AIDS Foundation of Chicago Awards $1 Million to Community Agencies

Special Awards Made in New Healthcare Access and Prevention for Positives Initiatives

Chicago - The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) announced today the award of $1 million in grant funds to 48 Chicago-area organizations for AIDS prevention, care, education, healthcare advocacy, and capacity-building projects. AFC's Board of Directors will honor grant recipients at a special recognition breakfast sponsored by Marshall Field's at its State Street store.

A quarter of the total grant funds will support innovative prevention and healthcare access projects as part of AFC's new Access to Healthcare and Prevention for Positives grants initiatives. Designed with input from community AIDS service organizations, AFC created the two funding initiatives to spur the development of new models in HIV prevention education and to pursue inventive strategies in meeting the needs of the growing HIV-positive, uninsured population.

Through the Prevention for Positives initiative, funded agencies will provide education and support to HIV-positive people toward reducing behaviors that could result in new HIV infections. Agencies funded through the Access to Healthcare initiative will work closely with AFC policy staff in pursuing Medicaid coverage for non-disabled HIV-positive people.

“In light of the recent state budget cuts, we believe that focusing grant funds in these areas is critical and will greatly enhance the region’s system of AIDS prevention and care services,” said Mark Ishaug, AFC executive director.

The remaining awards, totaling over $735,000 will support an array of prevention, care, capacity-building, and evaluation projects specifically targeting underserved communities, especially communities of color.

In total, AFC considered 84 funding proposals for both of its new initiatives and general grant requests, which sought more than $2.5 million in funding. Nearly half of funds awarded will support prevention, education, and risk reduction programs targeting at-risk youth, families, gay and bisexual men, injection drug users, and ex-offenders. Projects such as street outreach, group interventions, and needle exchange are supported by these grants.

More than one-quarter of funds awarded will support direct care services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The remainder is earmarked for AIDS policy and advocacy efforts, evaluation, and for capacity-building and organizational development projects. In addition, 42 percent of all awarded funds will support organizations that meet AFC's strict definition of community-based organizations serving communities of color.

Since 1988, AFC has given away nearly $12 million in private funds to support AIDS prevention, education, care, and advocacy programs.

View the complete list of 2002 grant recipients.