The US funding freeze has emerged as a major shock to civil society organisations (CSOs) worldwide. The US Government’s funding has historically supported humanitarian, developmental and advocacy work on a huge scale. With nearly $60 billion in planned ODA (Official Development Assistance) disbursements halted and USAID’s operations effectively reduced to a skeleton staff, the funding freeze is causing catastrophic consequences for CSOs and the communities they serve.
This decision has also triggered a domino effect, with several other countries announcing significant cuts to their aid and development budgets. The UK has slashed its funding by 40%, while Germany and France are also planning substantial reductions.
In response to this crisis, the EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE)—a consortium of international CSOs and network members operating in 86 countries—conducted a survey among its network members to assess the impact of these funding freezes. The findings, published in March, reveal alarming trends and have already informed our advocacy efforts at the European Parliament and other key forums.
Since January 2025, the EU SEE Network members have documented a growing number of alerts linked to global funding cuts affecting CSOs. Civil society organisations are sounding the alarm: essential services are being shut down, staff laid off, and the space for democratic participation further constrained. In several contexts, funding freezes are also being used to delegitimize civil society, reinforce anti-NGO narratives, and propose new regulatory restrictions.
To continue this critical conversation, the EU SEE consortium is convening a webinar to bring together our civil society, donors, governments, aid agencies and the broader community. This will be an opportunity to discuss our survey results, exchange insights, and explore alternative strategies to help CSOs navigate these challenging times.