@AfricanNGOs and EPIC-Africa are excited to release our new report on the impact of US Government funding cuts on African civil society organisations (CSOs).

You can download the report here.

On 20 January 2025, the newly inaugurated US President, Donald Trump, signed an executive order titled “Re-evaluating and Re-aligning US Foreign Aid,” which suspended nearly all US international development assistance.

This decision marked a significant departure from decades of US development policy, shifting priorities to domestic fiscal goals over long-term global engagement.
The suspension and eventual termination of US Government development assistance led to widespread global programme terminations and funding withdrawals. In Africa, the impact was profound and widespread, significantly affecting African civil society organisations (CSOs) and the communities they support.

To understand the extent and nature of the impact on African CSOs, @AfricanNGOs and EPIC-Africa conducted a comprehensive pan-African survey from 17 March to 4 April 2025.

The survey generated responses from 364 African CSOs across 42 countries – 243 CSOs which were recipients of USG funding and directly impacted by the funding cuts, and 121 non-USG-funded CSOs which were impacted indirectly due to the fall-out and consequences of the funding cuts.

The survey findings present a troubling picture of vulnerability and uncertainty across the sector. For many CSOs, the impact was immediate and far-reaching. This was not a temporary freeze or disruption; it represented a permanent loss of funding from the outset. Notably, 46.5% of respondents indicated that they had already received termination notices at the time of participating in the survey.

The loss of funding was significant. Many African CSOs have benefited from US government support, constituting a substantial portion of their overall funding. In 2024, 35.4% of these CSOs received more than 50% of their funding from US government sources, while 16% received between 31% and 50%.

As a result of the funding cuts, 38.3% of these CSOs reported losing more than 50% of their total funding for 2025. Additionally, 55.6% indicated that their operations have been severely impacted and that they would be unable to achieve their goals for 2025. Furthermore, 64.6% stated that the communities they serve are severely affected, with critical services being discontinued.

Looking ahead, the future appears grim for many African CSOs.

A significant 64% of respondents indicated that funding cuts threaten their long-term survival. Additionally, 72.9% expressed little to no confidence in their ability to sustain operations over the next 12 months, while 73.8% lack confidence in securing alternative, long-term funding. Although the funding and organisational goals of non-USG-funded CSOs were relatively unaffected, 41.3% reported service disruptions to communities.

This situation highlights the deep interconnectedness of African civil society.

The cuts in USG funding have caused widespread disruption across the sector, threatening the survival of many African CSOs and impacting networks, coalitions, and grassroots partners that have never received USG funds. These cuts have disrupted frontline and essential services in health, education, livelihoods, emergency assistance, and other critical areas, often the only support available within communities. As a result, significant gaps have emerged in HIV treatment, child and maternal health, education, and food security across the continent.

One long-recognised vulnerability of many African CSOs – over-reliance on a single donor – has now escalated into an acute system failure.

However, the purpose of our report is not only to document the challenges confronting many African CSOs.

While it is crucial to understand the scale and scope of the impact of the funding cuts, it also serves as a call to reimagine the architecture of African civil society financing.

Based on the survey findings, we have identified four strategic pillars for reform and action:

• Capital – Shifting from project-driven aid to flexible, core funding;
• System – Shifting from siloed interventions to creating ecosystem infrastructure;
• Partnership – Shifting from compliance to co-creation;
• Innovation – Shifting from donor-led pilots to African-designed solutions.

These pillars are not merely aspirational or new; they reflect what African CSOs have long, and consistently, identified as the tools of sustainability. They also reflect a broader consensus across Africa and globally, as expressed by movements, networks and coalitions advocating for systemic change. Creating a shared blueprint for long-term sustainability should be a collective impact initiative led by African CSOs, with support from governments, funders and intermediaries.

Alongside the urgent need for immediate humanitarian relief, this is the core recommendation in our report.

A concerted and coordinated effort is critical to reimagine the sector’s future, ensuring that CSOs can effectively serve their communities and sustain social progress in the aftermath of the funding crisis. African CSOs recognise the need for change; 93.8% of survey respondents expressed their willingness to collaborate with other affected CSOs to address both individual and collective challenges.

Alongside the urgent need for immediate humanitarian relief, this is the core recommendation in our report.

A concerted and coordinated effort is critical to reimagine the sector’s future, ensuring that CSOs can effectively serve their communities and sustain social progress in the aftermath of the funding crisis. African CSOs recognise the need for change; 93.8% of survey respondents expressed their willingness to collaborate with other affected CSOs to address both individual and collective challenges.

The question is not whether to act, but rather when and how.

(We invite comments and feedback on the report and references to current or planned initiatives addressing the challenges African CSOs face due to the USG funding cuts.)