Digital Promise is an independent 501(c)(3), created through Section 802 of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, authorizing a nonprofit corporation known as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies (Digital Promise). According to the statute, Digital Promise’s purpose is "to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy."

By law, Digital Promise may receive federal and non-federal funds, is overseen by a Board of Directors, and is authorized: "(A) to support research to improve education, teaching, and learning that is in the public interest, but that is determined unlikely to be undertaken entirely with private funds; (B) to support (i) precompetitive research, development, and demonstrations; (ii) assessments of prototypes of innovative digital learning and information technologies, as well as the components and tools needed to create such technologies; and (iii) pilot testing and evaluation of prototype systems described in clause (ii); and (C) to encourage the widespread adoption and use of effective, innovative digital approaches to improving education, teaching, and learning."

Founded after more than a decade of effort, including a 2004 report to Congress, Digital Promise has been endorsed by virtually every major national association of educators and educational institutions, libraries, and museums. The project that gave rise to Digital Promise was launched by the Carnegie, Century, Knight, MacArthur, and Open Society foundations, sustained by the Federation of American Scientists, and championed by a coalition of Republicans and Democrats, civic and business leaders, who came together on its behalf.