In 2023, the resident-led Ward 8 Community Economic Development Initiative released a report highlighting residents’ priorities – from affordable housing to youth civic engagement. The DC Digital Collective is about getting from priority into reality, by holding our leaders accountable.

District government makes top-down decisions that don’t consider the needs or interests of underserved communities or even involve the residents of underserved communities in the decision-making process. And because industry, institutions, and philanthropy rarely engage effectively with residents of DC’s underserved communities, their investments fail to reflect community needs.

The W8CED process recognized that residents themselves must drive change. DC Digital Collective (DCDC) is the platform for that change.

Through DCDC, residents of underserved communities can connect, organize, strategize, and push for change through the ballot box and the cash register to hold District government, industry, foundations, and institutions accountable. We believe when residents stand together, they can demand meaningful reforms that build wealth, promote health, address violence, and drive real and sustainable growth in communities across the District.