Top global development groups in Washington, DC: A primer

Want to see an updated list of top employers in D.C.? Click here to see who has merged, who is no longer around and the newest, emerging employers in the nation's capital as of 2016. In international development, it’s hard to bypass Washington. Because it is home to some of the world’s most generous bilateral and multilateral donors, dozens of implementing agencies have taken root in the U.S. capital and its surroundings as well. The city’s Dupont Circle area boasts what may be the highest concentration of nonprofits and think tanks anywhere, with groups such as the Center for Global Development, Brookings Institution, Aspen Institute, United Nations Foundation, Freedom House and, a few blocks north, the D.C. offices of FHI 360. Downtown, Pennsylvania Ave. connects the U.S. Congress with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the White House and nearby Millennium Challenge Corp. The Department of State is just a short cab ride away near the Potomac River and historic Georgetown, an affluent neighborhood with fancy shops and eateries that is a government favorite. In the triangle between U.S. Capitol, White House and Dupont Circle are two major multilaterals, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Many major implementing NGOs and consultancies, meanwhile, are based outside the District of Columbia’s borders in Virginia and Maryland, including Bethesda (DAI, Abt Associates), Arlington (AECOM, PA Consulting, Development & Training Services Inc., International Business Initiatives), Alexandria (Grant Thornton), Silver Spring (CHF International) and McLean (Booz Allen Hamilton). Catholic Relief Services is headquartered in Baltimore, a 45-minute train ride from D.C.’s Union Station. Here are some of the largest development-focused organizations in Washington, D.C., based on staff estimates: ACDI/VOCA Type: NGO Founded: 1963 President and CEO: Carl H. Leonard ACDI/VOCA aims to promote broad-based economic growth and help develop civil society in emerging economies and developing countries. It offers technical assistance in five areas: agribusiness, enterprise development, financial services, community development and food security. It has 103 active projects in 40 countries and employs more than 1,500 in the United States and overseas. ACDI/VOCA implements 300-400 technical consulting assignments each year. Chemonics Type: consultancy Founded: 1975 President and CEO: Richard Dreiman Chemonics designs and implements projects in agriculture, conflict and disaster management, democracy and governance, education, energy, environmental management, financial services, gender, health, and private sector development. This ISO 9001-certified company has experience working in 135 countries. It currently holds the most live USAID indefinite quantity contracts, with 14. Creative Associates International Type: consultancy Founded: 1977 President and CEO: M. Charito Kruvant Creative is the second-largest women-owned company working with the U.S. government. It has a regional office in Kenya and field offices in 15 other countries. Its president, M. Charito Kruvant, is the chairwoman of the Coalition of International Development Companies, which brings together 51 companies seeking to better highlight their role in U.S. international development initiatives and have a bigger voice in development-focused debates. Inter-American Development Bank Type: multilateral donor Founded: 1959 President: Luis Alberto Moreno IDB is a multilateral development bank serving Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides grants and technical assistance as well as performs research. The bank has 48 member shareholders, including 26 borrowing members from the region, which also have a majority ownership of the bank. It affirms a strong commitment to measurable results, increased integrity, transparency and accountability. International Resources Group Type: consultancy Founded: 1978 President: Asif M. Shaikh IRG has completed more than 850 contracts in 140 countries, working with governments, U.N. agencies, multilateral and bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations, and other companies. Its areas of specialization: economics, resources, relief and reconstruction, governance, and capacity development. It has ISO 14001 certification, a recognition of its effective environmental management system. Millennium Challenge Corp. Type: bilateral donor Founded: 2004 CEO: Daniel Yohannes MCC is an independent U.S. foreign aid agency that partners with developing countries that it regards to be committed to good governance, economic freedom and investments in their people. It awards large, five-year grants to countries that it has signed compacts with. It likewise extends smaller grants to countries that come close to meeting MCC compact eligibility criteria and strongly commit to improving their policy performance. Pact Type: NGO Founded: 1971 President and CEO: Mark Viso Pact offers training, technical assistance and mentoring to build stronger grassroots organizations. Over the past two years, it has implemented more than 100 projects in at least 60 countries, focusing on democracy and governance, HIV/AIDS, livelihood, natural resource management and peace building. Pact also performs grant management, and over the past 17 years, it has managed more than $350 million in subgrants from USAID and other donors. Grant awards may be as little as $1,000 to as high as $5 million. Population Services International Type: NGO Founded: 1970 President and CEO: Karl Hofmann PSI offers lifesaving products, clinical services and behavior change communications, with a focus on malaria, child survival, HIV and reproductive health. It has a presence in 67 countries and operates a European office in Amsterdam. In 2009, PSI, a Devex Top 40 Development Innovator, reported revenues of $524 million. U.S. Agency for International Development Type: bilateral donor Founded: 1961 Administrator: Rajiv Shah USAID, which celebrates its golden jubilee in 2011, is the world’s largest bilateral donor. It is an independent U.S. federal government agency receiving overall foreign policy guidance from the U.S. secretary of state. Its work focuses on the following areas: economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. World Bank Type: multilateral donor Founded: 1944 President: Jim Yong Kim The World Bank comprises the International Development Association and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and is part of the broader World Bank Group. It is the premier institution providing financial and technical assistance to developing countries. Its mission is “fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.” Other notable global development groups in the D.C. metro area include: Consultancies Abt Associates Advanced Engineering Associates International AECOM AMEX International Bankworld Booz Allen Hamilton BroadReach Carana Corp. Cardno Emerging Markets USA Casals & Associates Checchi and Company Consulting Inc. Crown Agents USA DAI Deloitte Development Finance International Development & Training Services Inc. DevTech Systems Dexis Consulting Group FHI 360 Fintrac Futures Group Grant Thornton Guizzetti & Associates IBI International ICF Macro International Business & Technical Consultants Inc. J.E. Austin Associates Kaizen Louis Berger Group LTL Strategies Management Systems International Nathan Associates PaL-Tech Panagora Group QED Sheladia Associates Inc. ShoreBank International Sibley International Social Impact Synergy International Systems Tetra Tech ARD The Manoff Group The Mitchell Group The Sandi Group Training Resources Group University Research Co. Weidemann Associates Membership groups and coalitions Devex Global Health Council Inside NGO InterAction International City/County Management Association Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network Society for International Development-Washington U.S. Global Leadership Coalition NGOs Accordia Global Health Foundation ActionAid USA Adventist Development & Relief Agency International Africare American Institutes for Research American International Health Alliance American Red Cross AMIDEAST Ashoka Asia Foundation Atlas Corps Bread for the World Catholic Relief Services CDC Development Solutions Center for Development and Population Activities CHF International CNFA Conservation International Counterpart International Congressional Hunger Center East-West Management Institute EcoVentures International Education Development Center Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation FINCA International Freedom House GlobalGiving Humanity First USA InterMedia International Executive Service Corps International Foundation for Electoral Systems International Research & Exchanges Board International Relief and Development JHPIEGO Lutheran World Relief Making Cents International Merlin USA National Democratic Institute Pan American Development Foundation TechnoServe United Nations Foundation Vital Voices Global Partnership Women for Women International World Relief Think tanks ACCION International’s Center for Financial Inclusion Aspen Institute Brookings Institution Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Cato Institute Center for Economic and Policy Research Center for Global Development Center for Strategic and International Studies CGAP Development Group for Alternative Policies Henry L. Stimson Center Heritage Foundation International Center for Research on Women International Food Policy Research Institute National Endowment for Democracy United States Institute of Peace Urban Institute Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Volunteer-sending organizations Encore Service Corps International Health Volunteers Overseas Peace Corps Eliza Villarino contributed to this report. Did we forget any major aid organization based in the D.C. metro area? Please let us know by placing your comments below. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.