Launching The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund: An Urgent Appeal to Support Critical Frontline Organizations
The U.S. foreign aid freeze has put millions of lives at risk. You can help.
Dear Unlock Aid community,
The current U.S. foreign aid freeze has created an unprecedented crisis for some of the world's most effective, frontline humanitarian and development organizations and their ability to serve millions of people around the world. Today, we're launching an emergency bridge fund to help these critical groups resume their life-saving work.
Right now, across the globe, vital operations have ground to a halt:
Community health workers in Southern Africa can no longer provide essential medicines to tens of thousands of children.
A promising malaria vaccine trial in West Africa has been abruptly suspended.
Critical HIV/AIDS medications and nutrition programs in East Africa have been put on hold.
Hundreds of small businesses in Latin America that depend on loans and loan guarantees to drive economic growth and prosperity are at risk of closing.
Organizations in Southeast Asia that provide life-saving assistance to refugees displaced by war have been forced to scale back their operations.
These are just a few examples of the real human impact of the current U.S. foreign aid freeze. But together, we can help organizations solving these problems to bridge this funding gap and resume their critical work.
The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund
Today, we're launching The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund – a rapid response initiative to keep these essential organizations running. This isn't a long-term funding source, but rather an emergency bridge to prevent the collapse of critical programs and services.
Every organization supported by this fund must meet rigorous criteria:
Demonstrated track record of delivering high-impact, cost-effective solutions
Direct impact from U.S. foreign aid stop work orders
Commitment to transparency and rigorous results reporting
Direct work with communities rather than acting as intermediaries
Sustainable revenue models
Providing vital services in essential sectors like health, water, agriculture, education, livelihoods, and humanitarian response
Since this fund is intended as temporary relief to help high-impact, frontline organizations resume their work immediately – not as a long-term solution – organizations that cannot outline a sustainable funding strategy or were wholly reliant on U.S. foreign aid are not a good fit.
If you work for an organization that meets the above criteria and you would like to be considered for emergency bridge funding, please click here to fill out our initial intake form. Someone from our team will follow up with you for additional information.
Why This Matters Now
We’re raising funds to keep operating some of the world’s most effective organizations delivering vital global development and humanitarian solutions. Each organization selected to receive funding will have been carefully vetted, has a proven track record of delivering extraordinary impact at scale, and operates with a sustainable business model. While the U.S. foreign aid freeze has affected thousands of organizations around the world, we’re starting with this subset of extraordinarily effective groups to help them get back to work.
How Decisions Will Be Made
We've assembled an exceptional Investment Committee of leaders in evidence-based philanthropy, impact investing, global health, innovation, and international development – experts who understand both the urgency of the situation and the importance of careful due diligence.
How You Can Help
If you're in a position to contribute, whether as an individual, donor advised fund (DAF)-holder, corporate or private foundation, or institutional funder, your support can make an immediate and substantial difference. Every dollar contributed goes directly to vetted, high-impact organizations that can put these resources to work immediately.
Learn more about the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund. Click here to get involved and to support this fund today.
For major gifts or to learn more about specific organizations your contribution could support through The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund, please reach out directly by responding to this email, writing to us at bridgefund [at] unlockaid.org, or by contacting us via our contact form at www.foreignaidbridgefund.org.
This is a moment where targeted philanthropy can have an outsized impact. These organizations don't need permanent funding – they need a bridge to keep their vital work going until regular funding streams resume or new funders step in.
The time to act is now. Join us to ensure that some of the world's most effective organizations can continue their critical work during this unprecedented time.
To Progress,
Unlock Aid
P.S. We would love your help spreading the word about this fund across your networks. Please consider sharing the below text with a link to the fund.
In this critical moment for U.S. foreign assistance, the The Foreign Aid Bridge Fund is stepping up to keep life-saving programs running. Join me in making a difference today! #ForeignAidFreeze #AidBridgeFund
https://www.foreignaidbridgefund.org/
For more information about the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund, including detailed eligibility criteria, our Investment Committee, and how to apply for funding, please visit our website at www.foreignaidbridgefund.org.
For more information about Unlock Aid visit www.unlockaid.org.