World Aids Day

Coinciding with the international marking of World Aids Day, Funders Concerned About AIDS recently eleased a new report titled “US Philanthropic Support To Address HIV/AIDS in 2007”. The report can be read in its entirety here. This year for the first time ever, this yearly report was released in concert with the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group.

Here are a few key highlights from the report:

- In 2007 disbursements from U.S.-based philanthropies increased 10% over 2006. The majority of the 2007 disbursements (80%, or $446 million) were devoted to the international epidemic.

- An increased share of U.S.-based funders provided funding exclusively to address the domestic epidemic in 2007 (45% compared to 35% in 2006). As in previous years, the Northeast Region of the U.S. received a considerable share of all U.S. domestic funding (44%)

- New for 2007, organizations were asked to identify the top population groups that receive the greatest benefit from their domestic and international funding. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were identified most frequently as chief beneficiaries of both domestic and international philanthropy by both U.S.-and Europe-based funders. And For U.S.-based funders, those with an international focus also identified the following groups, in rank order, as chief beneficiaries of their funding: women, youth, and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). For domestic funding, other groups identified were African-Americans, women, youth, Latinos, and gay men and men who have sex with men.

This report speaks to the increased philanthropic efforts in the U.S in the issues of HIV/AIDS. Let’s hope that support continues in the years to come.