The Knowledge Management for Development community was initiated by the Canadian IDRC in 2000 and has been largely self-organised since then. With over 5000 members, its main feature is an active mailing lists in which news, work opportunities and discussions are exchanged. The community has received relatively modest external funding and does relatively little apart from the on-line presence and occasional face to face meetings, usually organised by groupings of members in locations convenient for the grouping. However collaborations created within the community have led to a variety of projects, training opportunities, advocacy and participation in the development of an ISO Standard. It thus serves as an example of a community of practice and of the role of a knowledge platform in supporting the development of a field.