The IT Governance Institute (ITGI) was established in 1998 in recognition of the increasing criticality of information technology to enterprise success. In many organizations, success depends on the ability of IT to enable achievement of business goals. In such an environment, governance over IT is as critical a board and management discipline as corporate governance or enterprise governance. Effective IT governance helps ensure that IT supports business goals, maximizes business investment in IT, and appropriately manages IT-related risks and opportunities.

ITGI conducts research on global practices and perceptions of governance of IT for the business community. ITGI aims to help enterprise leaders understand how effective governance can make IT successful in supporting the enterprise's mission and goals.