A Survey of AIDS Prevention Funders: Which Programs Are Funded, and Why?

Because of threats to government funding, community based organizations that provide HIV prevention programs diversify their sources of income by seeking non-governmental funding, including funding from foundations. This survey of foundations across the United States asked questions about the amount of money they spend on AIDS and HIV prevention, the types of prevention projects and populations their grants served, and the sources of AIDS information used by the foundation staff. The results were then compared to the types of projects known to be effective and to the populations most at risk for HIV infection. These organizations funded a diverse range of HIV prevention programs, with a total of 583 grants worth over $8.1 million. This represents almost a quarter of all AIDS-related funding by foundations in the United States.

• HIV prevention grants represented 52% of all AIDS-related grants
• The average HIV prevention grant was for almost $14,000, ranging from $750 to $1.4 million.
• Public policy, capacity building, outreach and technical assistance were among the most frequently funded HIV prevention programs.
• Some useful HIV prevention programs, such as condom distribution and needle exchange, were rarely funded. • Women and youth received 25% of the funding for HIV prevention.
• More grants targeted the general population than drug users, gay men or ethnic minorities, although these groups contain more people at risk for HIV infection.
• Print media, site visits and colleagues were the main sources of AIDS related information for funders.
• Better sources of information are available to help funders gauge the effectiveness of proposed programs.
• Several factors (such as using culturally relevant language, providing creative rewards for participants, designing flexible programs and creating a forum for open discussion) that make HIV prevention programs more effective are provided for use when evaluating programs.