Trump to scrap US African Development Foundation, US Institute of Peace

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for the effective elimination of the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, and the U.S. Institute of Peace — describing them as “unnecessary.” “Reducing the size of the Federal Government will minimize Government waste and abuse, reduce inflation, and promote American freedom and innovation,” stated the executive order, which was issued late on Feb. 19. “The following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” All three entities were created by Congress around 50 years ago, with the oldest institution — the Inter-American Foundation — established in 1969. The U.S. African Development Foundation, or USADF, provides funding to small- and medium-sized organizations, entrepreneurs, and businesses across the African continent. The Inter-American Foundation awards small grants to civil society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the U.S. Institute of Peace, an independent nonprofit organization, is focused on resolving armed conflicts, bridging the country’s military and development sectors in dozens of countries worldwide. “It is the policy of my Administration to dramatically reduce the size of the Federal Government, while increasing its accountability to the American people,” Trump wrote in Wednesday’s directive. “This order commences a reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.” For decades, the agencies have operated on relatively small budgets, hovering between $40 to $55 million a year, according to the organizations’ past financial reports. Despite that, each agency has faced its share of scrutiny over the years — the U.S. Institute of Peace, for example, has been criticized as having an overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning staff; the U.S. African Development Foundation, meanwhile, has been accused of “misusing” foundation funds by USAID’s Inspector General and Republican lawmakers. However, later financial audits found “no reportable noncompliance,” according to the most recent OIG report. Now, the Trump Administration is requiring the head of each agency to submit a report to the director of the Office of Management and Budget within 14 days of the executive order, confirming compliance with Trump’s directive and clarifying whether each agency is “statutorily required and to what extent.” “Such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” states the executive order, which also targets the Presidio Trust, the federal agency that manages one of San Francisco’s most historic parks. In the same directive, Trump is disbanding councils and committees across the federal government, including the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. The group was established after World War II to provide a link between the U.S. government and private organizations working in the humanitarian and development sectors — but within 14 days, that committee will be terminated too. Additional councils targeted include the Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Long COVID and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Health Equity Advisory Committee, among several others. “As we have successfully worked under seven previous administrations since our founding under Ronald Reagan, we see this as an opportunity to understand how USIP can best work with the new Trump administration to advance our shared goals of keeping Americans safe, secure, and more prosperous,” a spokesperson from the U.S. Institute of Peace told Devex in a written statement. Neither the Inter-American Foundation nor the U.S. African Development Foundation could be reached for comment. Update, Feb. 25, 2025: This article has been updated to clarify that the U.S. Institute of Peace is an independent nonprofit organization.