USAID and its resource partners are engaging in programmatic activities designed to amplify the development impact of remittances.

U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America's foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works around the world to achieve these goals. USAID's history dates back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration's Point Four Program. In 1961, the Foreign Assistance Act was signed into law, and USAID was created by executive order. Since then, 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. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency's work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agriculture, and trade; global health; and democracy, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance. USAID provides assistance in five regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, and the Middle East. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength lies in its field offices around the world, working in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, American businesses, international agencies, other governments, and other U.S. government agencies. USAID has working relationships with more than 3,500 American companies and over 300 U.S.-based private voluntary organizations. To amplify the impact of remittances, USAID and its resource partners engage in programmatic activities under the Diaspora Network Alliance (DNA) framework. These activities seek to encourage traditional money transfer organizations and banks to develop and market their services to remittance clients, develop regional and domestic payment systems, support pilot programs that link remittances to financial products, and explore technological innovations such as mobile-banking. USAID generally undertakes direct assistance programs to benefit developing countries through competitive grants and cooperative agreements. This ensures that all activities are concentrated on specific objectives to maximize impact and that they are consistent, mutually reinforcing, and draw support from the best available sources. The agency publishes Annual Program Statements (APS) and Requests for Assistance (RFAs) on www.grants.gov to advertise competitive assistance programs. USAID also does business through a variety of federal contracting mechanisms, including contracts, acquisitions, and personal services contracts. The agency's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Minority Resource Center (OSDBU/MRC) serves as an advocate and advisory office within the Agency for U.S. small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUB Zone small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. USAID's business opportunities are available on www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities.