Following our recent update on the Dgroups Foundation’s Purpose, Mission, and Vision, this post looks more closely at how we put those commitments into practice.
The Dgroups Foundation supports more inclusive, effective, and sustainable collaboration in development, humanitarian, and social justice work.
We help partners establish and strengthen online communities, knowledge-sharing platforms, learning processes, and other collaborative spaces. We facilitate dialogue, support interaction and engagement, and help design tools and workflows that make collaboration easier and more meaningful – online and in person.
We also distill and openly share the insights and learning generated through our work – contributing to collective knowledge and helping people and organizations connect, learn, and act together.
The Foundation’s work is organized around three complementary “workstreams” that together shape how we engage with partners and communities. Each element of the portfolio focuses on a different but connected aspect of collaboration, from curating and sharing learning to nurturing partnerships to providing hands-on support for collaborative initiatives.
Workstream 1: Knowledge brokering
Through knowledge brokering, we curate learning and community insights that inform, inspire, and connect. We focus on what collaboration looks like in practice. By widely sharing this, we aim to help strengthen collective understanding of online collaboration across the development, humanitarian, and social justice fields.
Key activities include:
- Curating and sharing stories, case studies, and lessons from our work and beyond;
- Facilitating experience-sharing and learning processes that distill practical insights;
- Maintaining a searchable registry of online groups and communities to help people find relevant spaces;
- Tracking emerging trends, tools, and practices in online engagement and translating them into actionable guidance for partners.
Workstream 2: Partner engagement
Here the focus is on strengthening the relationships and shared learning that hold the Dgroups Partnership together. We create opportunities for peer exchange, reflection and learning so partners can learn from one another and find solutions to shared challenges. By connecting partners with trusted tools, platforms, and expertise, this workstream helps organizations work more effectively.
Key activities include:
- Facilitating interactions and knowledge sharing among our partners;
- Sharing selected insights with wider audiences and encouraging partners to contribute to public-facing dialogues;
- Providing access to trusted, low-cost collaboration tools such as Groups.io, Menti, and Zoom;
- Connecting partners with our Associates – experienced professionals in facilitation, KM, and online collaboration.
Workstream 3: Support to projects
Here, we directly accompany partners in designing, launching, and sustaining collaboration initiatives. This includes helping to create online communities, platforms, and events that connect people and ideas, as well as embedding learning and reflection into their workflows. The workstream combines technical know-how with facilitation, design, and capacity-building support – always focused on enabling partners to run effective and inclusive collaboration spaces of their own.
Key activities include:
- Setting up and facilitating online communities of practice, providing onboarding and coaching;
- Advising on strategy, platform choices, and engagement models for collaborative spaces;
- Offering implementation and technical support across systems such as Groups.io, WordPress, Google Workspace, ODK, and Nextcloud;
- Delivering tailored workshops and coaching to strengthen facilitation and community management skills;
- Designing and facilitating online, in-person, and blended dialogues and events;
- Co-developing learning-oriented MEL systems and dashboards that help partners reflect, adapt, and make informed decisions.
Together, these three workstreams bring to life the Foundation’s mission of helping people and organizations collaborate more effectively – not through one-size-fits-all solutions, but through relationships, learning, and practice. They represent how the Dgroups Foundation connects strategy and experience, people and platforms, ideas and action for a more inclusive and collaborative development ecosystem.