Friends,
Like many of our clients, partners, and colleagues, Environmental Incentives has been rocked by the sudden and unprecedented termination of USAID contracts and programs. This dismantling threatens the lives and livelihoods of people in our communities and around the world. But it does not change the value of foreign aid or our commitment to achieve EI’s purpose to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive.
Development works. Foreign aid prevents conflict, builds economies, protects ecosystems, saves lives, and fosters connections that build resilience. We know this both in theory and in practice. Inspired by our USAID clients’ vision, EI partnered with the Agency for twelve years to design programs that were proven to achieve lasting results, measure program impact, incorporate evidence into learning, and share insights to move from information to action. We are honored to have worked with thousands of development practitioners to build not only progress towards a better future, but also hundreds of theories of change analyses, evidence databases, learning agendas, and monitoring and learning plans that improve the practice of development.
EI had a future mapped out—exciting, impactful programs that we expected to deliver over the next ten years that would have improved the use of evidence, advanced locally led development, and catalyzed learning across USAID programs. We proudly transitioned to employee ownership in 2024 to enable our incredible staff to benefit from the value they created for our clients and our company. With the destruction of USAID, we made the heartbreaking but unavoidable decision to pivot our work. As a result, a cadre of 107 brilliant, committed, and highly capable individuals are now part of our alumni network and are experiencing the many hardships that have resulted from the cessation of foreign assistance.
Environmental Incentives has always been bigger than any one of us, and it has also been because of each of us. When we say, “programs that work, people who care,” we mean it. EIers are brilliant, caring, vibrant technical experts who have worked around the world delivering solutions that last. We know that they will continue to change the world.
Looking forward there are many uncertainties, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to our purpose and principles. EI’s very reason for being is that we believe in the power of the public sector, and we are doubling down on our commitment to help clients deliver effective and impactful programs. We are thrilled to continue expanding our award winning water sustainability programming across California and the American West. With our clients, we are designing and implementing performance-based programs that address critical water sustainability issues while maximizing the impact of municipal budgets. We are ready to put proven programs to work to confront the climate crisis with cost-effective, nature-based solutions for communities in California and beyond.
We also believe there is an ongoing need and promising future for our work in adaptive management, evidence-driven program design, stakeholder engagement, and systems change. We are actively seeking opportunities to continue and improve programs in the environment, climate change, and digital development. Please reach out if you are interested in advancing this work.
The road ahead is different than we imagined, but we are ready to meet the moment with creativity, compassion, and care. Thank you for being a part of our journey.
Jeremy, Liz, and Chad
