Foundation active · Section 42 registration · Islamabad

The Democracy and Governance Foundation

Islamabad · Pakistan Section 42, Companies Act Public launch · 2026
DemTech Commons · Civic technology toolkit

Ten tools. Built once. Available to all.

The Foundation builds civic technology for its own work, then offers the same tools — configured for your organisation, hosted on your domain — at a fraction of what commercial development costs. No rebuilding from scratch. No vendor lock-in. No per-seat pricing.

Free for eligible CSOs Custom builds available Urdu supported Data stays yours
Apply for access
01

Built for DGF first

Every tool runs the Foundation's own operations before being offered to partners — so you get tested, production-grade software, not prototypes.

02

Shared infrastructure

Core engineering cost is absorbed once, across all partners. What costs a commercial firm hundreds of thousands to build costs partners near nothing to access.

03

Custom on request

Need something beyond the standard tool? The Foundation builds custom extensions, integrations and entirely new tools at cost-recovery rates for vetted partners.

What we offer.

Each tool is configurable, brandable, Urdu-capable and hosted on your own domain. Free tier for eligible CSOs; paid custom builds for more complex requirements.

Tool 02 · Knowledge

Publications and Research Repository

A searchable library of reports, briefs, working papers and datasets — with filters, PDF preview, open download and citation export. Replaces scattered Google Drive folders and static PDF links. Any research-producing organisation needs this.

Tool 03 · Data

Public Data Dashboard

A configurable dashboard for publishing data publicly — indicators, trend charts, tables, filters, downloadable datasets. DGF's Economic Survey Dashboard and Parliamentary Tracker are both instances of this tool. Any CSO with data to communicate can have a version.

Tool 04 · Field

Survey and Data Collection Platform

A hosted, Urdu-capable survey tool for field teams — offline mobile forms, enumerator management, automatic data aggregation and visualisation. Replaces KoboToolbox or Google Forms for organisations that need data sovereignty and custom branding.

Tool 05 · Management

Programme and Project Tracker

Log activities, track milestones, record beneficiary numbers and generate donor reports — all in one place. Replaces the Excel sheets that programme managers live in. Configurable for any M&E framework. Donor report templates built in.

Tool 06 · Finance

Grants and Funding Tracker

Track donor grants — funding received, expenditure by budget line, reporting deadlines, compliance documents. Sends automated deadline reminders. Generates one-click donor reports. Most CSOs manage this in spreadsheets and miss deadlines. This fixes that.

Tool 07 · Engagement

Events and Training Management

Registration, attendance, certificates and follow-up for workshops, training sessions and public events — with Urdu support. Organisations running capacity-building programmes spend enormous time on this manually. A simple hosted system solves it cleanly.

Tool 08 · Relationships

Stakeholder and Contact CRM

Manage relationships with journalists, donors, government contacts, partners and community leaders. Log interactions, set follow-up reminders, segment contacts for communications. Much simpler than Salesforce, designed for organisations with 5–30 staff.

Tool 09 · Accountability

Complaints and Feedback Intake

A configurable public-facing intake system — citizens or beneficiaries submit complaints, feedback or requests, which route to the right staff member, get tracked through resolution and generate aggregate reports. Any service-delivery or accountability organisation needs this.

Tool 10 · Communications

Newsletter and Communications Manager

A self-hosted alternative to Mailchimp — manage subscriber lists, send newsletters, track open rates, segment by interest. Your subscribers stay on your server. No per-email pricing. DGF already runs this infrastructure; a partner instance takes hours to configure.

Built once. Shared at cost.

DGF absorbs the engineering cost on behalf of the sector. Partners access the tools at near-zero cost. Custom work is priced at cost-recovery, not commercial rates.

Tier 01
Free
For eligible registered CSOs

DemTech Commons Access

Shared infrastructure access for vetted civic-society organisations. Standard configuration, DGF-hosted, Urdu supported.

  • Access to standard toolkit tools
  • Hosted on DGF infrastructure
  • Your branding, your domain
  • Onboarding and training included
  • English and Urdu interface
  • Business-hours support
Apply for access →
Tier 03
Donor-funded
For large-scale deployments

Sector-wide Programmes

For donors wishing to fund DemTech access for multiple CSOs, or sector-wide deployments of a civic tool across a network of partner organisations.

  • Multi-organisation deployment
  • Centralised admin and reporting
  • Capacity building programme
  • M&E framework for the deployment
  • Published impact documentation
  • Co-branding with donor
Talk to us →

From application to live in weeks.

01

Apply

Submit the DemTech Toolkit application. Tell us about your organisation, the tools you need and how you plan to use them. Approval normally takes 2–4 weeks.

02

Configure

Our team configures the selected tools for your organisation — your branding, your domain, your content structure. No technical expertise needed on your side.

03

Train

One day of onboarding for your team — in person or online, in English or Urdu. We train whoever will manage the tools day-to-day.

04

Go live

Your tools are live. Ongoing support during business hours. Annual check-in to discuss additional needs or custom work.

Ready to apply? It takes ten minutes.

The DemTech Toolkit application covers your organisation's registration, the tools you need, and your intended use. Approval takes 2–4 weeks. Onboarding starts the week after.

Apply for toolkit access Ask a question first