Open Gov Hub · Hub Happenings
2024 Annual Newsletter
Celebrating a year of growth, collaboration, and innovation.
The past year has been one of growth, collaboration, and innovation. We've welcomed new members, hosted impactful events, and strengthened our commitment to fostering transparency, accountability, and civic engagement. In this edition, you'll find highlights from our 2024 activities, profiles of some of our newest members, and stories of the incredible work being done by organizations and individuals within the Open Gov Hub.
Highlights
12th Anniversary
On Friday, October 18th, 2024, the Open Gov Hub celebrated its 12th Anniversary. Our usual lightning talks became an open, collaborative discussion about our sectors, funding challenges, and business realities. While we acknowledged the closure of a couple of Hub Member organizations, the conversation sparked fresh ideas on how to build resilience together. Thank you for celebrating with us — this milestone wouldn't have been possible without you.
Helping our members & partners
Our primary objective has consistently been to unite organizations and facilitate collaboration for greater impact. Some examples from this past year:
- Accountability Lab and CIPE, among others, hosted a Technology HackCorruption event in Tirana, Albania, September 19–22.
- Development Gateway collaborated with Open Government Partnership on climate information for the OGP Regional Summit.
- TAI Collaborative, BudgIT, and International Budget Partnership encouraged organizations to come together, discuss their initiatives, and explore ways to innovate.
- Open Gov Hub partnered with ESRI to provide hosted training for the ArcGIS platform, complimentary for Hub members.
Our events impact
- Accent Bias Discussion: Hub Member Goodie Okechukwu, founder of Accent Bias, hosted an event on accent-inclusive policies and procedures in professional and educational spaces.
- Save the Children: Through a fellowship with the Open Gov Hub via the CEE Program, Rodah Tiir of Save the Children South Sudan gave direct field and operations feedback to Program Managers at HQ in Washington, DC.
- Strategic Planning: Our friends from Jam Strategies hosted a complimentary strategic planning session for Member organizations.
- Scaling Up Development Impact: Imago Global Grassroots published and hosted a highly successful book launch of Scaling Up Development Impact.
- Open Data Leaders Meetup: Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) hosted a post-pandemic Meetup with over 40 attendees.
- Dwali Delight Happy Hour: Athena Infonomics hosted a Happy Hour bringing community members together to celebrate the festival of lights.
- Rapid Response: Galvanizing the Private Sector: The Ignite Talks highlighted the private sector's role in responding to crises and building resilience.
- Leadership Coaching: Meghan Slipka shared practical strategies for building stronger leadership teams.
- Smartphone Video Making Workshop: John Healy of The Artful Citizen led smartphone media training on the power of storytelling for nonprofits.
Hub event highlights
Our partners can also use our event spaces. For information on hosting your next report launch, event, team meeting, or conference, visit our Event Info Page.
Exclusive member events
New members
Over the past year, we were thrilled to welcome many new member organizations to our community.
- Athena Infonomics — a global impact solutions group combining social science research methods and ICT tools to empower communities with data.
- TechChange — digital learning solutions for global challenges in international development, public health, and humanitarian aid.
- Analemma Group — working toward a sustainable future for the next generations.
- Center for Civil Society and Democracy — advancing democracy, human rights, and social justice.
- Cloneshouse — sustainable, eco-friendly solutions in fashion and design.
- Diversity Travel — accessible and sustainable travel management, founded in 2002.
- Sambodhi — global advisory and research organization promoting evidence-based solutions.
- GOPA Consulting Group — professional consulting services across a range of industries.
- The Tom Johnson Foundation — charitable initiatives promoting education, health, and social well-being.
Member achievements
Open Gov Hub members shared a wealth of valuable information in 2024, including report findings, awards, and new strategies.
Accountability Lab
BudgIT
Climate Justice Alliance
CIPE
AI Now Institute
Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong
FACT Coalition
Emerging Public Leaders
Data Foundation
The Equity Fund
Open Government Partnership
OpenSecrets
Open Contracting Partnership
Global Financial Integrity
PEN America
POGO
Oxford Policy Management
Transparency International
TAI Collaborative
Youth Cafe
Zinc Network
Development Gateway
One of the founders of the Open Gov Hub, Development Gateway has spent 20 years building systems, dashboards, and tools to create more effective, open, and engaging institutions.
Our members
The Open Gov Hub houses over 90 Member organizations. A few of them:
- Collaborating for Resilience — addresses resource competition and strengthens governance and resilience in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and coastal areas.
- Economic Security Project — turns bold ideas into reality to improve the lives of all Americans.
- Collective Mind — solving complex problems through collective action.
- Adapt LLC — contributing to the movement to reform international development.
- Center for Progressive Reform — research and advocacy on societal challenges.
- BRAC International — empowering people and communities facing poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice.
- International Republican Institute (IRI) — promotes freedom and democracy worldwide.
- Wikimedia Foundation — hosts Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects.
- Protect Accent — empowers every voice regardless of accent through education and evidence-based inclusive policies.
- Fund for Investigative Journalism — supports independent investigative reporting.
- Equal Measures 2030 — a collaboration of feminist networks, civil society, international development, and the private sector.
- Accountability Lab Mexico — inspiring a national movement to celebrate and connect honest public servants.
Global affiliate hubs
- EL SPACE — the first social innovation hub in Tunisia.
- iCampus Liberia — a shared innovation, co-working, and community space focused on technology, entrepreneurship, and inclusion.
- Open Gov Hub Albania — promoting an open society through cross-sector collaboration on good and open governance.
- Civichive — founded in 2017 as BudgIT's innovation centre, a hub for partnerships and civic tech leaders in Nigeria.
- Citizens' Common — a citizen action organisation empowering everyday citizens through community, collaboration, innovation, and technology.
Collaborations
Internship partners
The Open Gov Hub collaborates with internship partners throughout the year, offering opportunities to young people who aspire to create positive change and advocate for good governance.
If your nonprofit can offer internships at no cost to you, we encourage you to connect with these organizations.
Operations partners
- Washington Plaza Hotel — centrally located in Washington, DC.
- Diversity Travel — travel solutions with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility.
- Ocean Solutions — the Hub's IT service provider, with tailored tech solutions for nonprofits.
Looking ahead to 2025
This year we reached over 90 active member organizations — our largest network yet — and our goal for 2025 is the 100-member mark. The theme that emerged from our 12th Anniversary celebration will guide us into 2025: building and enforcing legacies while fostering collaboration for greater funding opportunities.
2025 themes for programs & events: Cementing legacy · Bold partnerships
Thank you to our members, partners, interns, volunteers, and staff, and a special thank you to the Open Gov Hub's parent organization, Development Gateway. Here's to an inspiring 2025!
— Tony Rodriguez, Director, Open Gov Hub