Working with Congress, the Executive branch, and other stakeholders, MFAN has earned a reputation for generating practical solutions to spur more effective and accountable U.S. international assistance, centered on the principles of accountability and locally led development.
Through education, advocacy, and convening, we advocate for programs that focus on long-term development outcomes and impact, including innovative approaches and models.
Our priorities include the continued elevation of development as a vital component of American global engagement, and fostering greater collaboration among all U.S. Government agencies involved in foreign assistance, including the State Department, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
MFAN occupies a unique space in Washington given our singular focus on making U.S. foreign assistance more effective, rather than advocating for specific sectoral approaches and funding. Nonetheless, while our work is executed at a macro level, it impacts all sectors of development, including global health, agriculture, economic growth and others.
Our Impact
Since our creation in 2008, MFAN has helped shape major bipartisan reforms to strengthen U.S. development and humanitarian assistance. Across changing political landscapes and administrations, we have convened diverse stakeholders, informed key policy and legislative debates, and advanced practical solutions that improve oversight, transparency, accountability, and long-term development impact.
MFAN has played an important role in shaping landmark bipartisan legislation that modernized U.S. international assistance, including the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act (FATAA) and the BUILD Act, which established the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). We have also contributed to reforms that strengthened global food security, water access, energy development, and aid transparency.
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MFAN has long championed initiatives to elevate development as an essential part of U.S. foreign policy. The Biden Administration’s elevation in 2021 of the USAID Administrator as a permanent member of the National Security Council was a long-time goal of MFAN.
MFAN also helped relaunch the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance in 2023, restoring an important platform for bipartisan engagement on aid effectiveness, accountability, innovation, and development finance.
More recently, MFAN has continued to help shape the future of U.S. international assistance by convening bipartisan experts, former government officials, and development practitioners to develop recommendations on State Department, operational effectiveness, locally led development, and government-to-government assistance.
Through coalition-building, technical expertise, and evidence-based policy engagement – MFAN continues to advance reforms that make U.S. international assistance more strategic, effective, and sustainable.
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