Releasing $14 Billion: Our Campaign to Unlock Lifesaving Funds
Today we're doubling down on our campaign calling on Secretary Rubio to release lifesaving funds – and to invest differently than we have before
Dear Unlock Aid community,
A U.S. court recently ordered that tens of billions of dollars of U.S. international assistance funds already approved by Congress – including more than $14 billion in funds for health and other lifesaving programs – must be disbursed by September 30. To date, these resources remain unspent.
Doubling down on our campaign
This week, we're accelerating our campaign to call on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately release already-approved critical lifesaving funds, but to deploy them differently than we have in the past. Pay frontline providers on the basis of results. Bake in self-reliance in from the start. Now is the moment to demonstrate a fundamentally new approach to international assistance that reflects what we've consistently heard people want, both in America and around the world.
Here’s what we’re doing to increase the pressure:
Targeted ads: This week, we're launching targeted ads across digital and streaming content in 14 key states, reaching priority lawmakers who can influence this critical decision
Mobilizing constituents: We're driving thousands of phone calls to top lawmakers, asking them to challenge Secretary Rubio to release lifesaving health and humanitarian funds, using these funds as a downpayment on a new future
Direct advocacy on Capitol Hill: Next week, dozens of coalition partners will meet with lawmakers in Washington, DC, joining us for a day of action to keep up the pressure
Providing a blueprint on the way forward: We’re also publishing a mock public tender that Secretary Rubio can issue today that reflects the kind of future we want to build
What makes this moment unique isn't just the urgency. We're not calling for a restoration of old systems. It's the opportunity to showcase a fundamentally different model that can immediately save lives, protect Americans’ health, and deliver results in days and weeks, not months or years.
Voices for Change
People across America are already speaking out about why this matters, including teachers, nurses, farmers, parents, and more. Here are just five of the dozens of examples that are hitting social media feeds today:
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This builds on the ad we placed last month in the Miami Herald, Secretary Rubio's hometown paper, echoing a similar call:
The message is clear: Release the funds. And use this as a moment for transformative change.
A Blueprint for Transformation
To make this ask even more tangible, we're also publishing an example Request for Participation (RFP) that Secretary Rubio could issue immediately, inverting the traditional "request for proposal" process by creating a $1B Health Results Marketplace in five countries.
On April 16, the White House issued a new executive order on federal procurement reform to create "a faster acquisition cycle, lower barriers to entry for small businesses, startups, and other new entrants, and eliminate wasteful bureaucratic bloat."
This proposed Health Results Marketplace builds on those rules by cutting through red tape to deliver real results by:
Focusing on proven frontline providers ready to scale – Prioritize organizations already delivering impact on the ground rather than creating new projects from scratch
Establishing clear pricing for measurable outcomes – Organizations register their capacity to deliver specific health outcomes at transparent, fixed prices
Accelerating impact with rapid start-up funds – Provide limited upfront capital with subsequent payments strictly tied to verified results
Leveraging technology providers and digital solutions – Incorporate telehealth platforms, mobile payment systems, and data analytics providers that can enhance efficiency and reduce costs while improving accountability
Setting concrete transition timelines – Require plans to shift to domestic financing, market-based solutions, or multilateral funding within 24 months
Embedding local decision-making from day one – Invite partner countries to formally designate their preferred delivery partners to better facilitate funding transitions
This isn't just another bureaucratic funding mechanism. It's a results marketplace that can deploy $1 billion to deliver measurable health outcomes in days and weeks across five initial countries.
If successful, the State Department can expand this model to other countries and sectors.
Join Us
Next week, we're taking our message directly to Capitol Hill. If you want to add your voice to this critical conversation and help shape the future of America's global engagement, click here to register to join us in Washington, DC on April 29-30.
This isn't just about deploying resources now, or preserving funding. It's about reimagining how America engages with the world. It's about building a model that delivers better results for communities abroad and greater returns for American taxpayers. It's about creating the #AidWeWant.
To Progress,
Unlock Aid
P.S. Have you seen our results from ReimagineAid.org? Over 600 people and 20+ experts voted on bold ideas to transform the future of U.S. international assistance. Check out what they prioritized and add your voice to the conversation.