A group of committed stakeholders – the Steering Board – approves sportanddev's strategy and oversees its implementation by the Operating Team. The Project Charter provides the guiding principles, structure and procedures for the governance of sportanddev as well as the responsibilities and composition of the bodies involved. sportanddev’s financial year runs from July to June and the platform remains open to forming new partnerships with other committed actors in sport and development.

The Steering Board of sportanddev was constituted at a meeting in Windhoek, Namibia on September 18, 2007. It is comprised of one representative from each organisation that makes a financial contribution to sportanddev and provides strategic advice.

The current members of the Steering Board are:

• Mr Ben Howard (Chair), Team Up, acting on behalf of the Australian Government
• Mr. Layne Robinson, Commonwealth Secretariat 
• Ms. Marion Keim, Foundation for Sport, Development & Peace 
• Mr Nick Sore, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
• Mr. Fredrik Ødegaard, Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports 
• Mr. Gunnar Hagstrom, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
• Mr Leandro Olvech, The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Foundation
• Mr David Given-Sjölander, The Swedish Postcode Foundation (Postkodstiftelsen)
• Ms. Merle Rietschel, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (observer)

The members of the Steering Board meet physically at least once per financial year to review and discuss sportanddev’s strategic framework and oversee its implementation. The head of the Operating Team is the executive secretary of the Steering Board and participates in Steering Board meetings. The Operating Team is not part of the Steering Board and does not have the right to vote.

sportanddev’s open structure allows for Steering Board members to be included throughout the financial year. Potential donors are encouraged to contact the Operating Team to submit offers for contributing to sportanddev. The Operating Team will evaluate the offer, which will then be submitted to the Steering Board for approval.