The purpose of the association includes the following objectives:[3] The elected Board of Directors, chaired by the President, conducts the business of the Society.
They are each dedicated to one topic and correspond in their structure partly to the commissions of the International Cartographic Association (ICA), with which an intensive cooperation exists.
At intervals of two to three years, the approximately 350-page Cartographic handbook (German: Kartographische Taschenbuch (KT))[5] is published with basic technical articles, addresses of organizations, research institutions, companies and much more on cartography and geoinformation.
The Cartographic writings (German: Kartographische Schriften (KS))[6] are dedicated to main topics of cartography, special events and the scientific documentation of symposia and workshops.
The Remarkable Map (German: Bemerkenswerte Karte) is an initiative of the DGfK that has existed since 2012.