What Center for Open Data Enterprise does

The Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in January 2015 by Joel Gurin, whose mission is to harness the power of open and shared data for the public good. CODE operates as a convening, research, and resource-development organization that brings together data providers (primarily U.S. federal agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and selected private-sector partners) with data users (nonprofits, academic researchers, and businesses) to identify high-value datasets, surface gaps, and translate findings into actionable programs and partnerships. Its work is organized around four public-goal pillars: achieving equity, climate action, improving health, and democratizing data.

CODE's service portfolio centers on three operational pillars — Open Data Roundtables, Research and Publications, and Resource and Data Hubs — underpinned by a methodology the organization labels CAKE (Collaboration, Action, Knowledge, Education). Specific built artifacts include the Open Data Impact Map (cataloging 1,600+ organizations using open data), the Open SDG Platform (an open-source SDG reporting system used by a dozen-plus governments), the Open Data for Business (OD4B) assessment tool co-developed with the World Bank, the Climate Data for Adaptation and Resilience Typology (Climate DART), the Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit for federal agencies, and domain-specific hubs covering climate risk, social determinants of health, racial equity in policing, and flood information products. Outputs are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA license.

The business model is that of a project-funded nonprofit. CODE does not sell software or charge for access to its roundtables, publications, or tools. Revenue is drawn from philanthropic foundation grants (Hewlett Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, Kapor Foundation, Omidyar Network, International Development Research Centre, and others), project-based federal contracts and grants (HHS, DOT, Treasury/OMB, NOAA, FEMA, Commerce), corporate and industry partnerships (ZeOmega, AWS/Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, IBM Center for the Business of Government), and individual donations via PayPal. All services and resources are provided free of charge to participants and the public, consistent with its 501(c)(3) public-benefit purpose.

Name

Center for Open Data Enterprise

Legal name

The Center for Open Data Enterprise

Website

https://opendataenterprise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2015, that convenes U.S. federal agencies, international organizations, nonprofits, researchers, and businesses to apply open data for public good across equity, climate, health, and data democratization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Research and Policy Advisory

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Methodology Development & Standard-Setting Support (Protocols, Tools, Updates) (EUABACAN)

Keywords

• Open data policy
• Nonprofit data research
• Open government data
• Data governance consulting
• Stakeholder convening services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Philanthropic Funding: CODE receives funding from philanthropic foundations and donors to support its mission of harnessing open and shared data for public good. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Government Contracts and Grants: CODE works with federal agencies across multiple administrations and receives project-based funding and contracts for conducting roundtables, research, and developing resources for government data initiatives.
3. Corporate and Industry Partnerships: CODE partners with corporate and industry partners who provide funding and support for specific projects related to open data applications in health, climate, equity, and other focus areas.
4. Donations: CODE accepts donations through PayPal to support its ongoing operations and mission-driven work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CODE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes Open Data Roundtables, conducts research, and develops resource hubs to improve how government, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations use open and shared data for public good. Its work spans four focus areas (equity, climate action, health, and democratizing data) and includes standalone tools such as the Open SDG Platform, the Open Data Impact Map, the Climate DART typology, and the Open Data for Business (OD4B) assessment tool, all provided free of charge to participants and the public.

Product overview

The Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) is a nonprofit organization that operates as a convening, research, and resource development organization rather than a traditional software product company. CODE's offerings include Open Data Roundtables (high-impact convenings bringing together data providers and users), Research and Publications (reports, whitepapers, and policy notes), and Resource and Data Hubs (searchable platforms for climate, health, and equity data). CODE has also developed specific tools including the Open SDG Platform for UN Sustainable Development Goals reporting, the Open Data for Business (OD4B) Tool for assessing private sector data use, the Climate DART for climate adaptation planning, and the Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit for federal agencies. The organization does not sell software products but provides research, convening services, and informational resources focused on applying open data for public good in equity, climate, health, and democratizing data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Data Roundtables Interactive convenings in the U.S. and internationally that bring together data providers and data users from government, nonprofits, academia, and the private sector to identify high-value datasets, find solutions to data problems, and establish new collaborations. Each roundtable includes a briefing paper, public webinar, summary report, and resource and data hub.
• Research and Publications Research output providing insights, best practices, and recommendations on investing in, sharing, and utilizing data for public good, delivered through reports, white papers, and policy notes published under Creative Commons CC BY-SA licensing.
• Open Data Impact Map Global online database providing searchable information on over 1,600 organizations using open data worldwide, including nonprofits and businesses that use government open data across different fields.
• Open Data for Business (OD4B) Tool Assessment tool developed with the World Bank that helps governments assess and enable private sector use of government data from the demand-side perspective, combining roundtable and interview methodology.
• Open SDG Platform Open-source reporting platform developed for managing and publishing data and statistics related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, used by national and subnational governments worldwide for SDG reporting.
• Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit Resource for individuals at federal agencies interested in meaningfully engaging stakeholders in policy and program decisions, informed by evidence on public engagement, expert convenings, and semi-structured interviews with federal officials.
• Climate Data for Adaptation and Resilience Typology (Climate DART) Tool that identifies and prioritizes focus areas, drivers, and relevant factors that contribute to climate risk or can support adaptation and resilience, facilitating the use of global and local data for climate action worldwide.
• Resource and Data Hubs Searchable, sortable online platforms presenting high-value data resources, reports, organizations, datasets, and data portals through curated tables on climate risk, social determinants of health, racial equity in policing, and flood information products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Led to creation of new government open data programs and helped improve national data sources, digital tools, and platforms on critical issues.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and supporting.

• World Resources Institute (WRI)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015CODE and WRI co-authored a guide to using climate data for national and local governments, released by the Open Data Charter in 2017 and tested in six Latin American countries.
• White House Office of Science and Technology PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CODE partnered with the White House OSTP on multiple initiatives including the Open Data Roundtable series addressing wicked problems in data management and publication, as well as the SDG National Reporting Initiative launched in 2017.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CODE and the World Bank developed the Open Data for Business (OD4B) assessment tool and collaborated on sustainable development initiatives. The World Bank provided initial funding for the Open Data Impact Map.
• Federal Agencies (U.S.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE has worked with a dozen Federal agencies across three administrations including HHS, DOT, Treasury, OMB, NOAA, FEMA, and others on roundtables, research, and resources for open data applications.
• Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE collaborated with PARIS21 (hosted within OECD Statistics and Data Directorate) on a paper titled 'Envisioning a Climate Change Data Ecosystem' published in 2022, laying groundwork for PARIS21's multi-country program on climate data ecosystems supported by the Hewlett Foundation.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE co-hosted year-long programs with HHS including Sharing and Utilizing Data to Enhance and Protect Health and Well-Being (2019), Lyme Innovation Roundtable (2018), and work on vector-borne diseases with CDC. Contributed to LymeX Innovation Accelerator ($25M public-private partnership).
• Ocean ConservancykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE and Ocean Conservancy co-published a paper on Challenges and Opportunities for Ocean Data in 2021, based on a roundtable with NOAA, Amazon, Esri, and Microsoft. Paper informed Ocean Conservancy's recommendations to Congress.
• Amazon Web Services / Amazon Sustainability Data InitiativekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon supported CODE's work on climate risk data through the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative and participated in roundtables on ocean data and climate risk assessment.
• Climate Change AIkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE partnered with Climate Change AI in 2024 to produce a landscape analysis of climate-related 'grand challenges' for the Bezos Earth Fund, shaping the Fund's $100 Million AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge.
• ZeOmegakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE worked with ZeOmega (population health management company) from 2019-2020 to explore integrating public SDOH data into algorithms to predict health outcomes. Continued partnership in 2024 on Roundtable on Health Related Social Needs.
• IBM Center for the Business of GovernmentkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE collaborated with IBM Center on reports for using data to advance racial equity in healthcare, fair housing, and workforce opportunity. Also published 'Agile Problem Solving in Government' (2019) and 'Aligning Open Data, Open Source, and Hybrid Cloud' (2021).
• Measures for JusticekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE and Measures for Justice co-hosted a public Webinar and Roundtable on Improving Data for Racial Equity in Policing in January 2022, resulting in a summary report with recommendations.
• Data FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE published the Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit for Evidence Building with the Data Foundation in May 2023, designed for Federal agencies interested in stakeholder engagement.
• Open Data WatchkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Data Watch (led by Board member Shaida Badiee) focuses on monitoring and promoting open data in national statistical offices and collaborates on international data initiatives.
• Open Data CharterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODE partnered with the International Open Data Charter at COP21 and collaborated on the Open Up Climate Data guide published in 2017.
• Atlas Service CorpssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit serving as an international network of social sector leaders that provides fellowship placements, including Data Project Management fellowship for Muneeb Malik at CODE.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunlight Foundation: Nonprofit advocating for open government and transparency. Matt Rumsey (CODE Director of Research) previously worked at Sunlight on the DATA Act; both organizations advocate for open federal data policy.
• Code for America: Nonprofit that improves government services through technology and open data practices. Similar nonprofit model engaging federal/state agencies and producing open-source tools for public benefit.
• The GovLab (NYU): NYU-affiliated action-research lab improving how governments work through new technology and open data. Joel Gurin conceptualized and led GovLab's Open Data 500 project, indicating close methodological and personnel overlap.
• Open Data Institute (ODI): UK-based nonprofit fostering an open data culture and building a trusted data ecosystem. Comparable mission, methodology-driven approach, and similar focus on convening governments and businesses around open data adoption.
• Open Data Watch: Nonprofit that monitors and promotes open data in national statistical systems. Listed partner and CODE board affiliate, focused on the same open data ecosystem with overlapping government and donor relationships.
• Open Knowledge Foundation: Global nonprofit promoting open knowledge and open data. Operates similar tools and indices (e.g., Global Open Data Index) and works with governments and NGOs internationally on open data adoption.
• Open Data Charter: International nonprofit of governments and NGOs working to adopt open data principles. Listed CODE partner; co-developed the Open Up Climate Data guide, evidencing closely aligned climate and open data missions.
• Data Foundation: Nonprofit that works with federal agencies to evaluate and improve evidence-based policymaking using data. CODE co-published the Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit with the Data Foundation, evidencing near-identical federal evidence-building focus.

Emerging players

• Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation: Georgetown University-affiliated center convening governments, technologists, and nonprofits around data-driven social impact. Uses a comparable convening-and-research model for government data modernization in equity and adjacent areas.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research nonprofit with a much broader portfolio. CODE co-authored a climate data guide with WRI and partners on ocean and climate data initiatives; substantially larger but overlapping on environmental data ecosystem work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opendataenterprise

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Open Data Enterprise