OneAID Organizers Update

March 14, 2025

A Note from OneAID Community Organizers

The last seven weeks have felt like seven lifetimes for those of us working in the international assistance space. We have watched a rapid dismantling of an architecture that may have been ready for reform but did not need to be destroyed with a sledgehammer. We have witnessed devastating impacts on the communities we have committed our lives to serving as the United States abandoned its commitments abroad, and we have watched dedicated colleagues from around the world begin to walk into the unknown as we lose the mission-driven careers we loved. As a cadre of doers, and fixers, and people who just generally want to make the world a better place, sitting idly by in this moment just wasn’t an option. Instead, the community came together. USAID staff, implementing partners, friends, family, supporters, and others rallied together trying to find some hope and trying to stop the unraveling of an agency that was not perfect, but did so much good in its 63 year history.

OneAID Community came into being as two USAID colleagues met on February 1 and decided to use their skills from careers across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus [there’s some USAID wonk for you all!] to bring people together and try to do the right thing. We found the other doers and the helpers, hopped on Signal calls, and figured out where the gaps were that needed to be filled in this rapid response advocacy movement. We sought out the trailblazing team behind USAIDStopWork.com whose Stop-Work Order (SWO) groups were already leveraging the expertise of USAID’s implementing partners, and we built out a network of networks focused on factual, consistent messaging that could resonate with all Americans, and help them understand why fighting for USAID and international assistance was not only the important thing to do but the right thing to do.

Dedicated OneAID volunteers and collaborators built this community from there and have since accomplished incredible things, from pounding the pavement on Capitol Hill and in their districts and bringing constituents together for meetings with their representatives, to making sure the press and legal teams in the various court cases got their facts right by sharing the knowledge and expertise from decades of experience, to providing support and care for fellow USAID staff and partners impacted by this tremendous loss.

In just seven short (but long) weeks, the OneAID Community has:

• Built a grassroots effort, coordinated by 30 lead organizers working with over 250 volunteers on press and congressional engagement, information management, staff support, community coordination, social media, and legal issues.

• Supported the establishment of 36 state groups now partnered with OneAID.

• Shared information through our three broadcast channels with over 2,200 Signal users.

• Launched a public-facing website to ensure you have the consistent and reliable information and support you need.

• Published 15 editions of the Community Updates tracking key developments and impacts of the dismantling of USAID and the dramatic changes in international assistance as we knew it, that has become a resource for hill staff, policymakers, and others.

• Facilitated over 30 meetings with Congressional offices in a rapidly changing landscape where the judicial and congressional branches of government were our only means to change the course of events.

  • Within the first 48 hours of being furloughed, a group of more than 25 USAID-contracted staff (ISCs) met with the staff of 8 House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee members, both Democratic and Republican, some of whom USAID staff continue to follow up with.

  • On March 12 alone, more than 80 foreign aid supporters delivered over 250 constituent letters to over 100 Senate and House offices. In addition, constituent-led groups of current and former USAID and implementing partner staff attended scheduled meetings throughout this week (in addition to meetings and letters delivered during previous weeks) with Members and/or staffers in 33 Congressional offices to share their experiences and how foreign aid makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

Next week the OneAID Community is taking a strategic pause to regroup and refocus for the marathon ahead. During this period we will not publish our regular updates but will remain ready to issue flash updates if the ever-changing context requires. Today and always, the OneAID Community stands in solidarity with those who support continued international assistance and believe in upholding democracy— we remain committed to serving as a nonpartisan communication and coordination platform to facilitate our collective efforts.

We would also like to acknowledge and express our sincere appreciation for those beyond this community that have welcomed the information we offer and have used our updates for advocacy. To ensure we are publishing Community Updates that support your efforts and keep you informed, please let us know what is most helpful for you by completing this survey by Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00 pm EST.