Voice of Islam Radio: How Founders Pledge is Responding to Global Aid Cuts

Thank you to Voice of Islam Radio for hosting our Chief Experience Officer, Matt Hurst-Smith, to discuss how Founders Pledge is identifying and prioritizing the most impactful causes in light of recent federal aid cuts.

In response to the USAID shutdown, we launched our Rapid Response Fund just over a month ago, raising over $3 million so far. This fund, created in partnership with The Life You Can Save, identifies highly effective, evidence-based programs that have been directly affected by these cuts, ensuring we can act quickly to support those most in need.

Matt shared during the interview:

"I think there’s a growing expectation that when institutions pull back, those with the means should step up — including filling crucial funding gaps. Right now, there are a lot of conversations about how to not only plug the holes left by these cuts but also rebuild critical infrastructure and services in a more holistic way.

At Founders Pledge, we’re well-placed to potentially make some highly catalytic grants in this space, but it’s still unclear what the best path forward is for that broader rebuild. Hopefully, we’ll move towards a more sustainable system in the future. In the interim, private donors and entrepreneurs have a unique ability to be highly flexible with their giving. They can fund fast, without the bureaucracy or political delays that often hold up institutional donors."

Matt emphasized that sometimes the most impactful action isn’t creating something new but rather supporting existing solutions that already have infrastructure and expertise in place. Founders Pledge exists to help donors navigate these decisions and ensure their giving achieves the greatest possible good.

There are also misconceptions about what effective philanthropy looks like. Matt pointed out that emotionally compelling initiatives aren’t always the most effective. For example, improving education might not mean building more schools, but rather addressing health issues like malaria or intestinal worms — often through incredibly cost-effective interventions — which can have a much bigger impact on school attendance and improving educational outcomes.