ActionAid USA

ActionAid's vision is a just, equitable, and sustainable world in which every person enjoys the right to dignity, and freedom from poverty and all forms of oppression.

We know this can only be done by shifting power – towards communities and away from elites – and aid as traditionally practiced does not accomplish this. That’s why we take action in partnership with people on the frontlines of poverty and injustice. Together, we tackle the symptoms of unequal power – poverty, hunger, gender-based violence, climate change, conflict, and disaster – and challenge the ideologies, legal systems, and social norms that lie underneath.

ActionAid USA is the U.S. branch of ActionAid International, which works in more than 40 countries to achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication. We influence U.S. policy and international institutions like the United Nations and elevate marginalized voices in the halls of power.

At ActionAid, we know that sustainable, equitable solutions grow from the ground, up.

Through our signature rights-based approach, we partner with local problem-solvers and grassroots movements who are reclaiming their communities' rights to everything from equality, to safety, to nutritious food. As these leaders spearhead their own visions for progress, we amplify their efforts and connect them with larger movements for change. We elevate the leadership of women, youth, and other chronically underrepresented community members – who are often among the most creative and resilient problem-solvers around.

Using a rights-based approach means pairing community change with policy action. For example, as we work beside farmers to increase yields and protect the environment, we also support them to become advocates who challenge government actors at the local, national, and international levels to invest in family farms and environmental stewardship.

ActionAid has a presence in 40 countries worldwide, and we have more than 48 years of experience partnering with excluded communities to reclaim their rights. In 2003, we were the first international non-profit to move our headquarters from the global North to the global South (London, UK to Johannesburg, South Africa), and we pioneered the rights-based approach that is now recognized as a quality standard for sustainable change.

Despite our breadth, we have an extremely locally-driven culture: 98% of our staff are from the country where they work, and many offices are governed by independent Boards of Directors. That's why we are known for supporting and scaling grassroots solutions to complex challenges – solutions that are community-owned, locally-led, and contextually appropriate.

Every day, we move the marker on progress just a little further. Here's a small sample:
100,000 women in 24 countries increased their control over land or other natural resources.
324,000 women in 30 countries challenged gender-based violence.
4,500 schools in 28 countries reported improved access to free, safe, quality education for boys and girls.
45,000 people were empowered to identify and plan for climate-related risks and natural disasters in their communities.
50 coalitions in 16 countries actively collaborated with ActionAid on fair and corruption-free taxation (“tax justice") campaigns.
790 local governments in 22 countries took steps to increase accountability to communities in their jurisdiction.

In 2018, ActionAid rolled out our new 10-year strategy, Action for Global Justice. It represents the next step in our evolution as an organization, rooting us more deeply in the communities where we work and alongside the people whose rights we support. Our vision remains the same, but in a world of deepening inequality and rising division, our commitment to local leadership, community-based solutions, and feminist principles is stronger than ever before.