About AIDS.ORG
Mission Statement
The mission of AIDS.ORG is to help prevent HIV infections and to improve the lives of those affected by HIV and AIDS by providing education and facilitating the free and open exchange of knowledge at an easy-to-find centralized website.
Overview
AIDS.ORG makes access to important AIDS information easier and faster. We provide prevention, testing, and treatment information currently to well over 4 million people a year. AIDS.ORG has been awarded the "Health on the Net Foundation" Code of Conduct (HONcode) seal for reliability and credibility of information in the field of healthcare.
Additionally, every year over 2.4 million young people under the age of 25 turn to AIDS.ORG, making us an important resource since over 50% of all new HIV infections in the USA occur in this age group.
AIDS.ORG, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) educational organization, and maintains a very strict privacy policy.
We make it our goal to be the best starting point for someone looking for AIDS information on the Internet. Our intent is that users be directed to the best information on the topic they're investigating. We bring people together to share knowledge and experiences. In the past, we also provided the very first Internet-based program of accredited AIDS education for medical professionals, allowing doctors in rural and isolated areas to better serve AIDS patients.
Donate To Cost Effective AIDS Education
But we need your help. Most all of our budget comes from public donations from individuals, with over 90% of the money raised going directly to providing educational services.
AIDS.ORG operates with a very small staff and dedicated volunteers. When money is lacking, more of our time and energy has to be used in searching for funding. So your donation, be it large or small is greatly appreciated.
Volunteer
YOU can help make a difference in the world. Please consider donating your time and skills.
Currently, we are looking for volunteers with experience in grant writing. We are also looking for an expereinced "grant manager" and a graphics designer.. At times, we will need help with fundraising events; so volunteers who are media artists or have Public Relations skills are highly valued.
History
In 1993, Mark Johnson said, "The answer to AIDS is out there in a million pieces, all we've got to do is get people sharing information, and we can put the pieces together." He, in New York, and Peter Dobson in Los Angeles (with financial and software support from Lotus Computing Corporation - now part of IBM - and AT&T worked to put together a computer network to connect AIDS researchers around the country.
Since that time, the Internet has matured and needs have changed. We began to operate a web-site.
In 1995, Patrick Cosson (recently retired from the pharmaceutical industry) joined us to produce the first on-line accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs about HIV. Doctors and nurses could learn the latest information without leaving their patients to go to a conference somewhere.
That same year we made a presentation at the first Rural AIDS Conference in St. Paul, MN demonstrating how the Internet could be particularly effective at addressing the special issues faced by rural AIDS patients, their doctors, and caretakers.
In the summer of 1996, we presented an online CME, updated nightly based on information released the previous day at the International AIDS Conference in Vancouver.
Also in 1996, we became the official online publisher of AIDS Treatment News, and continue to provide a complete online archive of all back issues all the way back to it's first issue, first published in 1986. This newsletter provides the latest information on AIDS treatments and related public policy issues. It is written in a style of that is useful for physicians, but accessible to people living with HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Treatment News is a primary treatment resource for AIDS organizations and government agencies, and is read by physicians, counselors, clinicians, and patients. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Cable News Network, Journal of the American Medical Association, and ABC and CBS News have all depended on AIDS Treatment News for vital information about the many facets of the AIDS epidemic.
In May of 1998, Gary Schaff obtained the "AIDS.ORG" domain name for us, and then in 2000, we established AIDS.ORG, Inc. as a non-profit organization to support our work. Alain V. Berrebi was named the Executive Director in October 2006 and is committed to taking our organization to the next level through expanded community based programs.
AIDS.ORG has grown to be a leader in providing access to HIV/AIDS information and resources, with top positioning in Google, Yahoo, and other web search engines. 4 Million people from over 190 countries around the world access our information yearly. Our goal is to become the indisputable leader of - and Internet gateway to - HIV/AIDS information and resources.
To meet our goal, we are recruiting new talent onto our board with a variety of expertise and background. We are also recruiting volunteers to enhance our ability to respond rapidly to the needs of the HIV/AIDS-concerned community, and to provide the opportunity to many to contribute to the global fight against AIDS.
