Relaxed USAID employees take issues in their hands to fill the gap after Doge Cuts
Most programs are fundedUS International Development OrganizationCut and the rest of the agency staff said their work would be finished by September, the reality of the Trump administrationSuddenly halted after more than 60 years of international developmentThe work is sinking.
He led billionaire presidential advisor Elon MuskFees for dismantling USAIDI called the agentCrime and corruption. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said many programs did not promote American interests. The administration continues to cancel the program,Includes humanitarian and food aidand said that would be the caseRoll the rest of the programTo the State Department.
Two months after the cut, some workers and organizations who once implemented those programs are developing various initiatives to stand up to the violations left by the demolition of foreign aid in the United States.
Direct cash to fire workers
Laura Meissner has been working as a USAID contractor since 2010, specializing in humanitarian assistance, particularly programs that provide cash directly to those in need.
In early February, a friend approached her and launched a fundraiser, benefiting other USAID workers who lost their jobs like her. USAIDEmployed 10,550 peopleAround half of the people come from other countries in offices across Washington and around the world.
Finally set up with Macener and small group organizersSolidarity FundThe Greater Washington Community Foundation will actually earn grants directly to former workers. The grant starts at $650 and increases with household size.
“We want to make that meaningful amount that makes a big difference in our ability to buy groceries, pay medical bills, pay rent and mortgages and turn on the light,” Meissner said.
So far, the fund has raised around $16,000 from 140 donors, and already recommends 10 applicants receive the fund.
“It’s so easy to feel you’re doing something important because there are so many big issues and they feel like they’re happening at once.
A study to support foundations and funders with more money
Even people studying international developments have had difficulty understanding all the methods.US cuts affectedfield. The think tank rethinks the cost-effective priorities of charity interventions and has studied gaps created by Cut to help donors respond.
They areProvide chartsIt shows how big US funding is in a given region and encourages funders to consider how urgent the impact of the cuts may feel. They also suggest that donors consider whether others fill the gap.
Tom Vargas, a senior think tank researcher, hopes that research “can spread money in ways that make sense. We are funding things that others don’t fund.”
They hope that their research will affect donors large and small, while also recommending donations to emergency funds.
Bridging funds to make money into programs that can still be run
Within a month of pausing in the USAID program, many nonprofits beganEmergency fundsTo make money on life-saving programs, or to stabilize organizations that would otherwise be closed. Even the World Food Program, the United Nations agency that deals with conflict and hunger,We have started a fundraiserhoping to bring in $25 million from US donors.
So far, emergency funds have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, exceeding $3 million, primarily from individual donors, with some already giving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The funds went to aYemeni organization providing emergency food suppliesI’ll send itDirect cash to those fleeing violenceIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the organization in KenyaSupporting people who live with HIVand in the fight of the programMalnutrition in Ethiopia.
Support organizations to close or integrate
The amount raised by the bridge’s fundsDon’t get closeReplace tens of millions lost in US aid cuts.
Even those who did not receive funding directly from USAID, many international development organizations face existential funding shortages, said Blair Glencorse, founder and co-CEO of Accountability Lab.
More than a third of nonprofits that responded to the survey said they had less than three months of funding.
“The original data showed that there is now an organization falling off a cliff,” he said. “And that’s exactly what we started to see.”
His organization has been heard from over 70 nonprofits, primarily in the global South. They want to explore merges, deadlines, deadlines, or partnerships so that the most valuable assets are not lost. These assets include employees, property, systems, contacts, or intellectual property.
Glencause said it estimated that each transaction or merger would cost between $30,000 and $50,000, and brought together a team of experts who could help the organization. They have some funding from the “foundation.”Partnership Matching Services” and estimates that there will be six to nine months to help nonprofits make these major systematic changes.
“At this point, the snowman effect is really starting to pick up,” he said of the impact of the cascade of reducing US foreign aid.
This story was originally introduced Fortune.com