When Aid Fades
Impacts and Pathways for the Global Democracy Ecosystem
In 2025, the foreign assistance landscape changed radically with the loss of roughly USD 80.5 billion in funding.
To assess the impact of this loss on the democracy, human rights, governance, and peacebuilding (DRGP) sector, IFES collaborated with International IDEA, under the Global Democracy Coalition, to conduct the most comprehensive analysis to date. This report draws on two global surveys of nearly 300 DRGP organizations, interviews, testimonials, and existing research. The report finds democratic institutions and civic space face heightened risks in both the short and long term. However, it also highlights civil society's resilience, which informs recommendations for donors and the international democracy support community going forward.
IFES Global Democracy Data Advisor Dr. Cassandra Emmons co-wrote the report with Annika Silva-Leander and Kourtney Pompi.
When Aid Fades
