Foreign Aid Bridge Fund: First Grants Awarded
Emergency funding already supporting critical health services as we mobilize resources to address the U.S. foreign aid freeze
Dear Unlock Aid community,
The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund has been working at breakneck speed to fill the gaps left by the U.S. foreign aid freeze to ensure critical services don’t disappear overnight. We want to share an update on our progress and the impact we're starting to make during this critical time.
What we've accomplished in just two weeks
Since launching the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund:
We've received applications from more than 250 organizations, with funding requests ranging from $10,000 to $10,000,000
Established an independent Grants Investment Committee comprised of leaders in social impact investing, evidence-based philanthropy, sustainability, and global health and innovation to quickly review and recommend applications for funding
Created a Bridge Fund working group comprised of more than 30 volunteers who are processing funding requests, answering questions from organizations in need, reaching out to donors, evangelizing the fund, and supporting the Grants Investment Committee
Held a donor mobilization call with close to 200 people from around the world, urging donors and especially large foundations to step up now to plug critical gaps
Generated media coverage in publications like the Associated Press, Devex, and Alliance Magazine, building essential awareness for our resource mobilization efforts
Raised close to $600,000 in just days from individual donors, donor-advised fund (DAF)-holders, and family foundations to begin closing gaps, especially for organizations that directly serve communities and where even smaller grants can make a significant difference
First grants awarded
Last week, just days after launching, our Grants Investment Committee recommended funding for four high-impact nonprofit organizations providing essential services. This rapid turnaround demonstrates our commitment to functioning as a true emergency fund, getting critical resources out quickly to organizations that need them most:
In East and Southern Africa, two organizations will use the funding to ensure children, adolescents, and adults living with HIV/AIDS and TB can continue to receive life-saving care and treatment services
In the Caribbean, a third organization will use the funding to continue providing life-saving humanitarian support to communities they serve
A fourth organization working across both East and West Africa will use funds to ensure communities maintain continued access to high-quality malaria care
As one grantee based in East Africa told us:
“This emergency funding is a lifeline that ensures continuity of our HIV-related services, protecting the health and well-being of the communities we serve. In times of crisis, sustaining care is not just essential—it’s lifesaving."
The Grants Investment Committee will be making another round of urgent funding recommendations with newly-raised funds.
Important principles guiding our work
A few key points about how the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund operates:
With no overhead costs and no administrative fees, 100% of all raised funds go to recipient organizations minus very minimal transaction costs by third-party payment processors
The Grants Investment Committee operates independently from Unlock Aid and the other partners. The fund is available to any organization affected by the freeze that meets eligibility criteria regarding impact, proximity to communities served, and financial sustainability
This is a bridge fund, not a long-term source of financing. It provides critical, short-term grant-based funding to ensure immediate impact and program continuity during this emergency period
While we're moving quickly, the needs remain enormous and require broader philanthropic community engagement
We understand that many in philanthropy don't know where to start given the scale of the needs. That's why we created this fund—to bring down barriers, create a fast way to channel funding to highly effective groups, and make it as easy as possible to put your capital to work quickly
A call to action for donors worldwide
The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund has raised close to $600,000 so far, which will enable many high-impact organizations to continue to provide essential services, but we need to raise many multiples of that to meet the growing demands, especially given the most recent rounds of U.S. foreign aid contract and grant terminations.
Will you help us get to $1 million this week? Visit The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund and make a contribution today.
In addition to supporting the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund, we also encourage donors to consider supporting other funds mobilized to take action during this time:
NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) Bridge Fund – Supporting local and national humanitarian and development actors in the NEAR network
GlobalGiving Community Aid Fund – Providing unrestricted grants to organizations affected by the aid freeze
Founders Pledge Rapid Response Fund – Mobilizing philanthropic capital to support impactful and pre-vetted organizations affected by the aid freeze
Keep the Lights On Fund by the Stop TB Partnership – Sustaining the work of tuberculosis survivor networks and local community organizations combating TB that have been impacted
A bridge to the future
The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund isn’t just about filling urgent gaps—it’s about backing organizations that are driving a new model for global development.
By prioritizing impact, sustainability, and deep connections to the communities they serve, these groups are showing what a stronger, more effective global development system can look like.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to maintain critical services for vulnerable communities during this challenging period.
To progress,
Unlock Aid