Like many of you, our team has spent the last three weeks assessing the implications of the recent executive actions affecting foreign aid. We have also been focused on how best to help our members during what amounts to an existential crisis for many organizations.
Some of our members have asked why SID-US is not lobbying Congress against the Administration’s policies or even suing the Administration over its actions related to foreign assistance. We would like to address that question here.
SID-US is a non-advocacy organization dedicated to fostering a knowledgeable and informed community of globally engaged institutions and individuals. SID-US is not robustly funded, and, unlike advocacy or lobbying groups, we focus our limited resources on convening all actors in international development for dialogue, collaboration, and collective learning. We also communicate with and educate the public about international development. We act as a convener of a diverse range of members, including governments, the private sector, NGOs, philanthropies, faith-based organizations, academia, foreign embassies, and individuals, with equally diverse views about the best approaches to international development. Our neutrality allows us to foster relationships with government agencies in all administrations.
As recent executive actions continue to reshape the field of international development, we will support our members by providing a neutral platform for informed discussion and analysis among all actors. And, while we do not engage in advocacy efforts, we can gather and share information and connect our members to resources – including organizations that engage in advocacy.
We are reworking our programming for the coming months to try to provide opportunities that meet the changing needs of our members. We are also revising the format of the Newsletter as we recognize priorities have shifted. We will continue to work hard to support all our members through convening, information sharing, and education. As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments. Please send us an email at [email protected].
This statement was originally released in our e-Newsletter on February 12, 2025.