<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="pdc-development-roadmap" data-block-type="core">PDC Development Roadmap</h2>
<p data-block-type="core">All development around the <a href="https://philanthropydatacommons.org/framework/" type="page" id="1521">PDC Framework</a> and <a href="https://philanthropydatacommons.org/explore-projects/exchange/" type="page" id="1581">PDC Exchange </a>group software development asks around features and improvements through development sprints. For 2026, we have aligned both development efforts around key themes. Below is a list of the key themes around the development efforts along with proposed sprint topics/areas of expected focus. Depending on user input and requests, the topic areas may shift, sprints may shift and priority may adjust, but this is our planned approach for 2026.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-timeline stk-block-timeline stk-block-timeline--right stk-block stk-979f09a" data-block-id="979f09a"><div class="stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-979f09a-column"><div class="stk-block-timeline__date">2026: Q1</div><div class="stk-block-timeline__middle"></div><div class="stk-block-timeline__content">
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-c4c834f" id="title-1-placeholder" data-block-id="c4c834f"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text">Focus: Planned Infrastructure Improvements, Data and User Onboarding</h3></div>
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-273b57c stk-block-background" data-block-id="273b57c"><p class="stk-block-text__text has-text-color has-text-align-center"><strong><span style="color: var(--stk-global-color-78290, #1f2723);" class="stk-highlight">Framework</span></strong></p></div>
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-c664207" data-block-id="c664207"><p class="stk-block-text__text has-text-color has-text-align-center"><strong><span style="color: var(--stk-global-color-78290, #1f2723);" class="stk-highlight">Core Data Types </span></strong></p></div>
<ul class="wp-block-list" data-block-type="core">
<li data-block-type="core">Data Provider Source</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Data Provider Changemaker Data </li>
</ul>
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<ul class="wp-block-list" data-block-type="core">
<li data-block-type="core">New Permissions Model</li>
<li data-block-type="core">File Support</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Application Form Format Hinting</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Documentation</li>
</ul>
</div></div></div>
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<ul class="wp-block-list" data-block-type="core">
<li data-block-type="core">Bulk Upload Application and File Improvements</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Error Message Improvements</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Documentation</li>
</ul>
</div></div></div>
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<ul class="wp-block-list" data-block-type="core">
<li data-block-type="core">Updated Instances Structure</li>
<li data-block-type="core">Identity Provider Documentation
<ul class="wp-block-list" data-block-type="core">
<li data-block-type="core">Okta </li>
<li data-block-type="core">Google</li>
<li data-block-type="core">MS Entra</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div></div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-block-type="core"></p>
<p data-block-type="core"></p>
<p data-block-type="core"></p>
<p data-block-type="core"><strong>Exchange: </strong>Improved API-backed architecture, Enhanced support for file types, Data rendering improvements, Profile enhancements, Handling of data from different sources, User onboarding improvements, Changemaker Direct improvements</p>
</div></div></div>
</div></div></div>
<div class="wp-block-stackable-timeline stk-block-timeline stk-block-timeline--right stk-block stk-7e833df" data-block-id="7e833df"><div class="stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-7e833df-column"><div class="stk-block-timeline__date">2026: Q2</div><div class="stk-block-timeline__middle"></div><div class="stk-block-timeline__content">
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-92948f7" id="title-2-placeholder" data-block-id="92948f7"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text">Focus: User Experience Improvements</h3></div>
<div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-9d3e859" data-block-id="9d3e859"><p class="stk-block-text__text"><strong>Framework:</strong> User front-end for permission management, more self-service onboard tools, Dual-Role Organization handling, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued. </p></div>
<p data-block-type="core"><strong>Exchange:</strong> Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs. </p>
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-timeline stk-block-timeline stk-block-timeline--right stk-block stk-ab1a04b" data-block-id="ab1a04b"><div class="stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-ab1a04b-column"><div class="stk-block-timeline__date">2026: Q3</div><div class="stk-block-timeline__middle"></div><div class="stk-block-timeline__content">
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-db19153" id="title-3-placeholder" data-block-id="db19153"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text">Focus: User Experience Improvements, AI Functionality </h3></div>
<div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-a902537" data-block-id="a902537"><p class="stk-block-text__text"><strong>Framework:</strong> User front-end for permission management improvements, more self-service onboard tools, Dual-Role Organization handling, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued. </p></div>
<p data-block-type="core"><strong>Exchange:</strong> Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs. <br><br><em><strong>AI-Related Areas: </strong></em>Advanced search (e.g., semantic/hybrid via embeddings), Recommendations (e.g., LLM suggestions via RAG, graph queries, traditional recommender systems), Data quality (e.g., consistency checks, deduping, entity resolution), Chat-based user workflows (e.g., researcher interface via RAG), Generative (e.g., proposal filling/drafting), Data-driven insights for evaluating long-term funding impact</p>
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<div class="wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-1d29178" id="title-4-placeholder" data-block-id="1d29178"><h3 class="stk-block-heading__text">Focus: AI Functionality</h3></div>
<div class="wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-1e75401" data-block-id="1e75401"><p class="stk-block-text__text"><strong>Framework:</strong> User front-end for permission management improvements, more self-service onboard tools, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued, Model Context Protocol (“MCP”) Integration, LLM-assisted field mapping.</p></div>
<p data-block-type="core"><strong>Exchange:</strong> Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs. <br><br><em><strong>AI-Related Areas: </strong></em>Advanced search (e.g., semantic/hybrid via embeddings), Recommendations (e.g., LLM suggestions via RAG, graph queries, traditional recommender systems), Data quality (e.g., consistency checks, deduping, entity resolution), Chat-based user workflows (e.g., researcher interface via RAG), Generative (e.g., proposal filling/drafting), Data-driven insights for evaluating long-term funding impact</p>
</div></div></div>
</div></div></div>
</div></div></div>
</div></div>
PDC Development Roadmap
All development around the PDC Framework and PDC Exchange group software development asks around features and improvements through development sprints. For 2026, we have aligned both development efforts around key themes. Below is a list of the key themes around the development efforts along with proposed sprint topics/areas of expected focus. Depending on user input and requests, the topic areas may shift, sprints may shift and priority may adjust, but this is our planned approach for 2026.
2026: Q1
Focus: Planned Infrastructure Improvements, Data and User Onboarding
- Data Provider Source
- Data Provider Changemaker Data
- New Permissions Model
- File Support
- Application Form Format Hinting
- Documentation
- Bulk Upload Application and File Improvements
- Error Message Improvements
- Documentation
- Updated Instances Structure
- Identity Provider Documentation
Exchange: Improved API-backed architecture, Enhanced support for file types, Data rendering improvements, Profile enhancements, Handling of data from different sources, User onboarding improvements, Changemaker Direct improvements
2026: Q2
Focus: User Experience Improvements
Framework: User front-end for permission management, more self-service onboard tools, Dual-Role Organization handling, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued.
Exchange: Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs.
2026: Q3
Focus: User Experience Improvements, AI Functionality
Framework: User front-end for permission management improvements, more self-service onboard tools, Dual-Role Organization handling, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued.
Exchange: Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs.
AI-Related Areas: Advanced search (e.g., semantic/hybrid via embeddings), Recommendations (e.g., LLM suggestions via RAG, graph queries, traditional recommender systems), Data quality (e.g., consistency checks, deduping, entity resolution), Chat-based user workflows (e.g., researcher interface via RAG), Generative (e.g., proposal filling/drafting), Data-driven insights for evaluating long-term funding impact
2026: Q4
Focus: AI Functionality
Framework: User front-end for permission management improvements, more self-service onboard tools, Bi-directional data platform provider(s) provisioning continued, Organization authorization onboarding with IdPs continued, Bi-Directional grant management system(s) provisioning continued, Model Context Protocol (“MCP”) Integration, LLM-assisted field mapping.
Exchange: Funder profile development, Changemaker Direct improvements, Data soure references, Profile enhancements (section naming, user preferences, etc.) Support for larger, more complex organizations, Proposal Management, PDC Data Category integration to rendering, Enhanced notifications and collaboration needs.
AI-Related Areas: Advanced search (e.g., semantic/hybrid via embeddings), Recommendations (e.g., LLM suggestions via RAG, graph queries, traditional recommender systems), Data quality (e.g., consistency checks, deduping, entity resolution), Chat-based user workflows (e.g., researcher interface via RAG), Generative (e.g., proposal filling/drafting), Data-driven insights for evaluating long-term funding impact