Philanthropists have been urged to ‘step forward’, as two emergency funds launched to help plug the ever-growing funding gap caused by the USAID freeze.

The Rapid Response Fund to address the impacts of the USAID freeze was launched by global nonprofits Founders Pledge and The Life You Can Save. 

Funds will go towards helping basic health services, maternal and child health, as well as infectious disease control. 

Jessica La Mesa, co-CEO of The Life You Can Save, said the fund is ‘mobilising individual and corporate donors to take action now, so resources can be deployed where they are needed most’.

Speaking to Alliance, La Mesa felt positive about the role philanthropy could play within the foreign aid space in light of the USAID freeze.

‘Private philanthropy has a critical opportunity to step up amidst this foreign aid freeze — not just as a stopgap but as a driver of long-term resilience,’ she said regarding the USAID freeze, adding:

‘Now more than ever, philanthropic action can mean the difference between disruption and stability for these organisations and their communities, making partnerships and new funding sources essential to mitigate the effects of this lack of capital.’

She warned that losing essential programs would have ‘severe’ consequences for the lives of millions, with the US aid funding gap causing distress for ‘communities across sub-Saharan Africa, with some organisations anticipating laying off up to 40% of their workforce without these resources, putting essential high-impact programs at risk.’

‘As the federal government takes a step back, it’s vital that philanthropists step forward to ensure that the highest-impact initiatives can continue,’ said David Goldberg, co-founder and CEO of Founders Pledge. 

Elsewhere, the ‘Foreign Aid Bridge Fund’, which has a committee of individuals from the ‘evidence-based philanthropy’ and the impact investing world, will help disperse funds to on-the-ground organisations feeling the pinch. 

‘This is not intended as a long-term funding source, but rather as critical, short-term grant-based financing to ensure immediate impact and program continuity for vetted organisations with sustainable business models,’ the fund said in a statement. 

Read the full article about the USAID freeze by Shafi Musaddique at Alliance Magazine.