Collective capacity
A number of DFD member-organizations have been advocating for the and in the interest of their own home countries and respective organizations. Equipped with these basic skills in lobby and advocacy, DFD strives to pool the in-house expertise and elevate its collective capacity to the level of policy and decision-makers.
Impact
Transcending local community issues, DFD is bent to have an impact in influencing policies on migration and development, gravitates towards the center of decision-making processes, gets enters into arenas where opinions are being formed and participates in areas of information dissemination.

Participation
A young formation as it is, DFD members are regularly invited by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other development-related agencies in various consultations and conferences. It has also been participating in a number of international gatherings on migration and development in general, and on diaspora agenda and platform formation in particular.  

Partnership
Currently DFD has a partnership with COS Nederland in the program of ARC Mundi II (Awareness Raising for Change Multicultural Networks for Development Initiatives). ARC MUNDI will organize debates on various themes related to development cooperation, good governance, political participation and (social) remittances.  In the first phase of ARC MUNDI, DFD provided several speakers and resource persons.

Member-organizations
DFD member-organizations themselves also organize their own conferences and workshops on topics relevant to their countries of origin. Several of them are in touch with Dutch and EU parliamentarians as well as policy makers and diplomatic staff  of their home countries. ((e.g. Hirda – Somalia, BASUG – Bangladesh, Sudan Civil Society Forum- Sudan, Damayan, BisDak and Habagat- Philippines, Pearl of Africa-Uganda)

Catalysts
In addition, some DFD members serve as catalysts of their own transnational network, facilitating linkages and platform formations both on the European level and internationally.

Somalia
HIRDA has established transnational networks of Somalis in diaspora and mobilize them to support many development projects in Somalia. Started in 1998 as a small Somali migrant organization, it is now considered as one of the largest NGOs in Somalia.

Bangladesh
BASUG organize a Europe-wide consultation on violence against women attended by leaders of Bangladeshi expatriates and resource persons from Bangladesh.  Habagat, BisDak and Damayan organized an international conference to generate cooperation and build collaboration in the field of migration an development among various of Filipino migrant organizations the USA, Europe Middle East and the Philippines.

Afghanistan
FAVON, a network of 21 Afghan migrant and refugee organization is the initiator and organizer of international conference attended by key leaders of Afghan diaspora particularly the highly educated.