In early 2025, the U.S. government announced a 90-day pause on most foreign aid funding, followed by a decision by the U.S. Department of State to halt all new obligations and ongoing activities. This abrupt shift has disrupted the international development sector, directly affecting the final beneficiaries who are dependent on aid and placing many implementing organizations at risk. In the meantime, a growing number of donors and foundations have expressed interest in allocating funds to compensate for the US foreign aid cuts.
In response, Rethink Priorities, a US-based think-and-do-tank, has created a practical, comprehensive framework to help individual and institutional donors to navigate this unexpected shift and adapt their funding strategies in this uncertain period.
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with Rethink Priorities, invites donor agencies, foundations, NGOs, the private sector, and individual experts to join the “U.S. Foreign Aid in Uncertain Times: Strategies for Giving” webinar. Our guest, Tom Vargas from Rethink Priorities, will provide an overview of the current state of U.S. foreign aid and the likely consequences of the recent foreign aid freeze on the health sector. Moreover, Tom will share some tips on how individuals and larger corporations can adapt their donation strategies.
Invitation to a Webinar
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with Rethink Priorities, invites you to attend the webinar on “U.S. Foreign Aid in Uncertain Times: Strategies for Giving,” which will take place on 12 June 2025 at 4 pm (Brussels) / 10 am (Washington, DC).
Key Takeaways
- Get a snapshot of the current state of U.S. foreign aid
- Understand the likely consequences of the U.S. foreign aid freeze on the health sector
- Learn how individual donors can adapt their donation strategies
- Discover how larger corporations should approach aid in the current climate
- Ask questions during the Q&A session
Speaker
Tom Vargas, Senior Researcher at Rethink Priorities.
Tom is a Senior Researcher on the Global Health and Development team at Rethink Priorities. He has worked with think tanks, research organizations, and government agencies across the Americas to provide decision-makers with rigorous evidence and insights to enable them to achieve the most impact. A political scientist by training, his work appears in Comparative Politics, World Development, and other journals. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.
Partner
Rethink Priorities is a research and implementation organization that focuses on identifying and acting on pressing opportunities that can improve global well-being. Established in 2018, Rethink Priorities works to find tractable and neglected opportunities for impact across different causes, including animal welfare, global health and development, global catastrophic risks, and artificial intelligence, among others. They address the world’s most urgent issues by empowering their team and partners to create meaningful, lasting change.
Host
Ion Ilasco, External Relations & Events at DevelopmentAid.
