Foundation Center and Development Gateway Announce Strategic Partnership

PRESS RELEASE

New York, NY – April 23, 2012.  The Foundation Center and Development Gateway have announced a breakthrough partnership that will link their expertise in global philanthropy and global development to produce a clearer picture of international aid flows. Data from both organizations will power online platforms that will make collaboration between foundations, foreign aid agencies, and nonprofits more efficient and effective.

The Foundation Center, based in New York City, maintains the most comprehensive body of current information on the activities of organized philanthropy. Its Foundation Center 2020 plan recognizes that changes in the information industry present opportunities for providing ever wider access to the data it collects, ultimately empowering donors to make more informed decisions. The new partnership with Development Gateway is in alignment with the Center’s stated priority to build the global data platform for philanthropy.

Development Gateway, an independent nonprofit based in Washington, DC, uses technology to deliver information to people on the front lines of international development work. Its partnership with the Foundation Center will fill gaps in knowledge for those working on solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

“The Foundation Center has been a leading light for private philanthropy, providing the data and analysis needed to help organizations achieve greater impact. We see this partnership as a natural fit,” said Jean-Louis Sarbib, CEO of Development Gateway. “Better information is the first step to understanding what works, what doesn’t work, and how to make a difference in improving lives.”

Better information about what the various actors—governments, philanthropists, and organizations on the ground—are doing can lead to better coordination of efforts, reduction of overlap, and identification of gaps in underserved areas, thereby ensuring that scarce resources for international development are used as effectively as possible.

“Our role in collecting, classifying, and curating data on philanthropic activity around the globe provides a solid foundation on which donors, governments, and NGOs can base their strategic decisions,” said Jeffrey Falkenstein, vice president for data acquisition and architecture at the Foundation Center. “Through this partnership with Development Gateway, the access and impact will be multiplied through the fusion of two distinct but complementary streams of data.”

A key point of collaboration will be AidData, a joint initiative of Development Gateway, the College of William and Mary, and Brigham Young University. AidData maintains an open database of information on foreign aid activities at AidData.org. The new partnership with the Foundation Center will expand the database with complementary knowledge on private philanthropy, creating a more comprehensive picture of resources for development. The data will be visualized on dashboards so that users can explore and analyze private flows alongside official development assistance. Other outcomes of the partnership will include the integration of Development Gateway’s data on official aid into existing Foundation Center resources, such as WASHfunders.org, a tool that facilitates collaboration among donors for safe water issues worldwide.

About the Foundation Center

Established in 1956, the Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit the Center’s web site each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and its network of more than 450 funding information centers located in public libraries, community foundations, and educational institutions nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call (212) 620-4230.

About Development Gateway

Development Gateway increases the impact of international development activities through innovative, sustainable information management solutions and services.  A nonprofit organization with activities around the world, Development Gateway works to empower people to accelerate change and transform their societies. Together with its partners the College of William and Mary and Brigham Young University, Development Gateway manages AidData, an initiative to make information on international development activities more transparent and accessible. For more information, please visit developmentgateway.org or AidData.org.

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