What Center for Global Development does

The Center for Global Development (CGD) is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) think tank founded in November 2001 by Edward Scott Jr., C. Fred Bergsten, and Nancy Birdsall, headquartered in Washington, DC with a European affiliate (CGD Europe) in London registered as a UK company limited by guarantee and charity. Its mission is to reduce global poverty and inequality by producing innovative economic research and evidence-based policy recommendations targeted at senior decision-makers in governments and multilateral institutions. Core outputs include a structured publication portfolio (Briefs, CGD Notes, Policy Papers, Reports, Working Papers, and Testimonies), the Commitment to Development Index (CDI) — a benchmarking tool that ranks 38+ countries across eight policy areas (development finance, investment, migration, trade, environment, security, health, technology) — a podcast, and signature event formats (CGD Talks, seminars). Under Rachel Glennerster (President), the organization operates thematic programs in AI for Global Development, Climate and Energy, Development Effectiveness, Education and Child Well-Being, Gender Equality and Inclusion, Global Health, Market Shaping (via the Market Shaping Accelerator with University of Chicago and Dartmouth), Migration and Displacement, and Sustainable Development Finance, plus regional initiatives for Africa, Asia, Latin America, European Development Policy, UK Development Policy, and US Development Policy.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: there are no products or services sold, and outputs are provided free of charge to maximize policy uptake. Revenue streams identified include foundation grants (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ford Foundation, Wellcome Trust), government funding (UK FCDO, Sida, Norad, Australian DFAT, KOICA, the EU), corporate partnerships (Lakeshore, Bridgewater Associates), and individual donations via one-time, recurring, stock, donor-advised fund, and planned giving mechanisms. CGD states it does not accept funding that would impose limits or restrictions on its research independence. Following the October 2025 integration of Project Resource Optimization (PRO), CGD now also operates or co-supports an operational aid project delivery function that had previously secured over $110 million in funding for 79 projects across 30+ countries benefiting roughly 40 million people. Reported scale signals include approximately 80+ staff across both offices, and a recorded 1,751+ historical events.

Distribution is channel-diversified: research is published directly on cgdev.org and disseminated via an active media relations function (cited coverage in Financial Times, Associated Press, The Conversation, Devex), the CGD Podcast, email newsletter subscriptions, social channels on Bluesky, Twitter/X, and Threads, and high-touch events featuring multilateral and government stakeholders. The organization maintains the highest possible transparency ratings from Guidestar and Charity Navigator.

Name

Center for Global Development

Legal name

Center for Global Development

Website

https://cgdev.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonpartisan think tank founded in 2001 that produces economic research and policy recommendations to reduce global poverty, serving policymakers in governments and multilateral institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

Keywords

• Economic policy research
• Global development think tank
• Development finance analysis
• Poverty reduction research
• Policy benchmarking tools

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: CGD receives significant funding from major foundations including Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ford Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and others. These grants support research programs across various development topics.
2. Government Funding: CGD receives funding from government development agencies including UK FCDO, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Australian DFAT, Korean KOICA, and EU.
3. Individual Donations: CGD accepts individual donations through various mechanisms including one-time or recurring contributions, stock gifts, donor-advised funds, and planned giving/bequests.
4. Corporate Partnerships: CGD receives funding from corporations including Lakeshore Foundation, Bridgewater Associates, and others who value independent development research.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Center for Global Development is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that produces rigorous economic research, policy analysis, and benchmarking tools to reduce global poverty and inequality. Its core offerings include the Commitment to Development Index (CDI) benchmarking tool, policy research publications (Briefs, CGD Notes, Policy Papers, Reports, Working Papers), expert commentary and blog content, podcasts, and convening events aimed at influencing global development policy and practice by governments, multilateral institutions, and philanthropies.

Product overview

The Center for Global Development operates as an independent research institution focused on reducing global poverty through economic research and policy analysis. Rather than offering a unified software product, CGD's portfolio consists of research products including publications (Briefs, Notes, Policy Papers, Reports, Working Papers), the Commitment to Development Index (CDI) benchmarking tool, a podcast series, and the Market Shaping Accelerator initiative that advances pull financing mechanisms for global development challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA): A collaboration between the University of Chicago, CGD, and Dartmouth that designs and advances pull incentives like advance market commitments and prizes to encourage firms to develop solutions where innovation is urgently needed but commercial profits fall short.

Products and services

• Commitment to Development Index (CDI) A benchmarking tool that ranks the world's most powerful countries on policies that affect global prosperity, examining 8 key policy areas including development finance, investment, migration, trade, environment, security, health, and technology across 38+ countries.
• Research Publications (Briefs, CGD Notes, Policy Papers, Reports, Working Papers) Peer-quality research publications covering global development topics including economic policy, global health, education, climate, gender equality, migration, and development finance. Publications are freely available to policymakers, researchers, and the public.
• Market Shaping Accelerator A collaboration between the University of Chicago, CGD, and Dartmouth that designs and advances pull incentives including advance market commitments and prizes that encourage firms to develop solutions where innovation is urgently needed but commercial profits fall short.
• CGD Podcast A podcast series featuring discussions with experts on global development topics including economics, policy, health, education, and international affairs.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Lion's Head Global PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026CGD partnered with Lion's Head Global Partners to publish a study examining EU budget support allocation, finding that creditworthy countries receive nearly double the grant support of non-creditworthy countries.
• Columbia SIPA - Institute of Global PoliticsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026CGD collaborated with Columbia SIPA's Institute of Global Politics on a report about ending child marriage, estimating that inaction costs up to $175 billion annually and providing strategies for reducing child marriage rates globally.
• Project Resource Optimization (Pro)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Initiative launched by fired USAID workers to rescue vital aid projects, now part of CGD. Has secured over $110 million in new funding for 79 projects across more than 30 countries, benefiting around 40 million people.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGD is the institutional home of the Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA), a collaboration between University of Chicago, CGD, and Dartmouth. MSA designs and advances pull incentives like advance market commitments and prizes that encourage firms to develop solutions where innovation is urgently needed but commercial profits fall short.
• Dartmouth CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA) collaboration, working with University of Chicago and CGD to design pull mechanisms for global development innovations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Much larger policy research organization covering international economics, development, and security. Overlaps CGD on rigorous economic research and policy advising, but at significantly larger scale and scope.
• Global Development Network (GDN): International organization supporting development research across the Global South. Overlaps CGD in development policy research production and capacity-building, though at a more decentralized scale.

Direct peers

• Brookings Institution: Washington, DC-based nonpartisan policy research organization with comparable scale and influence across economics, foreign policy, and development. Direct peer in mission and operating model.
• Chatham House: London-based international affairs think tank with independent research, convening power, and global policymaker reach. Overlaps CGD's European policy and convening function.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): CGIAR-affiliated research institute producing evidence-based policy research on development and global food systems. Direct peer in development-policy research methodology and donor model.
• Results for Development (R4D): Washington-based nonprofit working on health, education, and development effectiveness with policymakers and donors. Overlaps CGD in development effectiveness and global health advisory work.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: DC-based, globally networked foreign policy think tank with independent scholars working on economics, governance, and development. Comparable model of policy research with global offices.
• Peterson Institute for International Economics: DC-based think tank on international economics; CGD's co-founder C. Fred Bergsten was its founding director and CGD was initially housed within it. Highly comparable in mission and method.
• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): UK-based global affairs think tank working on international development, with parallel focus on evidence-based policy advice to governments and multilaterals. Closest UK analogue to CGD's Europe program.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing data-driven analysis on environment, climate, and sustainable development—directly relevant to CGD's Sustainable Development Finance and Climate programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cgdev
• Facebookfacebook.com/CGDev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-global-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Global Development