New York City AIDS Fund

Contact Name: Eloise Bennett
Title: Program Director
Phone: (212) 686-4544
Fax: (212) 532-1324
Email: ljfm@nyct-cfi.org
Address: c/o New York Community Trust
126 E 56th St
New York, NY 10022
Jurisdiction(s) Served: New York City
The New York City AIDS Fund is a collaborative effort of grantmaking organizations in New York City that promotes community-based HIV prevention and service projects. The Fund provides grants for direct service, advocacy, education and prevention efforts, and for technical assistance to strengthen the capacities of organizations fighting against AIDS. In 2001, the Fund awarded $670,000 in grants to community-based organizations in New York. The Fund is administered by the New York Community Trust.Grantmaking Priorities
A large majority of new HIV infections in New York City are among people of color, with most infections seen among young men of color who have sex with men. In addition, the New York City Department of Health predicts that by the year 2010, 50 percent of new infections will be among women. As it sets its grantmaking priorities for 2002-2003, the Fund anticipates addressing these trends in several ways. First, it will support the development and evaluation of innovative HIV prevention programs that address the behavioral issues common to the most affected populations. The Fund has supported such efforts over the past two years and sustained support is most likely to provide the greatest benefit to grantees. Similarly, the Fund tries to build the capacity of AIDS service organizations in communities of color. By targeting private support to these capacity building efforts, the Fund’s limited dollars will help the agencies better compete for government support.Grantee Highlights
In 2001, the New York City AIDS Fund focused grants on three areas: Strengthening Organizational Infrastructure, Advocacy and Public Policy, and Evaluating Prevention Outcomes. An example for each of these three grant areas is provided below:Strengthening Organizational Infrastructure
The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families was established in 1982 to improve the quality of life for Latino children and families through community education, human service training, and public advocacy at City, State, and national levels. In 2000, with support from The Trust and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Committee began Proyecto Gol, an HIV prevention program for Latinas. In its first year, the program distributed 1,650 safe sex kits, trained 11 Latin American immigrants to serve as peer educators, and performed 22 educational skits in front of a total audience of 925 women. In 2001, the Committee developed a marketing plan targeting Latino businesses and individual donors to raise funds for the long-term financial support of the project.Advocacy and Public Policy
Harlem United Community AIDS Center is the largest AIDS service organization in northern Manhattan. It offers a wide range of services to individuals living with AIDS and those at risk of becoming infected, including: an Adult Day Health Care Center, 140 units of scatter-site housing, meals programs, case management, treatment education, and HIV prevention. Last year, the Fund provided Harlem United a grant to develop an advocacy and public policy initiative to mobilize people with AIDS to advocate on their own behalf. It trained peer educators to organize community-based advocacy; conducted education forums in the community; and lead groups of people living with AIDS who met with local and State elected officials.Evaluating Prevention Outcomes
Alianza Dominicana was founded in 1987 to serve the growing Dominican population in northern Manhattan. The agency seeks to break the cycle of poverty with a range of services including community development, youth programs, health and mental health programs, and HIV prevention programs. Last year, the New York City AIDS Fund provided a grant to Alianza Dominicana to work with a respected researcher to evaluate its Uptown Pride Program, an HIV prevention program for young gay men.