By Amy Williams, Founder and CEO, Good-Loop
As the world’s largest provider of official foreign assistance, USAID has had an indelible impact across the globe. From dispensing life-saving medicines to stabilizing conflict zones and offering young girls the chance to get an education. The scale of good that $40 billion can buy you is almost incomprehensible.
But, let’s be clear: while the results are profound and, in many cases, life-saving, it’s not purely an act of altruism. This is a strategic investment—an investment that generates valuable political capital in more than 100 countries.
Samantha Power, who served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development for the last 4 years, outlined this perfectly in her recent NYTimes op-ed. She notes that, thanks to USAID across the international community, “when the United States makes hard requests of their leaders — for example, to send peacekeepers to a war zone, to help a U.S. company enter a new market, or to extradite a criminal to the United States — they say yes.”
The reality is that hard cash buys soft power. So when the U.S. needs something—there’s a long history of goodwill to leverage. The kindness behind this aid is real, the impact is of course real – but it’s never without its return on investment.
So much so that UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has even warned that Britain’s own experience of merging the Department for International Development (DfID) into the Foreign Office, announced by Boris Johnson in 2020, was a huge mistake. Lammy has insisted that the move dealt a serious blow to Britain’s influence in developing countries and beyond.
This dynamic isn’t confined to the realm of government.
Businesses, too, are increasingly grappling with the question of what it really costs to do good. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs often sit as a cost line on the P&L. The perception is that social impact initiatives are, at best, a tax write-off, and at worst, a waste of resources.
The reality is far more nuanced. There’s a halo effect to be reaped when brands take action on meaningful causes. Whether it’s environmental responsibility, values-driven marketing or championing social causes, these initiatives create trust, earn loyalty, and boost a brand’s reputation. Far from a cost, doing good is a strategic investment—one that’s not just about improving society but about improving a company’s bottom line. After all, goodwill is the soft power of capitalism.
But here’s where it gets interesting. With the US stepping back from the front line of international aid, many are anticipating that this “opens up a window for China and Russia” as a former senior USAID official, told NBC News.
Scarcity always creates opportunity.
As the U.S. Supreme Court outlaws affirmative action and the President labels DE&I as illegal, business leaders across the nation are preparing for a new era of cultural and political conservatism. A surge of anti-ESG sentiment has created a landscape where many companies are retreating from the bold social commitments they once touted. Much like the USAID programs, DE&I budgets are quietly getting slashed and sustainability goals, deprioritized. “Stay neutral” is the new mantra of risk-averse businesses everywhere.
This trend is maddening and, in my opinion, tragic. But if you are one of the brands resolute in your commitment to being a positive force, here lies your ‘window of opportunity’.
In recent years, we’ve seen brands compete to one-up each other with social goals, pledges, and endeavours. And then, concurrent with saturation came the inevitable backlash. Greenwashing, performative activism, and half-hearted gestures all left consumers feeling sceptical. The very notion of “doing good” began to feel like corporate elevator music—predictable, background noise that no one was really paying attention to anymore.
Today, however, ‘good’ is no longer the default —and that’s precisely why it’s interesting. This cultural regression has created a striking contrast: those businesses that remain committed to doing good now stand out more than ever. When the majority are backtracking, doubling down on your values isn’t just window dressing—it’s a business differentiator. It’s spicy. It’s bold. And it resonates.
For the companies who are truly invested in the future, this is a defining moment. In a world where staying neutral is the new normal, conviction has become the ultimate currency. Companies who step up and take meaningful action, aren’t just building trust; they’re building their future.
Neutrality? It’s the riskiest move of all. If you won’t take a stand on the issues that matter, someone else will—and they’ll own the loyalty, the credibility, and the future.
The lesson is clear: kindness might seem like a cost, but it’s the kind of investment that pays off in spades. And at a time when kindness seems to be in short supply, the brands and nations that step up to fill the void today will be the ones leading the way tomorrow.
