The Freeze on US Foreign Assistance Programs

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14169, titled “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” initiating a 90-day freeze on all U.S. foreign development assistance programs to conduct a comprehensive review. This decision led to the suspension of numerous aid programs, affecting various sectors globally. The freeze has had immediate and significant impacts on communities worldwide, disrupting critical services such as healthcare, education, and humanitarian assistance.

In response to these challenges, on February 3rd, the EDGE Secretariat hosted a 60-minute call to explore common strategies among members to mitigate the negative effects of the U.S. foreign assistance freeze on partners. To respect privacy, the meeting was not recorded; however, we have collected resources shared by attendees below.

Furthermore, EDGE is in conversation with Ariadne, HRFN, FICS and FORGE, to coordinate ongoing joint efforts to create a space for resource sharing and action. Some resources shared so far include: Survey results of USG’s January 2025 stop work orders.pdf – Google Drive, Global Aid Freeze Tracker, Trump Administration Actions Impacting Nonprofits – Google DocsHuman Rights Funders Network – Better Preparedness.

We hope to hold more of these meetings, and invite EDGE members to co-facilitate these upcoming conversations. Please reach out to us (yagna@edgefunders.org) and let us know if you are interested or have any suggestions on how to take this work forward.

Ideas surfaced to explore further:

  • How to support grantee partners navigate cuts in their funding and the role of philanthropy in this time
  • Well-being in the face of uncertainty and stress amongst global Movements
  • Advocacy and communication strategizing efforts
  • Information on emerging and ongoing changes

Resources shared:

 

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