AFC awards $8.82 million in Ryan White grants to 40 organizations to provide HIV-related care and services

AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) will distribute $8.82 million to 40 organizations to deliver high-quality, cost-effective Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program services in Cook County and surrounding Collar counties. In September 2022, AFC released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to local organizations to support eleven service categories under the Ryan White program. The Ryan White program serves people living with HIV and AIDS who are uninsured or underinsured or lack the financial means to obtain the necessary care. All 40 agencies were notified on December 1, 2022, and funding will be available to organizations from the beginning of March or April 2023 depending on source. Funding through this RFP is conditional upon continued funding made available from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

“It was essential to retain agencies providing quality services to the HIV and AIDS community and expand the network of providers geographically to deliver critical services to Black and Latine communities on the South and West Sides. Utilizing a health equity scoring, we put racial equity at the forefront of ending the epidemic and eliminating the barrier to sustained care in historically under-served neighborhoods,” stated Bashirat Olayanju, AFC Vice President of Care.  

This funding supports expansion of a network of 114 case managers and peers (specially trained people living with HIV who help clients navigate services) at 34 agencies that in the most recent year provided services to over 5,500 clients. Other examples of services funded through this RFP include medical care, mental health, substance use treatment and housing. 

Funding priority was given to agencies with a history of serving older adults, youth, and women in addition to Black and Latine-led organizations and organizations that provide services in the seven neighborhoods with the highest rates of HIV/STIs:   

• Edgewater  
• Uptown 
• Rogers Park  
• Washington Park  
• South Shore  
• Pullman  
• Austin  

The 40 selected agencies vary in size, type, and geography. They include community-based organizations, community health centers, hospitals, and a health department. AFC chose three new organizations for the network, all of which are Black-led: Chicago Family Health, Taskforce Prevention Services, and Dr. David Mays, DDS, a dentist. AFC also awarded funding for expanded services to Haymarket, Alliance Care 360, Lake County Health Department, and Open Door Health.   

You can locate the complete list of organizations and map of services sites here  

Approach to Scoring   

The reviewers of each proposal included community members, and 2-3 individuals scored each application. The reviewers included experts in the fields of social services, HIV services, community development, and individuals belonging to communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. 

The maximum number of points proposals could be given was 100. AFC used a scoring system that considered panel review ratings, a health equity score, and past performance (if applicable). The Health Equity Score was based on the organization’s location and key health indicators including HIV prevalence, HIV incidence, and other data from the CDPH HIV/STI 2020 surveillance report.  

“We feel very proud of the agencies selected in the review process. With the expansion of the network, we are providing our communities with quality care that reflects the diversity and reliability they deserve from providers they can trust. We can get to zero knowing our Black and Latine communities will not be left behind,” said Melanie Cross, Senior Manager of Care Systems Management. 

For the full list of awardees, please see below: