PDC Architecture

Overview of the PDC Architecture Framework

The Philanthropy Data Commons (PDC) is built on a flexible, interoperable, and vendor-agnostic technical architecture designed to make philanthropic data easier to share, access, and govern with consent. 

graph TD
    subgraph External Data
        External_Apis[Third Party / GMS APIs]
        External_Data[(Third Party / GMS Data Dumps)]
    end
    subgraph Clients
        Scrapers[[API Scrapers]]
        ETLs[[Data File ETL]]
        UX{{Philanthropy Data Commons Front End}}
        Integrations[[Integrated Third Parties]]
    end
    subgraph PDC Service
        API[Philanthropy Data Commons API]
        Database[(Data Store)]
        Filestore[(File Store)]
    end

    API<--->Database
    API<--->Filestore
    Scrapers--->API
    ETLs--->API
    UX<--->API
    Integrations<--->API
    External_Apis--->Scrapers
    External_Data--->ETLs

At the center of this design is the PDC’s API—the shared layer that connects systems, platforms, and applications across the ecosystem.

All data ingestion, validation, sharing, and user interactions flow through this API, ensuring consistency, privacy protections, and alignment with the PDC’s core principles.

API

Core Components of the PDC Framework

The API is the central integration point powering the entire PDC framework. Everything—data ingestion, user interfaces, external services, and future applications—connects through this API layer.

flowchart LR
    subgraph service
        api[Node.js]
        database[PostgreSQL]
    end
	subgraph authentication
		auth[Keycloak]
	end
    subgraph frontend
        client[React]
    end
    client -- HTTP GET --> api
    api -- SQL Query --> database
    database -. Result Set .-> api
    api -. JSON .-> client
    client -- Auth Req --> auth
    auth -. Auth grant .-> client

The PDC Framework functions include:

  • Authenticating users and systems
  • Receiving and validating incoming data across the API
  • Storing data into the various data structures
  • Permissions and access controls
  • Powering PDC-connected applications like Exchange

This is the foundation of philanthropy data architecture for the PDC.

PDC-Connected Projects & Integrations

Projects and PDC-Connected Applications connect to the PDC Framework and data via the API, enabling a wide variety of transfer through other pathways.

Grant Management Platforms

Grant management systems used for funder programmatic work can send data and receive consented data to and from the PDC to be incorporated into their operations.

Data Platform Providers

Existing data platform providers can leverage the PDC Framework API to access consented data to publish and inform data around their sector platforms and services.

Web Applications

Front-end applications (like PDC Exchange) provide direct value to funders and changemakers while relying entirely on backend API logic. 

Why This Architecture Matters

A strong, shared infrastructure ensures:

  • Interoperability: Data connects across systems regardless of platform
  • Data re-use: Changemakers can leverage data they have submitted to other systems
  • Data Categorization: Data, regardless of source or destination, brought into categories for the collective benefit
  • Neutrality: The PDC is not a vendor; it is a shared public good that can bridge other systems
  • Extensibility: New applications and connections can be built on the same infrastructure and data

This is the PDC framework in action: a sustainable, sector-wide approach to a consented and connected data infrastructure.

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