Fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy wrote a letter to Congress that called for the creation of the agency I am privileged to lead – USAID, the United States Agency for International Development.

I wanted to commemorate President Kennedy’s letter by writing one of my own each year, describing our agency’s work under President Obama's leadership to pioneer a new model of development. At its core, this new model recognizes that the challenges we face--from climate change to hunger to child death--are solvable. But solving them requires scaling the best ideas, engaging the brightest minds, and delivering the greatest results for the world's most vulnerable people.

We hope you read, share, and discuss these letters with your friends and family. Together, we can advance our nation's proud legacy in development to help overcome injustice, foster resilient democratic societies, and end extreme poverty in our lifetime.

Rajiv Shah
USAID Administrator

Past Annual Letters