New Philanthropic Model Unlocks $4.5 Million to Safeguard Global Health Programs Amidst Foreign Aid Cuts

[SEATTLE, WA - June 19, 2025] — 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. To learn more about the Rapid Response Fund, visit: https://www.founderspledge.com/funds/rapid-response-fund. More information about the partnership with PRO can be found online here: https://proimpact.tools/rapid-response.

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About The Life You Can Save

The Life You Can Save was founded to promote high-impact philanthropy, meaning giving that is research-based and cost-effective. Its mission is to improve the lives of people living in poverty by changing the way people think about and donate to charity. The team at The Life You Can Save does research to develop a list of recommended nonprofits delivering high-impact interventions across all of the dimensions of poverty. The Life You Can Save works to raise awareness of and connect donors with its recommended giving opportunities to increase the impact of giving. Through research and funds, The Life You Can Save offers a simplified donating process for individuals who want to maximize their impact in uplifting people experiencing extreme poverty. Learn more about high-impact philanthropy at thelifeyoucansave.org.

About Founders Pledge

Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs to do the most good possible with their charitable giving. Since 2015, our growing community has given almost $1.5 billion to charities and has pledged $11 billion more. We provide tailored advice on high-impact charities vetted by our in-house research team, as well as the infrastructure to enable ambitious, international grantmaking through our Donor Advised Funds, coupled with invitations to private events to connect & learn. Our members include fast-growth start-ups as well as the people behind household brands including Bolt, Unity, Klarna, Wise, Webflow, Twelve and Replicate. Together, we are funding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, from health & education to climate change, AI safety and existential risk.

Learn more about making high-impact giving the norm at founderspledge.com.

About PRO Impact

Project Resource Optimization (PRO) is an independent, time-bound initiative launched in March 2025 to help donors respond effectively to the sudden disruption of USAID-funded programs. PRO Impact was developed by a team of researchers and advisors with expertise in development economics, U.S. foreign aid, and philanthropic grantmaking. Their goal is to help interested funders minimize the harms of this period of transition by directing funds to the most cost-effective, life-saving aid programs. Hosted by the Center for Global Development, PRO leverages its team’s deep technical expertise and trusted networks to help private funders get critical impact back on track. Learn more about PRO at proimpact.tools.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The Abbi Agency
tlycs@theabbiagency.com

Barbara Calixto, The Life You Can Save barbara.calixto@thelifeyoucansave.org

James Michael Nichols, Founders Pledge
james@founderspledge.com