The nonprofit Global Washington announced on Friday it’s closing after 16 years of supporting philanthropy, technology, businesses and academics working in global development.
The Seattle-based group includes more than 160 member organizations and individuals. GlobalWA has organized numerous events each year, including conferences and workshops, and engaged in research and policy work.
“The global development sector is experiencing profound and lasting disruption. Significant cuts to USAID funding, alongside broader shifts in other philanthropic priorities, have reverberated across our entire ecosystem,” said Elizabeth Stokely, GlobalWA’s executive director, in a statement.
“These changes have constrained organizations’ ability to sustain their own operations, let alone meaningfully invest in networks and capacity building,” she added.
The Trump administration has worked to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides foreign aid and development assistance to countries around the world. The Gates Foundation in December raised the alarm over the deadly impacts of international funding cuts in global health, which include shrinking support from the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
PATH last summer laid off roughly 45% of its global workforce and Gates Foundation said in January it will shrink its current headcount by 500 roles over coming years.
Other prominent global health and development organizations in the state include the University of Washington, the Infectious Disease Research Institute, World Affairs Council, Panorama Global and others. Seattle-area corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks are also engaged in philanthropic global initiatives and participated in past GlobalWA events.
GlobalWA will wind down over the coming months and officially shuts its doors on June 30, 2026.
