Dear Trickle Up Supporter,
By now, you have heard of the devastating pause in January on all U.S. foreign assistance programs. Last week, the Trump administration canceled 92% of all outstanding USAID grants, including vital programs like PEPFAR. The administration has also fired 2,000 USAID workers and put thousands of foreign service officers on leave.
The scale of this all is, in a word, unimaginable. As NPR and others have reported, the actions effectively gut the six decades-old agency, setting back a half-century of progress in international development efforts, global public health progress, and vital national and global security measures.
The importance of foreign aid and humanitarian assistance simply cannot be overstated. In the wake of these adverse changes, communities around the world will suffer dire consequences. Global hunger will increase. Economic inclusion will decline. Women and girls will experience even deeper vulnerability and marginalization.
For these reasons, I am writing to ask if you would consider a special gift to Trickle Up today to stand in solidarity with us and with the women we serve who get up every day and work hard to forge resilient pathways out of poverty.
Trickle Up’s mission is to build a world that is free from extreme poverty. Beyond that, our team does this work because we believe that investing in women is the right thing to do. In a society where many leaders have strayed from helping and uplifting others, we must do the work ourselves, with your help, to build communities of support and compassion. We must reinvest in the idea of doing the right thing.
I am the proud granddaughter of two brave men who volunteered to serve our country in WWII—in our time of greatest need—and the daughter of an Air Force Colonel and an elementary school teacher. I was raised to believe that there is meaning in serving our country and in serving our communities at home and around the world. I also know that across America, the values of serving those in greatest need still exist.
Groups like Trickle Up must step up now, more than ever, to ensure that vital humanitarian and development efforts continue to reach those who need them. We are uniquely poised to help maintain the strength of our global community by partnering with local organizations and governments around the world to provide direct assistance to people. But as this is a community effort, we need your help.
We know that a difficult path lies ahead of us—but if you stand with us, we can continue our work. In times of instability and uncertainty, we are much stronger together than we are apart. If you are able, please make a gift today to support Trickle Up’s programs and initiatives that combat poverty and exclusion. Your generosity helps us create a global community that values compassion, stability, and security for all.
With gratitude,
Lauren Hendricks, President and CEO
