These former USAID staff are working to match donors to urgent, lifesaving aid projects that had their funding slashed

In northeast Nigeria, food supplies meant to treat malnourished children and pregnant women are running out. Action Against Hunger (ACF), the nonprofit behind the project, had relied on funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). But after the Trump administration halted and dismantled key USAID programs, those funds vanished.

Now, critical interventions are on hold, and communities face increasing threats from hunger and disease.

Robert Rosenbaum, a former USAID portfolio manager, couldn’t ignore the fallout. “There really are people who are dying as a result of these (budget) decisions,” he said. Rosenbaum and a group of laid-off colleagues launched Project Resource Optimization (PRO) to connect vetted aid projects with private donors. Their goal: save lives before more work collapses.

“We’re trying to catch projects that are almost fully operational but just need funding to keep going,” Rosenbaum said.

The team built what they call the Urgent & Vetted Projects list—a spreadsheet that tracks the most cost-effective and life-saving projects across the globe. It started when small foundations reached out, unsure of how to fill the gap left by US cuts. Now, the list has become a matchmaking tool between donors and nonprofits.

And the results are promising.

“We’ve had donors tell us, ‘I’ve got $100,000 or $1 million. Help me give it where it counts,’” said Rosenbaum.

Earlier this week, the PRO team launched a crowdfunding platform for individual donors to support programs in Sudan, Nigeria, Haiti, and more. Their “Rapid Response Fund” offers one-time or monthly giving options to support vetted aid work in urgent need.

Rosenbaum noted that while these projects already have trained staff and stocked supplies, “if the funding doesn’t come through this summer, the lights will go off.”

The consequences of shutting down programs are severe. Local organizations risk losing trust, staff, and momentum. Restarting would take years.

In Mali, the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) faced the collapse of its work serving children under five, pregnant women, and displaced families. More than half of ALIMA’s Mali budget had come from USAID.

“We were forced to suspend activities and reduce operations,” said Carlota Ruiz, ALIMA’s head of grant management. “One of our biggest concerns was losing credibility with the Ministry of Health and the communities.”

But PRO’s vetting process gave ALIMA a lifeline. A foundation, guided by PRO’s analysis, stepped in with new funding. That support will provide 70,000 consultations and treat over 5,000 malnourished children.

“It was a huge relief and a breath of fresh air for all of us,” Ruiz said.

In Nigeria, ACF is close to finalizing funding to extend one of its nutrition projects. This couldn’t come at a better time.

“June, July, August, and part of September are peak months for malnutrition and food insecurity,” said an ACF staffer in Nigeria. “These supplies will make a big difference in keeping our work going.”

The incoming funds will allow ACF to distribute more ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) sachets that can be life-saving for malnourished children. However, the funds cover only one project. ACF’s other programs, including those that support clean water, sanitation, and hundreds of health clinics, remain in limbo.

“This grant will save thousands of children,” the staffer added. “But we can’t stop here.”

As foreign aid from countries like the UK, Germany, and Canada also declines, private philanthropy is becoming a lifeline. PRO’s team believes their work can help sustain critical services during a fragile time for global humanitarian response.

“Our mission,” said Rosenbaum, “is to keep the lights on long enough to save lives.”

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