AIDS FUNDING: PRIVATE GROUPS FOCUS ON HIGH- RISK BEHAVIORS
Private foundations, which contribute more than $35 millionThis is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
annually to various AIDS organizations, are redirecting their
funding toward people known to engage in high-risk behaviors and
toward geographical areas hard-hit by AIDS. WALL STREET JOURNAL
reports that the shift stems from an increased understanding that
"generic AIDS messages haven't been effective in thwarting new
HIV infections in the U.S." Richard Turner, executive director
of Funders Concerned about AIDS, a group that helps funnel funds
from almost 2,000 American foundations to combat AIDS, said his
group "decided to advocate targeted programs following an article
in the WALL STREET JOURNAL that showed that a disproportionate
amount of public AIDS prevention money in the U.S. has been spent
on the low-risk, general population" (see AHL 5/2). He said that
"advocating targeted prevention programs" is "a top priority for
1997."
FUNDING SHIFT: Fred Silverman, senior manager of community
affairs for Apple Computer, said that funders "are more
interested in supporting prevention programs that have been
proved to change risky behaviors." He said that previous
prevention programs were "mass public campaigns" that used public
service announcements and general awareness messages. Silver
said that funders now realize "the need not to throw money after
mass advertising." Ken Town of the Metropolitan Atlanta
Community Foundation, which gives away $500,000 annually to AIDS
programs, said, "The funding system tended to assume that the
general education message would work fine for white gay men."
The foundation recently received a proposal for a program that
helps "gay men who are HIV-negative maintain safe behavior and
identify effective ways to change unsafe sex practices."
MORE: The Northern California Grant Makers' AIDS Task Force
and the Metropolitan Atlanta Community Foundation are both
evaluating a needle exchange program for the first time. JOURNAL
reports that "[w]hile numerous studies have shown that needle
exchange programs can sharply reduce HIV transmission rates in
drug users," needle exchanges are "still illegal in nine states."
A consultant with the California group said, "We're trying to use
our money more strategically." She added that "100%" of the 30
prevention proposals received for the year "are targeted." In
addition to targeting high-risk behaviors, more funders are
directing money toward cities such as Newark, NJ, that have a
disproportionately high share of AIDS cases. Peter Bushyeager, a
program officer for the Prudential Foundation -- which will spend
all of its $400,000 in AIDS funding in the greater Newark area
next year, said, "We want to focus [the money] where it will have
the greatest impact" (Sharpe, 12/2).