This overview summarizes the policy described below in a condensed format, highlighting its core elements and intended applications.
In 2023, USAID released “Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Religious Policy.” As the agency’s first-ever Strategic Religious Engagement (SRE) policy, it provided guidance on building bridges with religious communities and faith-based organizations, outlined foundational principles, and defined an operational framework for USAID staff. Initiated under the first Trump administration following a landmark USAID-hosted SRE Evidence Summit, the policy was carried through to publication under the Biden administration.
