InterAction Releases 'Choose to Invest' - A Guide to FY16 Development and Humanitarian Relief Recommendations

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week Republican leaders in both the U.S. House and Senate released their budget recommendations for FY2016. This marks the first Republican-led budget process since President Barack Obama was first elected in 2008.

To help provide a constructive framework for Congressional debates over funding levels for U.S. development and humanitarian relief programs, InterAction is excited to announce the launch of Choose to Invest - FY2016. This online tool provides specific funding recommendations across more than 35 U.S. international development and humanitarian response programs.

These recommendations are built on decades of field experience partnering with local communities to deliver assistance and include a detailed account-by-account justification. InterAction experts are also available for comment and analysis for members of the press on request.

CHOOSE TO INVEST– QUICK LINKS

• Overview & Introduction
• FY2016 Recommendations Table
• Top 10 Reasons To Support U.S. Leadership In Ending Extreme Poverty

ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES

• FY2016 Federal Budget Table – See account-by-account details of U.S. government foreign assistance funding numbers as well as InterAction recommendations for funding levels when applicable (available in both PDF and Excel).
• NGO Aid Map – Learn more about InterAction's efforts to increase the amount of publicly available data on international development and humanitarian response by providing detailed project information through interactive maps and data visualizations.
• Here's what US leadership in global development means today (Devex Op-ed) – Read a summary of Choose To Invest written by Mark Lotwis, InterAction's vice president of policy and government relations.

EXPERTS AVAILABLE

• Mark Lotwis  – Budget Process, Foreign Operations Funding Priorities & Overall Analysis on the Importance of U.S. Investment in Development & Relief ProgramsMark Lotwis is the vice president of policy and government relations at InterAction, where he helps shape important policy decisions on humanitarian, relief and long-term development issues. Prior to InterAction, Lotwis served as senior director of campaign advocacy at the Save Darfur Coalition, executive director of 21st century Democrats, and as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Ted Strickland (D-OH).
• Joel Charny – Impact of U.S. Budget Policy Changes on Humanitarian & Relief OperationsJoel Charny is vice president for humanitarian policy and practice at InterAction and is responsible for leading its work on humanitarian response, which involves engaging with the U.S. government, the United Nations, and member non-governmental organizations on both practical and policy matters– including funding availability, impact and effectiveness, and reform efforts in the sector.
• Lindsay Coates ­– Impact of U.S. Budget Policy Changes on the NGO Community & Analysis on the Importance of U.S. Investment in Development & Relief ProgramsLindsay Coates is the acting CEO and president of InterAction. Coates also serves on boards of the Episcopal Relief and Development as well as the World Bank Global Partnership for Social Accountability. Before joining InterAction, she was the COO of Population Action International, which advocates for access to family planning services.

MORE ABOUT INTERACTIONThe largest alliance of U.S. NGOs working on global poverty and humanitarian assistance efforts, InterAction's members represent millions of Americans who provide over $8 billion in financial support to over 185 U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations. InterAction members operate in every developing country, working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve their quality of life.  To learn more visit www.interaction.org.

TWEET THISLearn more about how the U.S. is helping fight poverty around the world: http://bit.ly/1Mob29s   #ChooseToInvest #EndPoverty

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SOURCE InterAction