USAID top 10 grantees in 2020: Who received COVID-19 funding?

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The U.S. Agency for International Development’s grant spending has outpaced its contract spending for decades. In the 2020 fiscal year, out of the $21.4 billion obligated through acquisition and assistance mechanisms, 70% went toward assistance mechanisms — including grants and cooperative agreements. Grants accounted for approximately 46.6% of these funds. Cooperative agreements, which require close collaboration with USAID during implementation, made up the remaining 24.8%.

The top multilateral organizations that received USAID funding include the United Nations, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Gavi, United Nations Children’s Fund, International Organization for Migration, and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — the lending branch of the World Bank. Together, they accounted for $6.7 billion in total obligated amount from the agency.

Devex ranked the top 10 USAID grant implementers for the 2020 fiscal year based on obligation data from USASpending.gov, looking at how much COVID-19 funding they received from appropriated funds of the U.S Congress in early 2020, and the biggest COVID-19 related project the grantee was awarded. For the purpose of this ranking, multilateral agencies were excluded from the list.  

Among the top 10 grantees, USAID’s total obligated emergency funding for COVID-19 amounted to $94.6 million. FHI 360 received the biggest chunk worth $24 million, followed by Catholic Relief Services at $23 million, and Save the Children at $19.6 million.

1. FHI 360

Founded: 1971
HQ: North Carolina, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $433.9 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $26 million

The biggest award for COVID-19 emergency funding was under the health, social, and behavioral change communication activity in Malawi, with a $600,000 commitment — all of which had been disbursed — out of the $20.6 million obligated amount for the project.

2. Catholic Relief Services/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Founded: CRS, 1943; USCCB, 1966
HQ: CRS, Maryland, U.S; USCCB, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $345.6 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $22.9 million

Although CRS and USCCB are two different organizations, USAspending tagged them as one. USAID committed $5.1 million for the COVID-19 response under the Emergency Security Program, all of which was disbursed.

3. Save the Children USA

Founded: 1932
HQ: Connecticut, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $227.3 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $23 million

USAID allotted $9 million for emergency food assistance to families in Ethiopia affected by COVID-19, of which 97% has already been disbursed.

4. Mercy Corps

Founded: 1979
HQ: Oregon, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $182.4 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $1.1 million

USAID's biggest COVID-19 response commitment to Mercy Corps was for health and WASH response in Ethiopia, worth $638,688, with 90% of the funding already disbursed.

5. Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening

Founded: 1995
HQ: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $147.6 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $2 million

Under an $8 million contract to advance citizen-responsive democratic governance in Pacific Island countries awarded to CEPPS, USAID allotted $2 million to COVID-19 emergency funding. To date, 10% of this commitment has been disbursed.

6. Anova Health Institute

Founded: 2008
HQ: Johannesburg, South Africa
Obligated amount FY2020: $139.7 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $500,000

Accelerating program achievements to control epidemics is a PEPFAR-USAID program that targets HIV epidemic control in South Africa. Of the total amount, $500,000 was allocated and disbursed for the COVID-19 response to Anova.

7. World Vision

Founded: 1950
Headquarters: Washington, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $130.8 million
COVID-19 Obligated amount FY2020: $12.1 million

A $3.2 million contract was allocated to World Vision to increase community resilience to COVID-19, of which 40% ($1.3 million) has been disbursed.

8. Research Triangle Institute International

Founded: 1958
HQ: North Carolina, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $128.3 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $3.5 million

A five-year USAID program in the Philippines was awarded to RTI that started in 2018. Of the $26.5 million, $3.5 million was allocated to the COVID-19 response, with 75% disbursed. REACHHEALTH, which strengthens family planning services, is the project recipient.

9. Jhpiego

Founded: 1973
HQ: Maryland, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $112.1 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $7 million

Under a five-year $55 million program on local partner initiative with Jhpiego in Kenya, $12.3 million was allocated for COVID-19, with 33% disbursed.

10. Johns Hopkins University

Founded: 1876
HQ: Maryland, U.S.
Obligated amount FY2020: $110.1 million
COVID-19 obligated amount FY2020: $7.1 million

Under the $225 million global Breakthrough Action program of USAID, $5.9 million was allocated for COVID-19 to Johns Hopkins University.

Raquel Alcega contributed reporting to this article.