Community Impact Development Group

The CIDG is a global initiative developed by Ashoka and the Siemens Stiftung to support leading social entrepreneurs working on impacting local communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America with the help of a technological product or service.

Working under the motto “Technology for Human Needs,” CIDG is a network that unites people who want to benefit their communities. The selected social entrepreneurs use simple technologies to develop products and services to improve living conditions in their home countries. The network offers them the opportunity to share their experiences and apply the knowledge they acquire to further develop their own enterprises.

Impressions from the CIDG Scaling Social Impact Conference 2012 in Frankfurt

Download the latest CIDG conference brochure here >>>

Vision & Mission

The aim of the CIDG program is to accelerate the growth of social solutions by creating a financial ecosystem focused on maximizing social impact. We jointly work towards this goal on three levels:

  • Business Plan Refinement: Elaboration and refinement of participants’ social business plans, establishing clear paths towards the financial sustainability of their social venture.
  • Knowledge Exchange: Facilitation of knowledge exchange among participants and development of methodologies on how to impact local communitie.
  • Finding Partners and Investors: Mobilization of external resources to enable social ventures’ impact growth through introducing potential replicators, investors and partners to participating social entrepreneurs.

CIDG Fellows

Over the past three decades, Ashoka has developed its Fellowship to include over 2,500 individuals in more than 70 countries – the world’s pre-eminent network of social entrepreneurs. The CIDG identified 18 Fellows within this network working on impacting local communities with the help of a technological product or service in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America with the greatest potential for catalyzing global systems change. The four sectors in which those Fellows are active are: agriculture, economic development, energy, sanitation and waste management.

see list of CIDG Fellows >>>

The CIDG Conferences: A unique platform for taking community impact to the next level

An annual conference gives CIDG-members the opportunity to meet personally and share their ideas and experiences. Members give updates and discuss the progress of their projects and work on common concepts. So far, three conferences have taken place.

If you are interested in learning more about the CIDG, please contact Michael Vollmann (mvollmann@ashoka.org or +49(0)30-60988-86100).

Our Partner in CIDG

The Siemens Stiftung, a nonprofit foundation under German civil law, was founded in 2008 by Siemens AG. The foundation works with projects to strengthen civil society particularly in Africa, Latin America and Europe. Its aim is to make a long-term contribution to reducing poverty and improving education. The foundation operates in three areas: It supports enlarging basic services and improving social structures; initiates educational projects; and contributes to strengthening cultural identity. The over-arching principle for the foundation's work is to help people help themselves. The Siemens Stiftung works in close cooperation with local and international partners as well as in alliance with the other Siemens foundations established by Siemens in Argentina, Brazil, France, Colombia and the United States.

More information on the partnership with KfW Entwicklungsbank >>>