When the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department instructed their contractors to halt all operations, Sadie Healy anticipated the consequences would be dire. However, as the head of Molloy Consultants, a small consulting firm focused on global health, Healy recognized a troubling gap: there was a lack of documentation concerning the effects of the freeze on U.S. foreign aid. With USAID not tracking these impacts during a tumultuous period marked by staff dismissals and a significant shutdown of operations, Healy understood that organizations dependent on this support were grappling for survival.
Determined to capture the unfolding situation, Healy took the initiative. “I am an action person. The depression and the sadness that we knew this was going to cause was something I couldn’t deal with,” she stated in a recent interview. Consequently, she organized a Zoom meeting to bring together others who shared her concerns.
Healy is part of a growing movement among individuals and organizations within international development, coming together to document the ramifications of the freeze on foreign assistance. Many participants are from nonprofits already aiding grassroots initiatives globally, while others are professionals volunteering their expertise and networks.
As the largest global humanitarian donor, the U.S. contributed $13.9 billion in 2024 and serves as a major supporter of U.N. agencies. Thus, any alterations in foreign aid resonate profoundly around the world. The initial halt in funding soon escalated to a dismantling of USAID and its associated programs.
On social media, Trump declared a full cessation of USAID operations, even as a court judge intervened to prevent the suspension of thousands of employees. The uncertainty surrounding whether the cuts to USAID are temporary or permanent continues to loom large. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has aggressively advocated for the shutdown of USAID, labeling it as “evil” and a “criminal organization.” Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that funding will not be indefinitely reduced, yet field professionals warn that every day the freeze persists inflicts lasting damage.
In response to the crisis, Healy and her business partner Meg McClure focused their efforts on collecting data on American jobs affected by the aid freeze. Through connections at a Senate committee, they were guided on the types of information needed and quickly launched a website called USAID Stop-Work along with a survey. As of now, the survey has revealed that 10,758 jobs have been cut since work stoppages were enforced on January 24. The figure encompasses certain roles at USAID but doesn’t account for all of the agency’s 8,000 employees or others working in the field.
“We can document the destruction that this executive order has caused,” Healy expressed. “We hope that this information can aid lawyers and Congress in their endeavors.” At least two organizations with technological expertise have circulated online surveys to gauge the extent of the funding interruptions and subsequently combined their efforts to create the Global Aid Freeze website to visualize responses. Additionally, GlobalGiving has initiated a fund tailored to support small international organizations facing existential threats due to the aid halt.
Roth Smith, an assistant professor at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, specializing in crisis organization, highlighted the magnitude and sophistication of this grassroots organizing effort. “This is a much larger scale and it seems to be highly polished,” he noted.
The nonprofit Accountability Lab, which now manages the Global Aid Freeze website, revealed that 568 organizations had participated in a survey assessing the fallout from the U.S. government’s foreign aid freeze. Alarmingly, about half of these organizations estimated they possessed less than three months of operational reserves, placing them at risk of shutting down by May if funding does not resume.
Blair Glencorse, founder and co-CEO of Accountability Lab, shared that they are in discussions with foundations to prioritize strategic support for these organizations. He emphasized the difficulty many nonprofits in developing nations are experiencing in grasping the dramatic and potentially permanent shifts in U.S. foreign funding. “Things are fundamentally changed, and I don’t think the aid system is going to be the same again,” Glencorse warned.
Parallel grassroots initiatives are also working to assist those who lost their jobs. Joanne Sonenshine, an economist with over ten years of consulting experience with USAID, noted an influx of LinkedIn posts concerning layoffs, prompting her to create a spreadsheet for individuals to share their qualifications and available job listings. Almost 800 people provided their details, while an additional spreadsheet comprised over 550 entries.
“This just goes to show how much we need support for these people,” Sonenshine commented, underscoring that the impact is not limited to D.C. residents but affects U.S. contractors and staff globally reliant on U.S. government funding.
These grassroots initiatives are primarily funded and organized by those involved. Healy and McClure manage the U.S. job loss tracking website at their own expense, while Accountability Lab initiated their survey without any initial funding but has since secured some financial backing to support ongoing efforts. Numerous professionals in international development have volunteered to assist others in job searching or help organizations secure new funding. Healy expressed that this collective spirit reflects the resilience and commitment of the community. “We love planning; it’s our favorite thing,” Healy exclaimed. “We are like, ‘This is the moment we were made for. Let’s go.’”
