Center for Global Development

The Center for Global Development (CGD) is an independent nonprofit think tank focused on international development, global poverty, and inequality. Based in Washington, D.C., with a European presence in London, it conducts research intended to influence policies adopted by the United States, other wealthy countries, international financial institutions, and governments in developing countries. The organization describes its approach as that of a “think and do” tank: it combines academic and economic analysis with practical policy recommendations, public events, briefings, data tools, and direct engagement with decision-makers. CGD was established in November 2001 by Edward W. Scott Jr., C. Fred Bergsten, and Nancy Birdsall. Birdsall, formerly a senior official at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, became its first president. The institution emerged during a period of growing attention to the effectiveness of foreign aid, debt relief, global health financing, and the relationship between rich-country policies and development outcomes. Its research has since covered aid effectiveness, education, health, migration, trade, investment, climate and tropical forests, debt, governance, financial crises, inequality, population, security, and international financial institutions. One of CGD’s best-known initiatives is the Commitment to Development Index, produced with Foreign Policy beginning in 2003. The index evaluates wealthy countries not only on the amount of aid they provide, but also on the quality of aid and their policies on trade, investment, migration, environment, security, and technology. The project reflects CGD’s broader argument that development outcomes are shaped by the full range of rich-country policies rather than by aid alone. Other influential initiatives have examined cash-on-delivery aid, development impact bonds, migration as a development instrument, debt relief, global health financing, drug resistance, resource revenues, and climate-related forest policy. CGD research has also been connected to major policy debates and programs. Its work helped advance the concept of advance market commitments, a financing mechanism designed to create incentives for vaccine development for diseases concentrated in poorer countries. The model was supported by the G7, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and several governments, contributing to a large vaccine financing commitment focused initially on pneumococcal disease. CGD researchers also contributed to debates around Nigerian and Liberian debt relief, aid coordination, migration policy, and the use of measurable outcomes in development assistance. The center publishes research papers, books, policy briefs, essays, blogs, datasets, and interactive tools, and holds a substantial program of public and private events. Its platforms have hosted senior government officials, economists, development practitioners, and representatives of international organizations. The Sabot Lecture series, named for development economist Richard “Dick” Sabot, is one of its recurring intellectual programs. CGD has also operated a European program since 2011 to engage policymakers, researchers, and institutions in Europe on development policy. CGD is funded by foundations, governments, individuals, and corporations. It has emphasized public disclosure of grants and donations above a stated threshold and has been recognized by transparency monitors for the openness of its funding information. The organization remains a research and policy institution rather than a commercial product brand. Its principal outputs are analysis, recommendations, convening, and policy tools intended to improve the design and accountability of international development policy.

The Center for Global Development was founded in Washington, D.C., in November 2001 by Edward W. Scott Jr., C. Fred Bergsten, and Nancy Birdsall. Birdsall became the first president after a career that included senior roles at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. The founders established CGD as a policy-oriented institution concerned with the effects of rich-country decisions on poverty and development in poorer countries. From its beginning, CGD emphasized research that could be translated into concrete policy. Its work addressed aid quality, debt relief, global health, trade, migration, investment, governance, and international finance. Rather than treating development assistance as the sole driver of development, the center examined how donor-country policies interact across multiple areas. This approach became especially visible through the Commitment to Development Index, launched in 2003 with Foreign Policy and designed to assess wealthy countries across aid, trade, investment, migration, environment, security, and technology. Debt relief became one of the center’s early areas of influence. CGD-linked analysis and policy engagement contributed to debates over Nigeria’s debt buy-back and Liberia’s debt relief and aid coordination. The organization also developed influential proposals for improving aid effectiveness. Nancy Birdsall promoted Cash on Delivery Aid, an approach that would link disbursements to independently verified results rather than simply reimbursing inputs or activities. The center’s work on advance market commitments similarly sought to use public and philanthropic finance to stimulate private investment in vaccines for diseases affecting lower-income countries. The approach received backing from the G7, the Gates Foundation, and participating governments. CGD expanded its research portfolio during the 2000s and 2010s. Its programs examined education, global health, drug resistance, capital flows, financial crises, climate change, tropical forests, food and agriculture, inequality, population, private investment, security, and the role of migration in development. Researchers argued that migration can produce large gains for workers and their families because wages for comparable tasks may differ sharply between lower- and higher-income countries. The center also studied how migration policy can support disaster recovery and economic opportunity. In 2008, CGD published an edited collection presenting development policy recommendations for the next U.S. presidential administration. The volume addressed global health, foreign assistance, migration, climate change, and foreign investment, reflecting the center’s effort to place development within broader foreign-policy debates. Between 2007 and 2012, it also operated the Carbon Monitoring for Action database, which compiled estimates of emissions from power plants and power companies worldwide. The organization created CGD in Europe in October 2011 to build sustained relationships with European policymakers and researchers and to adapt its evidence-led model to European development debates. European initiatives included work on development beyond aid, development impact bonds, and illicit financial flows. In 2013, CGD purchased a new Washington headquarters containing facilities for conferences, board meetings, policy discussions, and multimedia production. CGD has used public events as a major channel for research dissemination. Its programs have included discussions with senior U.S. and foreign officials, economists, and international development leaders. The annual Sabot Lecture honors development economist Richard Sabot and brings scholars and practitioners into discussion about development policy. The center has also faced public controversy in connection with a UK employment dispute involving former visiting fellow Maya Forstater. An initial 2019 employment tribunal decision held that her gender-critical views did not qualify as a protected philosophical belief. In 2021, the Employment Appeal Tribunal overturned that conclusion and recognized the belief as legally protected under the Equality Act. CGD publicly criticized the appellate result, while a group of staff members also issued a letter supporting the original finding’s concern about harm to transgender people. CGD receives support from foundations, governments, individuals, and corporations. It publishes information about grants and donations above a stated threshold and has received favorable assessments for funding transparency. The institution continues to operate as an independent nonprofit think tank whose principal activities are research, policy communication, convening, and engagement with governments and international organizations.

• 2021

  Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in Forstater case

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  A UK appellate tribunal reversed the initial employment ruling and recognized the relevant gender-critical belief as legally protected.

• 2014

  Lawrence Summers becomes board chair

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  Summers succeeded founding board chair Edward W. Scott Jr.

• 2013

  New Washington headquarters acquired

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  CGD purchased a headquarters designed to support conferences, policy meetings, and multimedia work.

• 2011

  CGD in Europe established

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  The center expanded its European policy engagement through a London-based program.

• 2008

  The White House and the World published

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  CGD released an edited policy volume outlining a global development agenda for a future U.S. administration.

• 2007

  Carbon Monitoring for Action begins

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  CGD launched CARMA, a database estimating carbon emissions from power plants and power companies.

• 2003

  Commitment to Development Index introduced

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  CGD and Foreign Policy began publishing an index comparing wealthy countries’ broad policy contributions to development.

• 2001

  Center for Global Development founded

  [1]Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org

  Edward W. Scott Jr., C. Fred Bergsten, and Nancy Birdsall established CGD in Washington, D.C.; Birdsall became its founding president.

Evidence-led international development think tank combining research, public policy advocacy, and practical implementation-oriented initiatives.

• Policy index · 2003

  Commitment to Development Index

  An annual comparative index developed with Foreign Policy that evaluates wealthy countries’ contributions to global development. It considers aid quantity and quality alongside trade, investment, migration, environmental policy, security, and technology. The index is intended to broaden assessment beyond traditional aid metrics and highlight how domestic and foreign policies affect people in developing countries.

• Aid-policy framework · 2010

  Cash on Delivery Aid

  A results-based aid model associated with Nancy Birdsall and CGD that proposes linking payments to independently verified development outcomes. The framework seeks to improve accountability and recipient-country ownership by rewarding achieved results rather than financing inputs alone.

• Global health financing mechanism

  Advance Market Commitments

  A mechanism designed to encourage vaccine manufacturers to develop products for diseases concentrated in poorer countries. Donor commitments create a future market and help reduce commercial uncertainty. The model received support from the G7, the Gates Foundation, and several countries, with an initial focus on pneumococcal vaccines.

• Climate data platform · 2007

  CARMA

  Carbon Monitoring for Action was a searchable database containing estimates of emissions from power plants and power companies around the world. CGD operated the initiative from 2007 until 2012.

• 2021

  Employment appeal overturns initial Forstater ruling

  The Employment Appeal Tribunal reversed the initial decision and held that the relevant belief was capable of protection under the Equality Act. CGD criticized the outcome, and staff members publicly defended the original tribunal’s concern about the impact of exclusionary language on transgender people.

  Source

• 2019

  Initial employment tribunal ruling in Forstater dispute

  A UK employment tribunal initially ruled in favor of CGD in a belief-discrimination claim brought by former visiting fellow Maya Forstater, finding that her gender-critical views did not qualify as a protected philosophical belief.

  Source

Read more

• 2010Cash on Delivery Aid

  Global

  CGD promoted payment models that tie aid disbursement to independently verified results.

  Outcome. The concept became part of wider debates about results-based aid and donor accountability.

  Source
• 2003Commitment to Development Index

  Global · High-income countries

  CGD partnered with Foreign Policy to promote a broader way of judging development contributions, incorporating aid, trade, migration, investment, environment, security, and technology.

  Outcome. The index became a recurring international reference for comparing rich-country development policies.

  Source

• 2013

  Acquire a dedicated headquartersOther

  Background

  The center needed facilities for research dissemination, conferences, governance meetings, and multimedia production.

  Action taken

  CGD purchased a new Washington headquarters with dedicated event and meeting spaces.

  Aftermath

  The premises supported the organization’s convening and public-engagement activities.

  Source

• 2011

  Expand into European policy engagementStrategy

  Background

  CGD sought a sustained presence in European development-policy discussions.

  Action taken

  It established CGD in Europe to work with European policymakers, researchers, and institutions.

  Aftermath

  The European program developed work on topics including Europe beyond aid, development impact bonds, and illicit financial flows.

  Source

• 2010

  Promote outcome-based aidStrategy

  Background

  CGD identified weak links between aid disbursement and measurable development results.

  Action taken

  Nancy Birdsall advanced the Cash on Delivery Aid framework, which conditions payment on verified outcomes.

  Aftermath

  The proposal contributed to international debate over results-based financing and aid effectiveness.

  Source

• 2003

  Adopt a broad policy measure of development commitmentStrategy

  Background

  CGD argued that rich-country development performance could not be assessed through aid volumes alone.

  Action taken

  It created the Commitment to Development Index with Foreign Policy, covering seven policy areas.

  Aftermath

  The index became a recurring tool for public comparison and policy discussion.

  Source

1. 1Center for Global Developmenten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Center for Global Development official websitecgdev.org