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They describe themselves as the "emergency rescue team". Following their sudden termination when overseas aid was slashed in the past months, a team of devoted workers chose to create their own support program.

Refusing to "remain in despair", a former economist, along with similarly motivated former agency staff, started actions to save some of the essential initiatives that faced closure after the reductions.

Currently, close to 80 programmes have been rescued by a facilitation effort operated by Rosenbaum and additional ex- team members, which has found them in excess of $110 million in new funding. The collective behind the resource optimization project initiative calculates it will help 40 million people, covering many infants and toddlers.

After the office shutdown, funds were halted, numerous staff lost their jobs, and projects worldwide either ended suddenly or were left limping toward what the leader calls "final deadlines".

The former staffer and several team members were reached out to by a philanthropic organization that "wanted to understand how they could maximize the impact of their finite budgets".

They created a list from the ended initiatives, selecting those "delivering the most critical assistance per dollar" and where a fresh backer could practically step in and continue the work.

They rapidly recognized the demand was wider than that first entity and commenced to approach additional possible supporters.

"We referred to ourselves as the lifeboat crew at the outset," says the leader. "The vessel has been failing, and there are insufficient lifeboats for every project to get on, and so we're attempting to literally protect as many babies as we can, get as many on to these lifeboats as feasible, via the initiatives that are offering assistance."

The project, now functioning as part of a international policy center, has obtained financial support for numerous programmes on its list in more than 30 countries. Several have had original funding restored. Nine were unable to be rescued in time.

Backing has originated from a blend of charitable organizations and affluent donors. Many choose to be unnamed.

"These donors come from very different reasons and perspectives, but the unifying theme that we've heard from them is, 'I am appalled by what's unfolding. I sincerely wish to find a method to step in,'" says the leader.

"I think that there was an 'lightbulb moment' for all of us as we commenced efforts on this, that this created an chance to shift from the ice-cream on the couch, remaining in the distress of everything that was unfolding around us, to having a constructive endeavor to deeply commit to."

One project that has found support through the effort is operations by the Alliance for International Medical Action to offer support encompassing nutritional rehabilitation, maternal health care and vital childhood vaccines in the West African nation.

It is crucial to keep such programmes going, states Rosenbaum, not only because restarting operations if they stopped would be extremely costly but also because of how much confidence would be eroded in the zones of instability if the alliance withdrew.

"Alima informed us […] 'we're very worried that if we withdraw, we may never be invited back.'"

Programmes with extended objectives, such as strengthening health systems, or in different sectors such as learning, have remained outside the project's focus. It also does not aim to save the projects indefinitely but to "provide a buffer for the groups and, honestly, the broader ecosystem, to devise a sustainable answer".

Having found support for every initiative on its first selection, the initiative announces it will now prioritize helping additional individuals with "established, economical measures".