What's at Stake

In 2025, USAID was dismantled by executive action, without an act of Congress. Its career workforce — employees who responded to earthquakes, famines and pandemics overseas, and made America safer and more prosperous in the process — lost their jobs. Those now before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) argue their terminations violated federal law.

Career federal employees pursue claims like these individually, through an administrative process rather than as a single action in court. That means more than two thousand separate appeals, each with its own costs, brought by people who lost their income the same year. Most are now in discovery, the stage when expert witnesses, transcripts, filing fees and document review are paid for. Appellants have already spent more than $3.5 million out of pocket.

Your Gift, Accounted for

Pragmatic Panic serves as fiscal sponsor so that anyone who wants to help can do so with a tax-deductible gift, handled under the rules that govern a charitable fund.

• Paid only to legal providers. Funds go only to law firms and legal service providers — for shared resources that reach appellants with or without a lawyer, and for cost-sharing that lowers what appellants pay their own counsel. No part of any gift is ever paid to an individual appellant.

• Approved by appellants. A Steering Committee of Foreign Service and Civil Service appellants, including appellants filing without a lawyer, approves every disbursement by majority quorum, in consultation with Pragmatic Panic, which makes the payments. AFSA and AFGE Local 1534, the unions representing USAID's career employees, sit on the committee as non-voting members.

• What we retain. Pragmatic Panic retains 15 percent for fiduciary administration, compliance and donor support. A 3-percent card-processing fee is charged separately by the payment platform; donors have the option to cover this with their contribution.

• Tax-deductible. You will receive an emailed receipt, which can also be submitted for employer matching. Pragmatic Panic Legal and Social Services, EIN 33-1944051.

Who Can Give?

Anyone except the people this fund could directly benefit. If you are a current or former USAID direct-hire Foreign Service or Civil Service employee with an MSPB appeal this fund could support, please do not donate here — a gift from a direct beneficiary would put the tax-deductible status of every other contribution at risk. Appellants may pay their own counsel directly.

The Full Story Lives at justiceforusaid.org 

• Their stories — appellants on the work they did and what they are facing now

• How the fund works — background, the Steering Committee and answers to common questions

• J4U merch — purchases support the fund

Questions about your gift or receipt: admin@pragmaticpanic.org

Questions about the campaign: j4ufundraisingteam@ourusaidcommunity.org