Center for Global Development

Mission and Values

We work to reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives better policy and practice by the world's top decision makers. We strive for excellence and intellectual rigor and believe global prosperity starts with smart policy based on evidence. Our work is nonpartisan and our recommendations are not influenced by our funders. We are willing to challenge powerful institutions and the status quo for better development practices.

We are committed to transparency, diversity, and professional and personal integrity. We recognize the inherent dignity of all persons and pledge ourselves to creating and maintaining an environment that recognizes and respects diverse groups of individuals and their experiences. We value mutual respect, a collegial work place, and a healthy sense of humor. Explore our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Work

CGD is currently focused on the following areas critical to development progress:

Global Health Policy

Migration, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy

Sustainable Development Finance

Education

Governments and Development

CGD’s Impact and Influence

Impact can take many forms—from shaping the academic consensus to turning proposals into policy. Sometimes, realizing the full potential of a good idea means letting it flower elsewhere and we take pride in our role as an incubator of initiatives—like the Energy for Growth Hub and Labor Mobility Partnerships—that first take root in CGD. CGD has helped to change global policies and practices, and has made a real difference in the lives of people in the developing world. Learn more about our impact here, and read our latest Impact Report here.

Our Leadership

Get to know our President Masood Ahmed, our Chief Operating Officer Mark Plant, and our larger management team. You can find our staff directory here.

Our Board

CGD’s Board, led by former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, includes influential leaders from the worlds of development, policy, finance, and academia.

Our Funding

We are funded by a diverse group of foundations, corporations, governments and individuals who care about development and value rigorous and independent research. CGD is committed to transparency and accountability, publishes all funding sources on our website, and does not accept funding that seeks to impose limits or restrictions on our independence.

We are grateful to our funders for their appreciation and support for our funding guidelines and transparency policies. CGD does not accept funding that seeks to impose limits or restrictions on our independence in research, findings, conclusions or resulting publications.