AIDS Private Funding: New Survey Published

The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper in Washington, D.C.,
published a survey of private AIDS funding of national
organizations, in its December 10 issue. It did a similar
survey two years go, allowing comparisons.

Some highlights:

* The six AIDS groups with the largest income received twice
the money of the six largest in 1991 -- a total of almost $40
million. But the number of AIDS cases almost doubled during
the same period.

These six organizations currently are the American Foundation
for AIDS Research (AmFAR), Design Industries Foundation for
AIDS (DIFFA), the NAMES Project, the National Minority AIDS
Council (NMAC), AIDS Action Council, and the National
Leadership Coalition on AIDS.

* AmFAR collected about 60 percent of the income of the top
six, compared to 80 percent two years ago.

* The total money contributed to AIDS is strikingly little
compared to charitable contributions in general. Since there
are believed to be 18,000 AIDS programs in the United States,
exact figures are not available. But the usual pattern is
that the top ten organizations receive 10 to 15 percent of
the total. By this estimate, the total given annually to U.S.
AIDS organizations is between $575 and $850 million. There
are single organizations in other fields that receive more
than that. Also, churches and religious organizations (which
get about 45 percent of all U.S. charitable contributions)
receive about 65 times as much money as all AIDS groups
together.

"But then the amount of money donated to the six largest AIDS
groups is more than three times the amount given to the six
largest gay political organizations ($12.5 million),
according to the Blade survey."

* ACT UP/New York (not a national organization, but taken as
representing ACT UP nationally), lost about half of its
income in the last two years, placing it ninth on the list of
national AIDS organizations, compared to second place (behind
AmFAR) in 1991. (But its income of $500,000 still greatly
exceeded that of the next organization on the list, the
National Episcopal Caring Response, which received $102,000.)

For a copy of the article, which has much more information
than could be included here, send a self-addressed stamped
envelope and request for the article on AIDS funding to: The
Washington Blade, 1408 U St. NW, 2nd floor, Washington, DC
20009-3916. (Or if you want the whole paper, send $3, which
includes first-class postage; ask for the December 10 issue.)

Comment

What impresses us is how little money is given to AIDS in
comparison to other causes, in view of the past, present, and
future seriousness of the epidemic.