brad Horwitz

Stephen T. Isaacs

Donald Kaberuka

John Lipsky

David Marchick

Robert McCarthy

Luis Alberto Moreno

Bobby J. Pittman

Shubhi Rao

Smita Singh

Karen Spencer

Judy Woodruff

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/17/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

No data

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/16/2020

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.