2025 was a doozy. Regardless of where on the political spectrum you sit, and where in the world you’re reading this, I think most people would agree that last year was rough.

Significant shifts in public funding priorities, including the shuttering of USAID, created real uncertainty for those working to make our world better. Many highly effective organizations working across global health, climate, AI safety, state fragility and other vital areas faced abrupt funding withdrawal - which of course impacted the lives and future prospects of this and future generations.

Philanthropy cannot replace the scale of government funding, but moments like this test whether private funding can respond with enough speed, judgment and humanity when circumstances change.

At Founders Pledge, we built on what we learned through a decade of research, connection and network-building. In climate, we continued strengthening the ‘Ecoright’ movement in the U.S., having anticipated several years ago that climate philanthropy’s underinvestment in right-of-center voices posed a critical risk. In global health and development, our knowledge and networks meant we could launch our Rapid Response Fund within days of USAID’s demise. We mobilised and disbursed some $13M which was a literal lifeline for some of the most vulnerable living in extreme poverty.

In 2025 alone, our 2,200+ member community pledged over $1.54B, donated $359M to the charitable sector, and gave almost $200M to our high-impact recommendations. These donations are saving lives, averting CO2 emissions, and improving the world’s ability to prevent, mitigate and withstand catastrophic risks.

Our community is proof that private philanthropy can be, and is, a force for good.

I’m deeply grateful to our members and to the Founders Pledge team for meeting a challenging year with care, generosity and focus. As a charity ourselves, our work is only made possible by the generous support we receive every year from our members and wider effective giving community.

Thank you for continuing to be on this journey with us.

David Goldberg
Founder & President