Appe Discusses How Nonprofits Can Tackle Funding Gaps in 'The Conversation'

The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes more foreign aid than any other country in the world.
The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes more foreign aid than any other country in the world.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 4, 2025) — The U.S. government is the largest provider of foreign assistance in the world. With USAID facing significant cuts under the Trump administration, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy Associate Professor Susan Appe writes in "The Conversation" how nonprofits can fill the funding gaps that are likely ahead.

"The U.S. government gives other nations US$68 billion of foreign assistance annually – more than any other country," writes Appe. "Over half of this sum is managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, including funds for programs aimed at fighting hunger and disease outbreaks, providing humanitarian relief in war zones, and supporting other lifesaving programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief."

"Over the years, I have conducted hundreds of interviews with international nongovernmental organizations and these nonprofits’ local partners across Latin America, Africa and Asia about their services and funding sources," continued Appe. "I study the strategies those development and humanitarian assistance groups follow when aid gets halted. These four are the most common."

Appe and her research partners point to shifting to national or local government funding, earning income through charging fees, tapping into local philanthropy and obtaining support from diaspora communities as potential drivers for income.

Appe is an associate professor of public administration and policy at UAlbany.