Horizons Foundation and San Francisco AIDS Foundation Increase Funding for 2006 HIV/AIDS Community Grants

SAN FRANCISCO - Horizons Foundation and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation have announced $470,000 in Community Grants to 43 community organizations working on HIV/AIDS issues around the San Francisco Bay Area-an increase of $22,500 over 2005. Funded by proceeds from the AIDS Foundation's 2006 AIDS Walk and AIDS Marathon events, these grants will support a wide range of services, prevention, and advocacy efforts.

"With more than 26,000 Bay Area residents living with HIV/AIDS today, more funding through the HIV/AIDS Grants means more prevention efforts, more support services, and more education," said Roger Doughty, Executive Director of Horizons Foundation. "By supporting these organizations, mostly with crucial general operating support, the grants translate into real differences people's lives."

"In 2006, we're marking 25 years since AIDS first hit our community," said Mark Cloutier, SFAF's Executive Director. "We will continue to remind San Franciscans of the urgency of HIV through AIDS Walk and the AIDS Marathons, and support our partners in this fight, so that the next milestone in the history of HIV can be a celebration of its end."

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is continuing its Community Partnership Program (CPP) to help small- and medium-sized HIV/AIDS nonprofits raise additional funds by recruiting new people to walk on their AIDS Walk teams. Under the CPP, 100% of the funds raised by these "new walkers" will be granted back to the agency with whose team they walk. Last year 15 Bay Area HIV/AIDS organizations participated in this pilot program and raised nearly $38,000.

This year, the San Francisco AIDS Walk will be marking its 20th year on July 16, 2006, in Golden Gate Park. Walkers can register at www.aidswalk.net/sanfran or by calling 415.615.9255.

In determining recipients of the Community Grant awards, diverse panels of community members-at least half of whom are HIV-positive-evaluate proposals and make recommendations on which organizations should receive grant awards. The grantee organizations, which are located in San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, and Contra Costa Counties, provide services such as healthcare for low-income clients, needle exchange, employment counseling, youth outreach programs, legal assistance, and linguistically and culturally appropriate HIV-prevention efforts to communities of color. The complete list of awardees can be found at http://www.horizonsfoundation.org/page/organizations/2006_hivcg.