Top 10 US and European philanthropic donors to global AIDS relief

Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, donor government assistance for global AIDS relief has largely fallen flat. According to the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation, donor governments disbursed $7.6 billion in international HIV and AIDS assistance in 2011, compared with $7.7 billion annually in both 2008 and 2009. Against this backdrop, the global AIDS community is increasingly looking to philanthropic donors to help fill an estimated $7 billion gap in HIV and AIDS funding. “We are in an era where shared responsibility for the AIDS response is vitally important … Philanthropic investments for AIDS are extremely important, particularly in supporting civil society led engagement which can often be missing from larger-scale donor funding plans,” asserted Paul De Lay, deputy executive director for UNAIDS’ program branch, earlier this month. A recently released report from Funders Concerned About AIDS and the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group reveals that philanthropic donors are gradually stepping up their support for global AIDS relief. Private AIDS-related funding from U.S. and European philanthropic donors reached $644 million in 2011, up by 5 percent from 2010. Based on the findings of the FCAA and EFG report, Devex provides a rundown of the top 10 U.S. and European philanthropic funders of global efforts against HIV and AIDS. 1. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $388 million The largest private foundation in terms of global development giving, the Gates Foundation is also the largest philanthropic donor to global AIDS relief. According to its July 2012 HIV strategy, the foundation is focusing its resources on poor sub-Saharan countries where the incidence of HIV remains high. In May of this year, the Gates Foundation announced that the philanthropic organization would cease funding for HIV and AIDS initiatives in India by 2013, and also hand over its programming to the Indian government. 2. Wellcome Trust Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $44 million The London-based Wellcome Trust is the largest European philanthropic donor to global AIDS relief. One-fourth of the total philanthropic giving from Europe in 2011 originated from the foundation. Research programs for HIV and AIDS — as well as malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases — in countries including Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam are the focus of the Wellcome Trust’s international giving. 3. MAC AIDS Fund and MAC Cosmetics Headquarters: New York, United States Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $33.4 million Established in 1994 by MAC Cosmetics, the MAC AIDS Fund’s international program operates in both South Africa and the Caribbean. VIVA GLAM, a line of lipsticks and lipglosses launched by MAC Cosmetics, is the fund’s marquee fundraising initiative. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM products is donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. 4. ViiV Healthcare Headquarters: Brentford, United Kingdom Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $29.9 million ViiV Healthcare is a specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to deliver advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV. Principally focused on developing innovative drugs for people affected by HIV, the company makes its medicines available to governments, nongovernmental organizations and aid agencies at a no-profit price. In 2010, ViiV Healthcare extended its royalty-free voluntary licensing policy to all low-income countries, all least-developed countries and all of sub-Saharan Africa. 5. Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $24.2 million The fifth-largest private foundation in terms of global development giving, London-based CIFF was established in 2002 by hedge fund manager Chris Hohn and his wife Jamie. In line with the foundation’s pledge to actively engage with each of its grantees, the foundation funds and manages between 15 and 20 initiatives each year. HIV and AIDS is a priority area for CIFF’s international programs in African countries — including Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi — as well as in Asia. Through its support for the Clinton Health Access Initiative, CIFF has become one of the largest contributors to the William J. Clinton Foundation. 6. Merck Headquarters: Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, United States Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $20 million Merck emphasizes that the company adopts a multifaceted approach to improving access to HIV care. Merck’s AIDS-related corporate responsibility activities range from supporting research and development in both HIV prevention and treatment to providing medical education to health care workers. The company has also aggressively pursued public-private partnerships in its efforts to foster innovation and collaboration in its AIDS-related corporate responsibility activities. For instance, Merck partnered with the Gates Foundation to establish the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships, an initiative which supports programming in Botswana. 7. Ford Foundation Headquarters: New York, United States Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $18.7 million The New York-based organization is the third-largest private foundation in terms of global development giving. Under its human rights program, the foundation funds initiatives to reduce HIV and AIDS discrimination and exclusion in both southern Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. The foundation also provides funding to support the work of international advocacy organizations to promote the human rights of populations affected by HIV. 8. Abbott and Abbott Fund Headquarters: Abbott Park, Illinois, United States Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $17.4 million Abbott and the company’s philanthropic arm, the Abbott Fund, support HIV and AIDS programming in a number of areas, including expanding access to care, testing and treatment, and preventing mother-to-child transmission. One of the Abbott Fund’s most significant contributions to global AIDS relief is its support for the pioneering Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative. The initiative’s network of clinics serves patients in eastern and southern Africa, as well as in Romania. 9. Sidaction Headquarters: Paris, France Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $15.3 million First launched in 1994, Sidaction is a high-profile event held in France to raise awareness and collect funds for global AIDS relief. Sidaction supports HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, and research activities in France as well as in developing countries. The event depends solely on voluntary contributions from the public. 10. Elton John AIDS Foundation Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Global HIV and AIDS giving (2011): $13 million Established in 1993 with only a domestic grant-making portfolio, the Elton John AIDS Foundation now provides grants in 15 countries across four continents. The foundation focuses its grant-making on Africa, Asia and Europe while its sister foundation in the United States supports programming in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Elton John AIDS Foundation’s funding priorities are as follows: men who have sex with men, women and young girls, people living with HIV, and U.K. initiatives. Lorenzo Piccio contributed to this report. Read more: - UNAIDS: 2015 targets ‘feasible’ despite 30 percent resource gap - The end of AIDS?