Original HIV/AIDS Grantmakers

Original HIV/AIDS Grantmakers: A Comparison of Past and Present Grantmaking
The following section is a comparison examining past and present HIV/AIDS funding
efforts of the first foundations to step forward and fund HIV/AIDS-related programs in
the beginning of the pandemic. This comparison provides a qualitative example of the
trend in the late 1990s to reduce HIV/AIDS funding. As the FCAA/Gallup survey
indicated, early core AIDS funders started to show signs of weakness in their HIV/AIDS
funding and an overall waning interest in AIDS. However, as Voices from the Field:
Remobilizing HIV/AIDS Philanthropy for the 21st Century indicated in 2001, funding
opportunities for HIV/AIDS-related issues were increasing, and many foundations were
using creative ways to maintain HIV/AIDS as a funding priority.
The following examples show how several of the original HIV/AIDS funders withdrew
their support, leaving a several-year gap in HIV/AIDS grantmaking. Fortunately, this
gap in funding seems to have been temporary as a result of other large foundations
replacing the original funders in HIV/AIDS grantmaking।
Collaborative HIV/AIDS Funding Mechanisms
Relatively unique to AIDS philanthropy, at least initially, was the development of a
formal network of funder collaborations in which national funders paired up with
community foundations to pool funds in order to maximize resources.84 Information
about the National AIDS Fund, the oldest and largest example of this type of
collaboration, is available in section II of this document. This effective strategy
combines the local expertise of community foundations and established infrastructure
and the reputation of larger foundations. These projects not only provide more money,
but also allow sharing of resources and knowledge. Collaboration works to keep small
foundations, corporations and government entities involved in HIV/AIDS efforts by
combining resources and expertise and decreasing the sense of isolation between
organizations. Collaborations can help bridge the gap between organizations and can
involve government, social service agencies, private foundations, public and private
sectors, and business.
The following are examples of funder collaborations that are effectively mobilizing
resources and working towards minimizing the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS.