Cash for Families Impacted by USAID Cuts
Help deliver cash to people in poverty affected by USAID cuts
Over $50 billion in US foreign aid assistance was eliminated last week, abruptly cutting off critical support for millions of the most vulnerable people in the world.
This year, GiveDirectly planned to send $20 million in life-changing cash transfers to ~38,000 families in extreme poverty funded by the US government’s foreign aid budget. These funds have now been cut, putting thousands of GiveDirectly recipients at risk of being unable to afford food, medicine, safe housing, and other essential needs.
These aid cuts have jeopardized cash for families in 7 of our cash programs across regions of Mozambique, Malawi, the DRC, and Morocco with some of the highest extreme poverty rates in the world.
Our #1 priority is finding a way to still deliver cash to as many of these families as possible. We’re using internal emergency funds to send transfers to thousands of people who were expecting cash in the coming weeks, but a massive amount of need remains.
Cash will meet urgent needs in this uncertain time
These cuts have hobbled aid organizations and local delivery networks providing life-saving healthcare, food, and support services to millions of people who cannot otherwise afford them.
Despite these disruptions, essential goods like food and medicine are still locally available — which means families urgently need cash to meet their immediate needs.
Cash will enable families like Alefa’s to stock up on food, get access to transportation to reach local markets and health centers, and afford critical medications. And when people spend their money locally, it can boost wider economies by 2.5x what you give — enabling long-term and locally-led growth that benefits many more communities.
Your donations will keep critical cash programs running
Your donations will go to our programs impacted by the cuts, including:
- 🌾 Delivering ~$40/month to Malawians during lean farming season to address hunger and malnutrition
- 📲 Remotely identifying, enrolling, and delivering ~$300 to people fleeing conflict in DRC to meet urgent needs
- 💸 Giving ~$1,000 to subsistence farmers in Mozambique to recover from a major cyclone and create long-term income gains
- 🛰️ Running research to improve the cost-effectiveness of government urban poverty programs, the speed of humanitarian relief, and more
If you’re interested in making a major gift to these or other programs, reach out here →
More on GiveDirectly programs
Frequently Asked Questions
What if we raise more or less than the fundraising goal?
$20 million is needed to replace lost funding this year, so any funds will help us deliver cash to more families directly impacted and sustain operations in the countries hardest-hit by the cuts.
If for any reason we are unable to deliver all funds under the programs directly impacted, donations will be delivered to other families in extreme poverty in Africa.
What if I’d like to make a major gift?
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at [email protected].
What is GiveDirectly?
We’re a nonprofit that lets you send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. In the last decade, we’ve delivered cash to over 1.6 million people across 15 countries and research the impacts it can have for families in need.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, donations are tax-deductible in the United States. We accept all major credit and debit cards, PayPal, checks, wires, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and more.
If you’re giving outside the U.S., you can still give to this campaign but your gift may not be tax-deductible.
Reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions or for more information on ways to give.