Podcast Summary: This Week in Global Development

Episode: The Potential Exodus of NGOs from the US, and the Rise of Authoritarianism
Hosts: Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, Rumbi Chakamba
Date: October 30, 2025

Overview

This episode explores two interconnected themes shaping the global development landscape:

1. The increasingly hostile environment for US-based nonprofits and NGOs under the Trump administration, prompting many to consider relocating or establishing overseas entities.
2. The broader trend of rising authoritarianism, with shrinking civic space not only globally but now within the US itself, as highlighted at the recent Trust Conference in London.

The hosts break down the US policy environment, legal uncertainties, international ripple effects, and the implications for global development priorities, including debt relief and major upcoming summits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Exodus of US-based NGOs: Causes and Challenges

Host: Anna (00:43–03:58)

• Hostile Policy Environment:

  • US President Donald Trump has been accused of targeting progressive/left-leaning organizations with threats and allegations ranging from terrorism ties to tax evasion.
  • Example: Open Society Foundations (OSF) and George Soros specifically targeted, facing accusations and preparing for legal battles.
  • Trump has even discussed blocking US charities from sending funds abroad—a historic precedent if pursued (00:45–01:52).

• Nonprofits Seeking Overseas Entities:

  • Surge in US-based charities inquiring about setting up in Canada and the UK.
  • "Our colleague Jess Abraham spoke to a lawyer in Canada who says he's received inquiries that are like 10 times over what he normally receives about setting up offices in Canada." (Rumbi, 00:20)
  • However, establishing overseas entities poses significant regulatory and tax challenges.

• Sector Response:

  • Open letters, petitions, and public condemnation of the administration’s actions.
  • Example: One open letter had 3,700 signatures condemning a "campaign to silence these groups via executive order." (01:56–02:25)

• Legal Ambiguity:

  • "Legally, you cannot kind of sic IRS and the Treasury Department on groups for purely partisan political reasons. But as we've seen, President Trump has been able to bend the justice system to his will." (Anna, 03:15)

2. The Nonprofit 'Killer Clause,' Fear, and Operating Environment

Host: Alyssa (04:43–07:01)

• Instability & Fear:

  • "There has been for the last year, a level of fear in the air about what nonprofits can and can't do, what foundations can and can't do, and what people feel comfortable with." (Alyssa, 04:52)
  • Nonprofit 'killer clause': Proposed legislative language would have made it easier for Treasury to declare organizations as terrorist-supporting entities based on allegations alone.

• Operational Shocks:

  • Example: Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) stopping grants to US organizations due to legal uncertainty (04:24).
  • "This Children's Investment Fund story... really, really big shook a lot of organizations in our sector. And I think people are still trying to figure out like, okay, what does this mean?" (Alyssa, 06:24)

3. Why the Pushback is Tepid and Fragmented

Hosts: Anna & Alyssa (07:43–11:31)

• Rapid Political Pace:

  • "Trump administration moves really, really fast... By the time you're now ready to mount a response, it is done." (Rumbi & Anna, 07:35)

• Pushback Strategies:

  • Early hope was to keep a low profile and "wait it out," but now open letters, coalition-building, and limited legal action are emerging.
  • Still, these are mostly symbolic, not fundamentally altering government actions (08:35–09:15).

• Legal Cases:

  • Most lawsuits by nonprofits against the administration have failed.
  • Notable exception: "The Inter American Foundation saw a massive win… but the Supreme Court recently sided with President Trump on the biggest case that we were watching…" (Alyssa, 10:18)

4. Consequences for Philanthropy and Global South

Hosts: Anna & Rumbi (11:31–12:40)

• Resource Risk for Smaller Nonprofits:
  • "If charges are ever filed, it's going to be a very difficult battle for them." (Anna, 11:33)
  • Foreign funders like CIFF halting funds may prompt more new organizational models: "Are we going to see more organizations setting up sister organizations in the Global South? Because that could also help with like the localization drive..." (Rumbi, 12:20)

5. Authoritarianism on the Rise: US as a Case Study

Host: Rumbi & Alyssa (13:27–19:50)

• Trust Conference Insights (13:27–17:08):

  • Tactics typical in authoritarian regimes abroad ("foreign agent" laws, shrinking civic space, crackdown on journalism) are now emerging in the US.
  • Global freedoms have declined for 19 straight years.
  • Journalist Asu Kurmasheva shared:
    "Authoritarianism doesn't come in a day, it comes after 10 years." (Trust Conference, cited at 15:44)

• Normalized Erosion of Freedoms:

  • "By the time something shocking happens, it seems normal. And it's not something that you question anymore, which is very interesting." (Rumbi, 17:08)

• US Political Context:

  • Conservative skepticism of democracy promotion and USAID is longstanding but intensified under Trump.
  • Authoritarian practices "set an example" for other regimes. "If the US can do it, we can do it as well." (Anna, 18:30–19:20)

• International Ripple Effects:

  • Actions in the US are cited by leaders like Viktor Orbán in Hungary to justify similar crackdowns.

6. Local Impact: Shrinking Freedoms at Home

Host: Alyssa (19:50–21:23)

• International Trends Go Local:
  • Example: University in Indiana stripping support from student newspaper over content—an echo of national trends of restricting press and civil society.
  • "Global is local and local is global." (Alyssa, 21:02)

7. Global Debt Crisis and Systemic Inequities

Host: Anna (21:23–25:36)

• G20 'Common Framework' for Debt:

  • Praised for including more creditors (incl. China, private sector) but criticized as too slow and creditor-friendly.
  • Example: Zambia’s restructuring took over two years—insufficient for real relief.

• Debt Vicious Cycle:

  • "Debt repayments are taking money away from not just development priorities, but countries industrializing and improving their economies, which in turn is limiting their ability to pay these debts, hence the vicious cycle." (Anna, 24:14)

• Interest Rate Inequities:

  • Ghana can be penalized for African regional instability, while Greece is not for Europe’s wars:
    "Greece, for example, in terms of interest rates, will not be punished by the war in Ukraine, but Ghana perhaps will be punished with high interest rates because of the war in Sudan." (Anna, 24:45)

• Skepticism About Reform:

  • G20’s debt declaration "frustrated that it didn't have a lot of details." (Anna, 25:24)

8. Global Summits & the Attention to Social Development

Host: Alyssa (26:02–29:25)

• World Summit for Social Development (“Social Summit”) in Doha:

  • First held since 1995; centered around eradicating poverty, expanding employment, and building inclusive societies.
  • Pre-drafted declaration to be signed; strong tie-in with the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Sidelined topics include debt, gender, climate, and prosperity “floors.”
  • "I'm curious to see what the room will feel... there's also a number of different pieces that they've pushed forward as really important." (Alyssa, 28:20)

• COP (UN Climate Conference) and G20 Summit:

  • November will feature wall-to-wall coverage, with the US expected to take a back seat, and "coalition of the willing" driving climate and development actions.
  • “At these gatherings… the countries that are willing to move forward with these issues are simply moving forward. They have accepted that the US is not going to be... really part of a lot of multilateral efforts.” (Anna, 30:26)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Legal Ambiguity:
  "Sometimes it's just the threat of the allegations that will cause reputations to be harmed, that will divert resources, money, attention from the causes nonprofits...are trying to fund." — Anna (03:24)

• On Rapid Government Moves:
  "The Trump administration moves really, really fast... by the time you're now ready to mount a response, it is done." — Rumbi (07:01)

• On Fear Among Nonprofits:
  "I feel like I just heard someone the other day tell me we're just still trying to keep our heads down. And I was like, still, you know, all the programs have been canceled." — Alyssa (09:56)

• On Authoritarian Creep:
  "Authoritarianism doesn't come in a day, it comes after 10 years." — Asu Kurmasheva (as quoted by Alyssa, 15:44)

• On US Influence Abroad:
  "If the US can do it, we can do it as well... especially more that lean authoritarian like you've got Hungary, Viktor Orban..." — Anna (18:43)

• On Debt and Inequity:
  "These debt repayments are taking money away from... countries industrializing and improving their economies, which in turn is limiting their ability to pay these debts, hence the vicious cycle." — Anna (24:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04–03:58: Why US NGOs are seeking to leave the US
• 04:43–07:01: Operational shocks and "nonprofit killer clause"
• 07:35–11:31: Challenges of pushback and legal battles
• 13:27–19:50: Authoritarianism in the US and international resonance
• 21:23–25:36: Global debt crisis and systemic discrimination
• 26:02–29:25: Preview: World Summit for Social Development, COP, and G20 Summit

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling look into mounting pressures on US-based NGOs, the legal and funding risks they face, and how these dynamics both reflect and fuel global trends of declining democracy and restrictive civic space. Upcoming global summits, from Doha’s Social Summit to COP and the G20, may shape the next phase, especially as the US retreats from multilateral leadership.

To follow further analysis and on-the-ground reporting, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to Devex's Newswire and social channels.