About DGF

The Development Gateway Foundation (DGF) is an international nonprofit organization with the mission to reduce poverty and enable change in developing nations through information technology.

At DGF, we see a world in which the digital revolution serves people everywhere – creating greater opportunity through increased access to critical information; greater reliance on local capabilities; and more effective, better coordinated international aid.


Web-Based Platforms for Effective Aid and Development

To meet our mission, DGF provides Web-based platforms that make aid and development efforts more effective around the world.

We focus our resources in three areas where even small investments in information and communications technology (ICT) can make a major difference:

• Effective government – enabling better aid management and coordination, and more efficient and transparent government procurement.

• Knowledge sharing and collaboration – leveraging the Internet for online communications among development practitioners worldwide.

• Local partner programs in nearly 50 countries – connecting developing country organizations into our mission and helping empower them to use ICT to scale up local development efforts.

Partnerships

The success of DGF's work depends on close working relationships with developing country partners – governments, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector – as well as with international development institutions, donor agencies, individual development specialists and other organizations committed to reducing poverty through sustainable development worldwide.


Heritage

The DGF concept and several of its programs originated within the World Bank. The programs were then merged into an independent foundation, supported by government donors as well as private sector pioneers who recognized the high potential of ICT to increase the impact of scarce development resources. Today, DGF is supported by a growing number of donors.


Values

DGF's work is guided by five core values:

Collaboration: No single organization, set of ideas, or set resources can make a significant impact on reducing poverty in the developing world. Collaboration, respect, and coordination of resources will achieve the greatest results. This starts with the leadership and participation of developing countries themselves.

Innovative Thinking: The pursuit of DGF’s mission requires breaking out of conventional ways of thinking about development. We value creativity and problem-solving among our staff and partners in working together to effect change.

Action: DGF's role is to develop real-world solutions to real challenges faced by the development community. These solutions benefit the public, private and civil society sectors. We believe in the principles behind the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness, and believe that ICT can play an important role in achieving its goals.

Commitment to Cause: DGF’s international staff is deeply committed to empowering people in developing nations to find new solutions to old problems. We believe that DGF can make a significant contribution to development, poverty reduction and improved quality of life for people worldwide.

Good Governance: DGF is committed to transparency and good governance in its own work and relationships with donors, partners and the public. We promote these values within the development community, and believe that they are fundamental ingredients for successful development in any nation.