Frequently Asked Questions
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The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition is a partnership between Sudanese community organizations and international supporters focused on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Its goal is to provide direct, flexible funding to local Sudanese groups using a mutual aid approach, where resources are shared rapidly and effectively to meet urgent needs. Its founding members are Sudanese mutual aid organizations — including Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) of Sudan and the Localization Coordination Council (LCC) — and Proximity2Humanity, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides practical support and manages direct donations. Read more about the Coalition here.
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The Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) are community-based networks of Sudanese volunteers who organize and lead local humanitarian response efforts during the ongoing conflict.
The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition (MASC) serves as a support platform to provide direct, flexible funding to the ERRs, as well as to offer advocacy and technical support while ensuring the response remains Sudanese-led and locally accountable.
Proximity2Humanity (P2H), an international nonprofit that provides the legal platform to manage donations transparently and effectively to mutual aid groups such as the ERRs. It is a founding member of the MASC.
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As a founding member of the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, Proximity2Humanity transfers donations to Sudanese mutual aid groups through a flexible, locally-driven approach rooted in trusted networks and real-time decision-making. Proximity2Humanity directs donations with the guidance of the Localization Coordination Council—a collective decision-making body composed of local leaders, Sudanese NGOs, and International NGOs. This council regularly evaluates the situation on the ground and directs funds to areas of urgent need.
To disburse funds, Proximity2Humanity partners with vetted financial service providers (FSPs) that are trusted by local communities. These FSPs facilitate payments directly to mutual aid groups. Local partners independently confirm the receipt of funds, adding a layer of transparency and accountability.
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The activities that your funds will support are decided by the communities themselves, as represented by the base-level Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs). Some examples of prior ERRs activities include: supplying food through community kitchens, repairing water infrastructure, distributing hygiene materials, purchasing medical supplies and medications, supporting health facilities with operating costs and non-medical supplies, evacuating civilians and volunteers to safe zones, and many others. Needs and activities vary across Sudan’s 18 states and can change as rapidly as the war itself.
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Proximity2Humanity (P2H) has agreed to transfer 95% of all net receipts to the ERRs for their activities. P2H charges a small administrative fee of 5% to cover bank fees, legal expenses, and similar operational costs. Our focus is on ensuring that the maximum amount of funding goes directly to support activities in Sudan. The net receipts include the total of the donation amount minus transaction fees such as credit card processing and wire transfer fees. When donors opt to cover the transaction fees on our website, that means more resources reach frontline responders.
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Even amid partial societal collapse, markets in many parts of Sudan continue to function, though they are marked by extreme price fluctuations and volatility. Large aid organizations often struggle to navigate these conditions due to bureaucratic constraints and large-scale operations. In contrast, mutual aid groups are smaller, more agile, and embedded within communities. This enables them to mobilize quickly, take advantage of collective purchasing power, and provide timely support before market conditions shift further.
In rare and severe cases—such as when warring parties impose blockades—market systems can collapse entirely. That’s why it’s crucial for funding to remain flexible, so that mutual aid groups may redirect support toward urgent needs like evacuation. We must also continue to advocate for the protection of civilian responders, like ERR volunteers, to ensure aid can safely move without issue.
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The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition was established by grassroots Sudanese groups in 2024, and Proximity2Humanity (P2H) provides the legal platform to manage donations transparently and effectively. P2H is managed by unpaid board members and volunteers.
In humanitarian crises, local groups face challenges accessing funding, especially informal groups like the Emergency Response Rooms of Sudan and other mutual aid providers. P2H mitigates those challenges by having the legal structures necessary to receive funds and administer them in partnership with these informal networks.
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Donations made through this website are managed by Proximity2Humanity (P2H), a US non-profit organization established to promote community-led solutions in some of the world’s most intractable crises.
Our Mutual Aid in Sudan page has more information on these systemic challenges and why P2H is needed.
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The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition offers a more direct pathway to supporting mutual aid groups that reduces the number of intermediaries to only one, maximizing the resources reaching these groups. Because Emergency Response Rooms exist within beneficiary communities, they are best placed to help quickly.
International organizations are unable to reach certain parts of Sudan due to denied access permissions, active conflict, insecurity, or, in some cases, a lack of funding flexibility to adjust programming at pace with the needs on the ground. In these cases, mutual aid groups are the only reliable providers of aid. In fact, many international organizations engage mutual aid groups to deliver their aid, passing funding through multiple intermediate organizations. Any support you can offer will make a difference. Giving to the Mutual Ai Sudan Coalition streamlines the support to communities in Sudan. -
Proximity2Humanity launched in 2024 with a mission to empower communities to lead their own recovery and development through solutions they design and drive. Sudan is in the midst of an urgent humanitarian crisis, and Proximity2Humanity’s mission clearly aligns with the ongoing local response network. We launched the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition to rally support and take action, and we’re grateful for the resounding response we’ve received from our global community. We’re currently in the process of conducting our first annual audit and establishing our presence on these platforms that independently validate the non-profit sector.
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The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition is a separate initiative but part of the Coalition for Mutual Aid in Sudan. Both work closely together advancing the work of the Emergency Response Rooms and other mutual aid groups through financial, advocacy, and technical support.
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Yes! Proximity 2Humanity (P2H) is a tax-exempt, charitable 501(c)(3) organization (EEIN: 99-2897200). All donations made to the P2H to support the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition since May 7, 2024, are eligible for tax deduction. For those who have previously donated, we will provide an updated receipt with our EIN for your records to claim your personal tax deductions. We appreciate your patience and are happy to answer any questions: info@proximity2humanity.org.
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Yes, it is possible to receive contributions from a donor-advised fund (DAF). If you or your DAF need assistance, please contact info@proximity2humanity and we would be happy to provide any additional information needed.
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If you wish to make a donation using a bank transfer, please send us an email at info@proximity2humanity.org.
By doing this we can send the relevant transfer instructions and ensure we can properly acknowledge and attribute your contribution.
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The best way to donate to help address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is through donations that support Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), which are mutual aid groups operating in the areas of highest need. Donations to the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition are transferred securely to Sudan’s ERRs. As community-based networks run by volunteers, Sudan’s ERRs have swiftly mobilized to provide life‑saving services—such as communal kitchens, evacuations, clean water, healthcare, and shelter—across neighborhoods often unreachable by international aid agencies. Their decentralized structure and deep local knowledge enable rapid and context-sensitive action, which makes them both cost‑effective and highly responsive.
Despite the effectiveness of mutual aid groups like Sudan’s ERRs, these groups have so far received less than 0.2% of humanitarian funding. The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition was created to fill this gap by channeling direct, flexible, and minimal‑bureaucracy funding to ERRs. This preserves 95% of every dollar for frontline response, enabling and empowering communities to set their own priorities.
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Absolutely. One great way to support Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms is by creating your personal fundraising link—you set a goal, share it with your network, and raise vital funds directly for frontline responders.
We also welcome volunteer support, especially as we launch a new campus advocacy initiative. Whether you have time, skills, or energy to lend, there’s a place for you in this movement.
Interested? Get in touch with us here and let’s connect.