Walter Curt of Restoration News Media said on April 29 that his recent column addresses the exposure of taxpayer-funded salary levels in foreign-aid nonprofits compared to private-sector market realities, following reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency.
The topic has gained attention as federal funding cuts have impacted compensation structures at organizations receiving United States Agency for International Development (USAID) support. According to Curt’s column published by Restoration News, the writer responded to a New York Times feature detailing employment challenges faced by former senior executives at organizations that received USAID funding after reductions implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency. The piece centered on one individual who had held a senior vice president role at such a nonprofit prior to the funding adjustments.
Sheryl Cowan served as senior vice president at a USAID-funded nonprofit and earned $272,000 annually before the position ended in March 2025. She later interviewed for a $19-an-hour management role at a spice store near her home in Falls Church, Virginia. Similar transitions have occurred across the sector as federal funding streams contracted, according to The New York Times.
The Department of Government Efficiency has targeted reductions in federal spending on foreign-aid programs and associated nonprofit contractors. USAID previously supported extensive grant pipelines that flowed through multiple layers of organizations, contractors, and pass-through entities. These adjustments have affected compensation structures that relied heavily on government appropriations, according to The New York Times.
"What in God’s name were we paying for? That is not a human-interest story. That is a flashing red light. The government price was nearly $300,000. The market value, at least in this case, looked a lot closer to $19 an hour, a quarter-million-dollar gap. The party is over. The fake prestige economy is dead," Curt said according to Restoration News.
Curt writes regular columns examining government spending, bureaucratic accountability, and economic policy. His work appears on Restoration News and has been featured on other conservative outlets, including Townhall. He focuses on the real-world impacts of federal programs on taxpayers and private-sector workers according to Restoration News.
