Mobilize Philanthropic Community to Respond to Aid Cuts

Summary

In 2025, GlobalGiving committed to providing at least $1 million in flexible funding by the end of 2026 to strengthen the global ecosystem for giving by helping organizations responding locally across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, and the Middle East & North Africa, to access resources and support beyond their borders. This investment will help connect 40 local nonprofits with new forms of funding and provide the tools and training they need to build stronger storytelling and fundraising capacity—enabling them to thrive in a rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape. Through this Commitment, GlobalGiving will also provide two-way education to nonprofits and donors to promote donor engagement and strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations. GlobalGiving is positioned to lead this shift toward more inclusive, trust-based philanthropy.

Approach

Amid ongoing aid cuts and shifting geopolitical dynamics, GlobalGiving commits at least $1 million in flexible funding to strengthen the global ecosystem for giving by helping local organizations access resources and support beyond their borders. This investment will help connect nonprofits with new forms of funding and provide the tools and training they need to build stronger storytelling and fundraising capacity—enabling them to thrive in a rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape.

Through this commitment, GlobalGiving will:

Invest in capacity building for at least 40 local nonprofits to respond to shifting philanthropic landscapes, with a focus on strengthening their storytelling, digital presence, and fundraising skills to enhance visibility and attract support.

Promote donor acquisition and engagement through outreach and campaigns that drive traffic to the GlobalGiving platform and facilitate investment in impacted organizations.

Provide education to donors and the general public about international aid and amplify the impact of international aid cuts.

Partner with peer funders, ecosystem-level actors, and community foundations that are embedded in local contexts to build sustainable, community-led philanthropy infrastructure.

Facilitate cross-border connections that help local nonprofit organizations access new sources of funding, partnerships, and global visibility, reducing isolation and increasing long-term resilience.

Mobilize targeted grantmaking through GlobalGiving-led initiatives (i.e. Community Aid Fund) to support the most underfunded regions and communities.

Action Plan

GlobalGiving will kick off a new round of marketing efforts in August 2025 with a time-limited corporate partner matching campaign for the Community Aid Fund, designed to drive urgency, visibility, and early engagement. The launch will be supported by a coordinated social media rollout, a blog post hosted on GlobalGiving’s Learn Library, and earned media outreach, including a press release and targeted pitching to relevant philanthropy and social impact outlets.

Throughout the match period, which runs through early September, GlobalGiving will share compelling storytelling and campaign messages across digital channels, including short-form video, carousels, and partner quotes, to engage existing donors and new audiences. In mid-September, the campaign will shift to spotlight nonprofit partners participating in a project-specific match opportunity helping organizations who have been impacted by funding cuts, with GlobalGiving providing messaging support and amplification.

Following the match, GlobalGiving will carry the momentum forward into its Q4 campaigns, including GivingTuesday and year-end giving. Community Aid Fund grantees will be featured in seasonal fundraising campaigns, emphasizing sustained need and donor impact. Marketing content during this phase will include email storytelling, social media, and additional blog coverage, all designed to deepen donor connection and highlight community-led solutions.

In early 2026, GlobalGiving will continue to elevate Community Aid Fund recipients through integrated content, ongoing digital storytelling, and selective media outreach, ensuring year-round visibility and engagement. Campaign results and impact milestones will be monitored regularly and shared with stakeholders to support transparency, learning, and future campaign planning.

Background

For more than 20 years, GlobalGiving has accelerated community-led change by connecting millions of donors to tens of thousands of local nonprofit organizations in 175 countries. The collective GlobalGiving community has raised more than $1 billion in flexible funding to make the world a better place—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The global aid system is now in a moment of crisis and profound change. The United States government, previously the world’s leading aid donor, has officially terminated more than 80% of its foreign assistance commitments and plans. These drastic cuts are happening as other donor governments around the world are also reducing their foreign assistance contributions. These changes have enormous, immediate impact on tens of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people, and detrimental impacts will continue to unfold around the world for many years to come.
At the same time, philanthropic systems are being forced to reckon with long-standing inequities and inefficiencies. Traditional top-down models of aid are being challenged by a growing recognition that sustainable progress is best driven by those closest to the issues. Funders and institutions are increasingly called to reimagine how resources are distributed—shifting from rigid, hierarchical models to more equitable, trust-based approaches that prioritize local knowledge and leadership.
This shift presents a powerful opportunity to reverse the power dynamics that have historically shaped philanthropy. GlobalGiving is uniquely positioned to lead in this transformation.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

GlobalGiving is seeking to build a movement of donor support in response to cuts in international aid – from first-time individual donors to large institutional and corporate donors. GlobalGiving is uniquely positioned to amplify needs, mobilize participation, and build connections between the donor community and local organizations across the globe. GlobalGiving also is seeking partners to join in telling this story through thought leadership, speaking engagement, cause marketing, digital storytelling, and media outreach.,GlobalGiving is offering the following partnership opportunities through this commitment:

Co-branded media and messaging outreach and shared thought leadership Global crowdfunding and peer to peer fundraising campaigns Tools and resources for giving circles around the world Access to a global community of 5,000+ vetted organizations Advisory services in grantmaking, disaster response, and trust-based program management Grants management services, including program design, compliance, and end-to-end program execution Subject matter expertise in trust-based philanthropy, international grantmaking and global giving, crisis relief