Our History

In 2002, Global Development Group (GDG) SCIO was founded by Geoff Armstrong who after many years of being involved in development work saw the need for an organisation to connect the giving community in Australia to quality aid and development projects around the world.

My parents worked to relieve poverty primarily within Australian Indigenous communities and in PNG. My childhood instilled a strong heart for helping communities living in poverty across the developing world.

Before we established GDG SCIO we worked in China, Kazakhstan and Thailand, but came to see that in order to be successful we needed to have an official structure. Our motivation to start GDG SCIO was the first hand poverty and distress we had witnessed in the developing world.

- Geoff Armstrong, Executive Director

After forming in 2002, GDG’s first 3 years of operation were run from the home office and garage of Geoff and his wife Betty, with a small team of three.
By 2004, GDG SCIO had joined ACFID, achieved registration with DFAT and the ATO and was approved by the Foreign Minister and Treasury.

In 2007, GDG SCIO's income had grown to $9 million annually. This resulted in a need to increase staff and office space so GDG SCIO moved to its current location in Rochedale South, Brisbane. In the same year Global Development Group USA was established and more recently Global Development Group New Zealand in 2018, and Global Development Group SCIO (UK) in 2022.

Today, GDG SCIO has today grown to be the 2nd largest Australian founded International NGO. Since 2002, GDG SCIO has contributed over $400 million to overseas aid & development projects, impacting in excess of 10 million beneficiaries, through 1,100 projects across 50 countries.