About Think Tanks: The Mission and Impact of the World's Leading Think Tanks

One of the recommendations that emerged from the G20 Foreign Policy Think Tank Summit in June of 2012 was a strong interest in developing an online platform that would enable the continual exchange of ideas and facilitate collaborative efforts among think tanks around the world. The underlying objective of this recommendation was to increase the profile and performance of think tanks by sharing the best practices for think tank research, management, resource mobilization and external relations of the leading think tanks in the world.

As the first step in a larger initiative to advance conversation between policy research, analysis and engagement institutions, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program is creating an online directory featuring the organizational profiles of the world’s top think tanks. The profiles will take the form of power point presentations that many organizations have developed for internal (new staff orientation) or external (fundraising and external relations) purposes.

It is our belief that bridges between policy research institutions and their analysts and scholars can be formed at many levels that often transcend academic disciplines and national and political boundaries. We are convinced that by presenting the diversity of programs and organizational models in a variety of local, national and global contexts we can facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among think tanks and policy oriented NGOs around the world.