Center for Global Development

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522351337
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2024164000
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$27,852,688
Expenses
$19,209,499
Assets
$78,134,298
Liabilities
$10,279,950

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

29 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RACHEL GLENNERSTER (PRESIDENT)
  • CLEMENCE LANDERS (VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR FELLOW)
  • MARKUS GOLDSTEIN (VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR FELLOW)

Highest reported compensation

  • RACHEL GLENNERSTER (PRESIDENT): $435,995 total reported compensation
  • CLEMENCE LANDERS (VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR FELLOW): $319,726 total reported compensation
  • MARKUS GOLDSTEIN (VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR FELLOW): $313,740 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives better policy and practice by the world's top decision makers. We focus on the intersection of developing countries and the governments, institutions and corporations that can help them deliver greater progress.

What it reported doing in 2025

Global health-as more countries rise out of poverty, cgd is focusing on the inequities and emerging problems that jeopardize global health progress: how should governments allocate scarce health budgets rationally? How can global health donors and other development partners advance global health security, pandemic preparedness, and health systems strengthening? What can be done to address health inequities in low- and middle-income countries? What are evidence-informed policies to address market failures that span from early-stage pharmaceutical research and development to supply chain efficiency and ensure health product markets work for the poor? Cgd research helps policymakers build sustainable health systems, respond to shifting realities, and deliver value for money.sustainable development finance-to meet the sustainable development goals the world must ramp up development financing from billions to trillions of dollars. This requires us to not only expand the existing pathways, but also unlock new resources, while respecting the dignity and independence of the world's most disadvantaged people. Cgd's sustainable development finance program works to advance these goals in pursuit of a resilient and sustainable future.education-cgd's education program focuses on broad welfare goals and seeks to understand the role education can play in addressing inequity. Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in increasing school access, education has not yet fulfilled its promise of being the great societal equalizer. Our research examines the mechanisms through which education can give children equal life opportunities and build the human capital that nations need to prosper.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 82% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.6%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $41.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.07; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.7%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.6% of revenue deployed · 83% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $436K · 29 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $726K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.