Rapid Response Fund launched to sustain critical global health and development programs
New initiative gives immediate support to high-impact programs affected by recent cuts to foreign aid.
Founders Pledge and The Life You Can Save, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting extreme poverty, have announced today the formation of their Rapid Response Fund.
In the face of imminent federal funding cuts, the Fund will ensure that some of the world’s highest-impact charities and programs can continue to function. Affected organizations include those offering critical interventions, particularly in basic health services, maternal and child health, infectious disease control, mental health, domestic violence, and organized crime.
“If these essential programs lose funding, the consequences will be severe—both immediately and in the long term—not just for the programs themselves, but for the millions of people who depend on them,” said Jessica La Mesa, Co-CEO of The Life You Can Save. “The Rapid Response Fund was created to help bridge critical funding gaps and ensure that life-saving health services continue reaching the communities that rely on them. We are mobilizing individual and corporate donors to take action now, so resources can be deployed where they are needed most.”
“Last year, the U.S. contributed nearly $4 billion to health initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, with about two-thirds supporting basic health services and one-third allocated to HIV/AIDS programs,” La Mesa added. “Without alternative funding, many of these programs will no longer be able to provide essential care, leading to preventable illness and worsening health and development outcomes. Our goal is to direct resources effectively so that critical interventions are spared.”
Founders Pledge and The Life You Can Save have a long track record of evaluating nonprofit organizations and interventions using rigorous, evidence-based criteria to identify those that deliver the greatest impact. For years, they have guided donors in directing their contributions to organizations that maximize positive outcomes.
Through their partnership in the Rapid Response Fund, The Life You Can Save and Founders Pledge are leveraging their expertise in charity evaluation and strategic philanthropy to direct funding where it is most urgently needed. With their extensive experience identifying high-impact organizations, they will ensure resources are allocated to preserve essential programs that are at risk due to the aid suspension. This initiative aims to sustain vital progress in global health and development and prevent setbacks that would take decades to recover from.
David Goldberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders Pledge said: “For years, philanthropists and governments alike have funded interventions to fight extreme poverty and to create a cleaner, safer and more sustainable planet. As the federal government takes a step back, it's vital that philanthropists step forward to ensure that the highest-impact initiatives can continue.
This is an emergency, and the Rapid Response Fund will enable anyone anywhere to act with the urgency this situation demands."
