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This Is USAID

The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to people overseas struggling to make a better life. It is a history that both advances U.S. foreign policy interests as well as reflects the American people's compassion and support of human dignity.

Following the success of the reconstruction of Europe after World War II through the Marshall Plan and the Truman Administration's Point Four Program -- the 1950 program to engage in technically-based international economic development -- President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law in 1961 and USAID was created by executive order. Since that time, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.

U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America's interests while improving lives in the developing world. The Agency carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad.

Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works in over 100 countries to: promote broadly shared economic prosperity; strengthen democracy and good governance; improve global health, food security, environmental sustainability and education; help societies prevent and recover from conflicts; and provide humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural and man-made disasters.

Where we Work

With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength is its field offices around the world where we work in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, the private sector, international agencies, other governments, and other U.S. Government agencies.

We provide assistance in five regions of the world:

• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Asia
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Europe and Eurasia
• The Middle East

USAID has working relationships with thousands of American companies and hundreds of U.S.-based private voluntary organizations. For more information on our business and procurement opportunities, please visit our Business section. If you would like to know more about employment opportunities with USAID, please visit the Careers section of our website.

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