New Philanthropic Model Unlocks $4.5M to Protect Global Health Programs Amid Foreign Aid Cuts
In response to funding gaps caused by recent U.S. foreign aid cuts, a new philanthropic partnership has mobilized $4.5 million to sustain critical global health and humanitarian programs that might otherwise not be able to survive. Project Resource Optimization (PRO), an initiative created to drive more effective giving in a time of government aid rollbacks, has joined forces with the Rapid Response Fund created by Founders Pledge and The Life You Can Save to efficiently channel resources where they are needed most. Together, the organizations are set out to backfill funding for critical resources, save programs fighting extreme poverty, and ultimately, save lives.
Formed by a team of ex-USAID employees focused on cost-effectiveness and evidence-based policy in humanitarian and development sectors, PRO has developed a database of the most critical funding opportunities and works with funders one-to-one to create recommendations based on their own priorities and criteria. The Urgent & Vetted tool on the platform currently identifies nearly 40 projects in critical need of funding with more than a $60 million funding gap. Similarly, The Life You Can Save and Founders Pledge are nonprofits dedicated to researching and vetting highly effective charities to solve the world's most pressing problems and maximize every dollar donated. When The Life You Can Save joined forces with Founders Pledge to launch the Rapid Response Fund in February 2025, the joint effort raised over $6 million in just four months for lifesaving health interventions and humanitarian causes across the globe.
Now, PRO Impact and the Rapid Response Fund have established a new collaboration for philanthropic response through matching and crowdfunding. The joint funding initiative encourages individual donors to make conditional commitments to pre-vetted projects, and once other donors contribute 70% of a project's budget, the Rapid Response Fund commits to funding the remaining 30%. This approach reduces risk for individual donors while ensuring programs get fully funded rather than partially supported.
“We found a natural alignment between our goal to connect donors looking to support the most cost-effective and impactful programs in the wake of government cuts, and the Rapid Response Fund’s efforts to sustain lifesaving programs in the most at-risk communities across the world,” said Robert Rosenbaum, an independent consultant for PRO. “At a time when foreign aid cuts are creating dangerous funding gaps, this partnership ensures lifesaving work continues without delay. Together, we’re ensuring that proven, high-impact programs continue to deliver results where they are needed most.”
"This collaboration represents more than just coordination— it's piloting a new model for how philanthropy can respond to crises,” said Matt Lerner, Managing Director of Research at Founders Pledge. “By pooling donations from multiple donors and matching individual contributions with money from our Rapid Response Fund, we're making it easier for donors of all sizes to support high-impact programs.”
Just two months into the PRO and Rapid Response Fund partnership, the partnership has already anticipated a combined $4.5 million in donations and commitments. Organizations expected to receive initial grant funding include an anticipated $2.5 million to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Sudan and an anticipated $2 million to JSI, Inc. in Mozambique.
The organizations behind the partnership are committed to driving long-term, sustainable change in how effective giving is approached. Their focus extends beyond short-term relief, but rather, to build coordinated, collaborative funding models that can strengthen the global philanthropic ecosystem for years to come.
“Addressing challenges of this scale requires collective action,” said Jessica La Mesa, Co-CEO of The Life You Can Save. “We believe the future of philanthropy depends on strategic partnerships that prioritize long-term solutions over fragmented, short-term fixes. By joining forces with Founders Pledge and PRO, we’re creating a more coordinated and sustainable approach to ensuring that critical programs not only survive, but thrive.”
While this is the first fundraising initiative between all of these organizations, future funding opportunities are in the works for additional high-impact nonprofits.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.
