What Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (The Collaborative) does

The Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (The Collaborative, CBGL) is a private, member-driven network of educational institutions and community organizations that advances community-based global learning and research. Founded around 2003 and organized as a diffuse network with operational hosting from Child Family Health International (CFHI), CBGL is staffed by approximately 5 employees with Managing Director Mike Bishop based at Haverford College; it does not disclose formal incorporation, headquarters, revenue, or financial statements.

CBGL's core offerings fall into four product lines. (1) The Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions Toolkit is an open-access, web-based teaching and learning resource covering modules on interdependence, intercultural praxis, Fair Trade Learning, participatory methods, cultural humility, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and place-based inquiry; it was launched in May 2020, is continuously co-created, and has received an Innovative Tech Award. (2) The Global Engagement Survey (GES) is a multi-institutional quantitative and qualitative assessment tool, grounded in AAC&U's high-impact practice framework and deemed IRB-exempt by Worcester Polytechnic Institute on August 29, 2025. (3) Fair Trade Learning (FTL) is an ethical-partnership framework comprising 13 principles, a rubric, and evaluation queries that prioritize reciprocity, economic equity, and transparency in community-campus partnerships. (4) Action Teams, Communities of Practice (GES CoP and FTL CoP), and periodic Institutes, Summits, and webinars provide ongoing participatory structures that mobilize knowledge across members.

The business model is a dues-paying membership organization on an annual billing cadence, with pricing not publicly disclosed; prospective members contact the Managing Director. Membership is offered to both individuals and institutions. The Interdependence Toolkit is open-access and free, operating as a top-of-funnel community asset. CBGL pursues a community-led go-to-market motion: prospects are recruited via newsletter, LinkedIn, webinars, and pledges; prospective members meet with the Managing Director, complete a one-hour orientation, and may self-nominate to Action Teams during April and November windows. Customer segments are primarily educational institutions (universities and colleges) and community organizations, with a secondary segment of individual scholar-practitioners who join Action Teams, CoPs, and events.

Name

Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (The Collaborative)

Legal name

Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative

Website

https://cbglcollab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Collaborative is a private, dues-paying member network of educational institutions and community organizations that develops open-access curriculum and assessment tools, including the Interdependence Toolkit, the Global Engagement Survey, and the Fair Trade Learning framework, to advance ethical community-based global learning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Based Global Learning Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Feedback, Discussion Forums & Social Learning Communities (EDAFAGAH), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC), Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC)

Keywords

• Community-based learning
• Global engagement assessment
• Ethical partnership frameworks
• Open-access curriculum
• Educator network membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia area (inferred from Haverford College affiliation)

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

Revenue model

1. Dues-Paying Membership: The Collaborative operates as a membership organization. Individual and institutional members pay dues to join and participate. Membership provides access to the Global Engagement Survey, communities of practice, action teams, webinars, and other collaborative resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Collaborative is a member-driven network that sells annual dues-based membership to educational institutions and community organizations. Members gain access to the Global Engagement Survey assessment tool, the Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions open-access curriculum toolkit, the Fair Trade Learning ethical partnership framework, Action Teams, Communities of Practice, and annual Institutes and Summits. The Toolkit itself is open-access and freely distributed to any educator worldwide.

Product overview

The Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative operates as a network offering multiple interconnected products and programs focused on advancing community-based global learning and research. The core offerings include the Global Engagement Survey (GES), an assessment tool for measuring student global learning outcomes; the Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions Toolkit, an open-access online educational resource with multiple thematic modules; and the Fair Trade Learning (FTL) framework, which provides standards and a rubric for ethical community-campus partnerships. Additional offerings include Action Teams for collaborative work, Communities of Practice for knowledge sharing, and periodic events including institutes, remote meetings, and summits. These products work together to support educational institutions and community organizations in building more just, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Engagement Survey (GES)

Quantifiable outcome

• Global Engagement Survey IRB exempt status approved by Worcester Polytechnic Institute IRB on August 29, 2025

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Haverford College Center for Peace and Global CitizenshipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Eric Hartman served as editor and co-editor of the Toolkit from 2020-2025 in his role as Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship at Haverford College. Managing Director Mike Bishop is based at Haverford College. Haverford is a founding institutional partner of the Collaborative.
• Dickinson CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Samantha Brandauer, Associate Provost and Executive Director of Dickinson College's Center for Global Study and Engagement, serves as current editor and maintainer of the Toolkit. Dickinson College is a founding institutional partner that contributed staff and faculty to co-create the Toolkit.
• Swarthmore College (Lang Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Swarthmore College, through its Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, contributed faculty and co-creation work to the Toolkit. Jennifer Magee from Swarthmore is listed among original page co-creators. The Bi-Co and Tri-Co collaborations connect CBGL with Swarthmore's civic engagement programs.
• AmizadecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Amizade, a global education and community engagement organization, contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Bibi Al-Ibrahim from Amizade is listed among spring 2020 original page co-creators.
• Northwestern University (Buffett Institute)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Northwestern University's Buffett Institute for Global Affairs contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• University of Notre Dame (Center for Social Concerns)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The University of Notre Dame's Center for Social Concerns contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Cornell University (Engaged Cornell)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cornell University's Engaged Cornell initiative contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Richard Kiely from Cornell is among spring 2020 original page co-creators.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020WPI conducted the IRB review for the Global Engagement Survey (deemed exempt on August 29, 2025). WPI is represented among founding institutional partners.
• Quinnipiac UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Quinnipiac University contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Sewanee: The University of the SouthsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sewanee contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Westmont CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Westmont College contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Cynthia Toms from Westmont is listed among spring 2020 original page co-creators.
• Lehigh University (Center for Community Engagement)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Lehigh University's Center for Community Engagement contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Towson UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Towson University contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Clemson UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Clemson University contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• University of DaytonsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The University of Dayton contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• University of North Carolina at GreensborosupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020UNC Greensboro's Institute to Dismantle Racism and Privilege (IDAR) contributed through the SDG Academy (representing Luskin/UCLA). Listed among founding institutional partners.
• East Carolina UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020East Carolina University contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Wingate UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Wingate University contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Interactivity FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The Interactivity Foundation contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• SDG AcademysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The SDG Academy, through the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation and provides linked educational resources on the SDGs.
• World Council for Curriculum and InstructionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) contributed to the original Toolkit co-creation. Represented among founding institutional partners in 2020.
• Child Family Health International (CFHI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Collaborative operates as a diffuse network 'with a home with' Child Family Health International (CFHI). CFHI and CBGL share personnel (e.g., Eric Hartman, Jessica Evert) and have collaborated on research, including a multi-year Fair Trade Learning review. CFHI is a longtime Collaborative partner committed to FTL principles.
• WamatasupportingOthersWamata is an organization in northwestern Tanzania dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS. Students have partnered with Wamata through CBGL programs, featured in photography on the Collaborative's homepage.
• Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHENND connects higher education institutions in Philadelphia committed to community engagement. CBGL works with PHENND on place-based Philly region content in the Toolkit, aligning with the activist rallying cry 'Nothing about us without us.'

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a longstanding international education and intercultural learning organization operating globally. Both organizations promote intercultural understanding and global citizenship through educational programming, though AFS operates at significantly larger scale with direct student programming.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a major study abroad and intercultural exchange organization serving U.S. institutions. Both organizations work on ethical study abroad practice and global learning outcomes, but CIEE operates with vastly larger resources, direct program delivery, and institutional partnerships.
• Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): AAC&U is a leading higher education association whose high-impact practice framework is explicitly referenced as the foundation for CBGL's Global Engagement Survey. Both organizations work with similar institutions on global learning, civic engagement, and assessment, but AAC&U operates at a much larger scale with broader programming.
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: NAFSA is the largest professional association for international educators, serving institutions engaged in study abroad and global learning. Both organizations serve universities navigating ethical partnerships and global learning outcomes, but NAFSA has vastly greater scale, government affairs capacity, and conference infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Forum on Education Abroad: The Forum is the national standards-setting organization for education abroad, focused on ethical practice and quality assurance in study abroad and global learning programs. Both organizations develop ethical frameworks for community-campus partnerships and convene institutional members around best practices in global engagement.
• GlobalSL (International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement): GlobalSL advances service-learning research and practice internationally, similar to CBGL's focus on community-based global learning. Both organizations connect scholar-practitioners working on ethical, reciprocal community engagement across borders and share overlapping membership in academic institutions.
• Amizade: Amizade is a global education and community engagement organization listed as a CBGL founding partner and Toolkit co-creator. Both organizations pursue ethical, reciprocal community-based global learning and share practitioner networks.

Regional players

• PHENND (Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development): PHENND is a regional consortium of Philadelphia-area higher education institutions committed to community engagement, collaborating with CBGL on place-based content. Both organizations connect universities with community-based learning, but PHENND focuses specifically on the Philadelphia region.

Emerging players

• Child Family Health International (CFHI): CFHI is a longtime CBGL partner that provides CBGL with its organizational 'home' and shares personnel. Both organizations are deeply involved in ethical global health and community-engaged learning, with overlapping networks and joint Fair Trade Learning research.
• Interactivity Foundation: The Interactivity Foundation is a founding institutional partner of CBGL that contributed to the original Interdependence Toolkit co-creation. Both organizations work on civic discourse, deliberation, and democratic engagement in educational contexts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cbglc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbgl-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (The Collaborative)