ACT Alliance’s coordinated responses to humanitarian crises are anchored by two main approaches- Appeals for large scale disasters, and the Rapid Response Fund (RRF) for small and medium scale ones.
ACT’s RRF is a key component of its work to localise humanitarian aid, as the fund is only open to national members, except in exceptional circumstances where there are no national members in a country where a disaster occurs and only internationals have a presence there.
Local churches play a key role in ACT’s ability to respond quickly at the local level. According to the Global RRF 2024 report, “…in most cases as churches are present in the communities they talk to the local leaders themselves. Relationships have long been established with residents who are members of these churches.” This connection with the community allows quicker response from the churches to disasters.
In 2024, 17 members received funds from the fund over the course of 21 responses. Ten responses were in Asia, seven in Africa and four in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over 120,000 people were reached with a range of assistance. 56% of those reached were women. In total, $2,175,182 USD was disbursed through the RRF in 2024, with an income received of $2,164,863.
[I]n most cases as churches are present in the communities they talk to the local leaders themselves. Relationships have long been established with residents who are members of these churches.ACT Global RRF 2024 Report
Cash assistance made up 27% of the interventions, up 8% from 2023. Providing cash is an effective response for a number of reasons, including the speed with which it can be done, the dignity it gives people in allowing them to choose how they spend that cash to support their families, and in supporting local markets. Cash assistance does require those markets to be active and for relevant goods to be available for purchase.
Other assistance involved a range of responses including provision of food, distribution of seeds and other livelihood activities, water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), psychosocial support, capacity strengthening, health care, distribution of shelter materials, distribution of kitchen equipment and other household goods, and disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction work.
ACT Alliance’s humanitarian strategy is working to strengthen the RRF as a key driver of its humanitarian work, with a plan to expand the RRF to $10 million USD per year by 2027.. Contributions to the RRF for 2025 can be made through the appeal found here.
Countries with responses in 2024:
- Afghanistan
- Philippines
- Brazil
- Indonesia
- Malawi
- Zimbabwe
- El Salvador
- Myanmar
- Sierra Leone
- Nigeria
- Colombia
- Honduras
