Challenging Year Offers Opportunity

The Carter Center, its people, and its programs, 2025 was a year full of challenges. But in every case, we rose to meet the moment.

Affairs in the U.S. government took an unexpected turn early in the year with the sudden dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which historically provided significant funding for several of our peace and health programs. In response, we developed other sources of funding, enhancing our financial resilience.

In some cases, we found ways to leverage our long-standing relationships to do more. An ambitious partnership with the Reaching the Last Mile Fund allowed The Carter Center to expand our river blindness and lymphatic filariasis elimination programs into Chad, Madagascar, and South Sudan while intensifying efforts in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda.

We committed our own funds to ensure that two other partners impacted by USAID’s closure could continue planned distributions of trachoma medication, ensuring 10 million people in Ethiopia and Mozambique got $98 million worth of antibiotics that might otherwise have gone unused.

In Guyana, an election worker explains the voting process at a polling station to Jason Carter, leader of the Carter Center’s observation mission.

Paige Alexander, left, visits the river blindness detection lab in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, as unprecedented threats to democracy arose in the U.S. and abroad, we rededicated ourselves to promoting peace, the rule of law, and free and fair elections. Throughout the year, we voiced our concerns about the rise of authoritarianism, and we will continue to speak out when human and civil rights are jeopardized and democratic norms are threatened.

The Center is actively working to ensure peaceful elections in the U.S. in 2026. In several states, we are supporting democracy resilience networks, bringing together people from across the political spectrum to address misinformation and reduce tensions that could lead to violence.

Further, we are carrying out nonpartisan activities to support election integrity in Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico, and we will host civic education events and offer resources for voters and election officials across the country.

Finally, we ended the year with a remarkable achievement: Just 10 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in 2025, an all-time low. In these challenging times, the news buoyed our spirits. We look forward to the day when we can announce that this parasitic disease has been eradicated from the face of the planet.

As always, thank you for your steadfast support. Our donors and partners make every achievement possible.

Jason Carter Chair Board of Trustees

Paige Alexander Chief Executive Officer

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