Dear friends,
During my last year at CGD’s helm, many people have asked me about the approaches and assets that make CGD a leading policy incubator. First and foremost, we have a core of top-flight thinkers and doers with equal parts head and heart. Second, to maintain the camaraderie and interchange that fuel good ideas, and the flexibility to shape new issues not only react to them, we have stayed small. Finally, we work hard on communications and outreach, the “do” part of our think-and-do model.
But none of that would matter without the support of our incredible network of smart, savvy global citizens who recognize the need for practical policy solutions to the global challenge of reducing poverty, injustice and inequality across the developing world.
For one last time, I invite you to join me in moving CGD’s ideas to actions that improve the lives of the world’s poor and vulnerable. Join the CGD Society today with a gift of $150 or more and become part of our supporters dedicated to shared global prosperity.
Investing in policy change is not for the impatient. Your support of CGD will continue to reap returns far into the future. We know our approach works; over 15 years, we have had notable successes (go here for good examples).
Allow me to share one story that illustrates how your modest gift to CGD today can generate growing change over successive years. In 2012, a CGD working group on priority setting in global health, led by my colleague Amanda Glassman, set out to create a new hub to support governments in making more cost-effective decisions on health care spending in developing countries. Building on the approach at CGD, along with targeted outreach and technical support, the UK’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced in 2014 a new International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) that builds on the very priority-setting approach recommended by CGD. The result has been an iDSI network of evidence-based decision-making on how to spend scarce health budgets in middle-income countries like Indonesia, South Africa and Vietnam, particularly important as they transition from health aid. In 2016 we received another small grant to further collaborate and scale its work. A simple CGD idea has turned into a real-world result that will save lives and enhance people’s health through more efficient medical care spending.
By joining the CGD Society today, you will plant even more seeds for a better future, like the one above, that tackle global challenges at their source. You will gain premier access to our research, experts, and events, as well as a subscription to our weekly newsletters and blogs. Throughout the year, you can also take advantage of opportunities to exchange ideas with leading experts and policymakers in the development community from the World Bank’s Jim Yong Kim, former President of Malawi Joyce Banda, the UNDP’s Helen Clark, GiveDirectly’s co-founder and executive chairman Michael Faye, and others.
As CGD looks towards its next 15 years of impact, influence, and independent research, I thank you for supporting our tenacious push for feasible policy solutions that can make a real difference. Join us in shaping practical solutions to the world’s biggest challenges—join the CGD Society.
With gratitude,
Nancy Birdsall
President
Center for Global Development
P.S. Are you a current or former World Bank employee? If you contribute to CGD through the 2016 World Bank Community Connections Campaign, the World Bank will provide a matching gift to the Center. Please let us know if you would like a reminder to contribute during the next Community Connections Campaign cycle later this year.
Looking for other ways to support CGD? Share this letter with your friends and family, invite your company to join the Partners Council, or work with us to create a planned gift today. Find out if you qualify for a matching contribution through your Board membership, employer, or other affiliation. For more information, please contact Cordelia Kenney at development@cgdev.org or (202) 416-4014. Visit our Contribute page to learn more about other ways to support the Center.