When USAID was officially closed in 2025, 83% of its global programs ended or had their funding canceled (Mbah et al. 2025). The US is the world's biggest aid foreign donor - the implications of these cuts were tremendous. Within the context of this development, I had the privilege of completing internships at two international organizations focused on immigration and refugee support: INHURED International in Kathmandu, Nepal, and The HOME Project in Athens, Greece. Both organizations were deeply affected from significant cuts in funding from USAID and other donors.
I set out with three primary goals. The first was to build a cross-cultural understanding of the global refugee crisis by working within both an Eastern and a Western context. The next was to observe how an increase in funding cuts has affected NGOs working within the refugee sector and to understand the impact this has had on the refugee crisis. Finally, I worked to understand how funding in general affects the function, efficacy, and ethicality of NGOs. My research was centered around a lofty question: how can NGOs make funding more sustainable, effective, and ethical? Could NGOs truly separate from the control of capitalist and governmental sectors and still receive funding without becoming four profit organizations (and therefore engaging in capitalism)?
My work began in the bustling city of Kathmandu, Nepal where I worked with the organization INHURED International, a human rights organization that works alongside the UN and national governments to advance refugee protection through research, advocacy, and policy work. Nepal, like many other developing countries, was one of the countries hit the hardest by USAID funding cuts (Adegoke 2025). The founder of INHURED, Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, told me “In Nepali metaphor, USAID grants can be considered as a whole “Bhakaaree” (a giant reserve container) and others as a “duno” (a tiny leafy bowl) in terms of disparity between the two on the scope and scale of funding”. Funding from USAID had counted for ⅓ of the organization's total funds. In my one month period working with the organization, I spent the majority of my time helping the organization apply for grants although I also contributed to policy briefs, participated in fieldwork at refugee camps, and researched legal issues affecting the refugee population.
Along with helping the organization, I also furthered my individual research on the organizational structure of NGOs, with a specific focus on immigration. Using a sociological approach, my research focused on understanding the role of NGOs within the broader spheres of capitalism, imperialism, and government to examine the efficacy of NGOs. Rather than being an isolated entity, NGOs are deeply shaped and influenced by society (Watkins et al. 2012). Most NGOs struggle to find funding and have the self interest of wanting to stay alive - which can have adverse effects (Helliker 2012). Many NGOs recenter their goals from local problems to large issues to attract global funders. In many cases, this severely limits the effectiveness of NGOs. Another large source of funding for NGOs is government funding, which provides nearly ⅓ to ½ of total funding (Clerkin et al. 2025). Rather than being Non-Government organizations, NGOs are in reality deeply tethered to their government systems through funding. James Petras says NGOs “work as private sub-contractors of local governments” (Petras 2007). In many cases, both government funding and private investor subsidies can take away the autonomy of NGOs (Ali 2016).
Extreme budget cuts from the Trump administration have sparked growing nationalist tendencies from other countries, causing them to also cut funding. INHURED lost a significant amount of funding, and therefore turned to global grants as a new funding source. In applying for these grants, I noticed many shared only a small correlation to the mission of the NGO, forcing INHURED to pivot and create new programs to apply for the grant. Through this research, I discovered funding to be a major barrier for many NGOs in terms of not only efficacy but also ethicality.
My time spent in Nepal was profoundly moving in ways I am still processing. It reframed how I think about humanitarian work not as something done for people, but alongside people who are already doing the harder part themselves. This opportunity gave me the space to meaningfully reflect on and strengthen who I am as a leader. My primary leadership strength is belief. Nepal is an extremely religious country with both Hinduism and Buddhism strongly present in the culture. This filtered into the NGO I worked for. The altruistic values of religion helped to guide the NGO with purpose and passion. I found that as a leader I thrived in this environment - one where people believed in the power of the work they did. During a time of extreme instability for NGOs, employees at INHURED never gave up hope and continued to fight for the mission of their work.
I then moved to Athens, Greece to begin my internship with The HOME Project, which is an organization with a mission closely aligned with INHURED's, but with a dedicated focus on unaccompanied refugee minors. During my time at The HOME Project, I used what I had discovered through my research and experiences in Nepal to restructure the organization’s donation framework. My project worked to make it easier for everyday individuals to get involved in supporting the funding for the organization, easing the NGO’s reliance on unreliable government funding or big business donors with skewed interests. This also helped to expand the organization's base of support.
This opportunity gave me a deep respect for what it takes to keep an NGO running with funding gaps and a deeply complicated bureaucratic system. Despite numerous setbacks, The HOME Project has never faltered in showing up for the people in their care. During my time here, I was able to further my leadership skill as a developer. It felt impactful for me to expand on the incredible work done by the organization and to develop it into something greater. I also had the opportunity to explore another one of my key leadership skills: intellection. While in Greece, I had the opportunity to reflect deeply. Each day I would walk 40 minutes to work and 40 minutes home. During this hour and 20 minutes, I had time to think about the project I was doing and what it all meant. This time helped me contextualize my work as a reflection of who I am as a person. At work, I had opportunities to engage in discussion where co-workers and I could engage in meaningful dialogue about the refugee crisis and its impact on Greece. This furthered my reflection.
Throughout the summer I came to realize some truths that are very important to me as a leader. Although simple, I realized that my main priority as a leader is to treat others around me with kindness and understanding. I learned that when having difficult conversations it is deeply important to engage in a critical reflection of why the other person is feeling or thinking the way they are. It is also important to take this a step further and view this reflection through a lens of understanding. I also discovered that it is important for the work I do to feel meaningful or else I won't be able to show up as an effective leader. I realized how much more enriching my work and leadership feels when I am in spaces where I can deeply interact with the individuals I am working with and for. I thrive on human interaction, as I believe that strong relationships are one of the most powerful vessels for change. Throughout all of this, I have learned to slow down. I learned that sometimes the best response isn't optimism - it is simply staying calm. I was so lucky to meet so many incredible people during my work. I realized how important it is to have mentors, and to truly listen and seek out the stories of others. I know I won't fully understand the gravity of all the lessons I have learned for a while to come as there is just so much to reflect on. For now, I am left feeling deeply grateful and moved.
Works Cited
Ali, Tahir Mahmood, and Sana Gull. "Government Funding to the NGOs: A Blessing or a Curse?" International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, vol. 5, no. 6, 2016, pp. 51–61, https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v5i6.607.
Clerkin, Cathleen, et al. "How Reliant Are Nonprofits on Government Grants?" Candid, 6 Feb. 2025, candid.org/blogs/how-many-nonprofits-rely-on-government-grants-data/.
"Countries Worst Hit by USAID Cuts." Semafor, 12 Feb. 2025, www.semafor.com/article/02/12/2025/countries-worst-hit-by-usaid-cuts.
Helliker, Kirk. "Marx, Weber and NGOs." South African Review of Sociology, vol. 38, no. 2, 2007, p. 120, https://doi.org/10.1080/21528586.2007.10419171.
Mbah, Ruth Endam, et al. "The Impact of USAID Budget Cuts on Global Development Initiatives: A Review of Challenges, Responses, and Implications." Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, vol. 12, no. 4, 2025, pp. 219–232, www.researchgate.net/publication/391701803.
Petras, James. "NGOs: In the Service of Imperialism." Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 29, no. 4, 1999, pp. 429–440, https://doi.org/10.1080/00472339980000221.
Watkins, Susan Cotts, et al. "Outsourcing Social Transformation: Development NGOs as Organizations." Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 38, 2012, pp. 285–315, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-071811-145516.
