FAQs
GENERAL INFORMATION
What is the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) and what does it do?
What are GAA's priorities?
Who does GAA serve?
What are some of GAA's major accomplishments?
How is GAA funded?
Does GAA make grants to other organizations?
How can I make a donation to GAA?
How does GAA spend donor contributions?
Who are GAA's partners?
How can I get involved with GAA's mission?
Does GAA have any jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities available?
BACKGROUND ON GLOBAL HIV/AIDS
How serious is the global AIDS epidemic?
How much will it cost to respond effectively to the global AIDS crisis?
Why can't people with HIV/AIDS get help from their own governments?
Why should I get involved in the fight against global HIV/AIDS?
Where can I find more information about the global AIDS epidemic?
Where can I find general information about HIV/AIDS?
What is the Global AIDS Alliance, and what does it do?
The Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to galvanize the political will and financial resources needed to slow, and ultimately stop, the global AIDS crisis, and reduce its impacts on poor countries hardest hit by the pandemic. We combine media outreach and public education with targeted coalition-building and grassroots mobilization in order to raise awareness and inspire activism in support of advocacy to persuade U.S. policymakers and other decision-makers to implement a comprehensive response to global HIV/AIDS.
What are GAA's priorities?
GAA's primary goal is to persuade U.S. policymakers and other stakeholders to mount a long-term, comprehensive response to the global AIDS epidemic. Specifically, we seek to accelerate progress toward (1) achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care; (2) advancing children’s well-being, with a focus on scaling up prevention and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS, care and support for orphans and vulnerable children, and universal basic education; (3) advancing women’s equality, with a focus on integrating sexual and reproductive health and HIV services and preventing violence against women and girls; and (4) securing increased financial resources and ensuring they are utilized to maximize on-the-ground results.
Click here for fact sheets about the major issues addressed by GAA's programs.
Who does GAA serve?
GAA serves the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS and at risk of HIV infection in poor countries hardest hit by the pandemic. We are also actively involved in efforts to ensure comprehensive protection for the millions of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS, and to expand educational opportunities for girls, who are at disproportionate risk of contracting HIV. With about 22 million people now living with HIV/AIDS, sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of the epidemic. But GAA also seeks to focus attention on the growing impact of HIV/AIDS in India, China, and the former Soviet Union—the so-called "second wave" of the pandemic.
GAA empowers concerned Americans to get personally involved in the fight against global AIDS. Specifically, we organize and support grassroots activists who can help shape global AIDS policy through public education, media outreach, and citizen lobbying of elected officials and other decision-makers. Our DC-based staff help (1) teach local activists the fundamentals of advocacy, including contacting elected officials and other decision-makers, writing and publishing letters to the editor and op-eds, and influencing the budget and appropriations processes; (2) develop trained rapid response teams that can monitor and respond to AIDS-related news and build relationships with key media; and (3) organize community education forums and local advocacy events. We also inform policymakers and the media about global HIV/AIDS issues.
What are some of GAA's major accomplishments?
The Global AIDS Alliance has an impressive track record of success in shaping AIDS policy. Four years ago, virtually no one was talking about the global AIDS crisis. But concerted advocacy by GAA and others has focused much-needed attention on this public health crisis and created a new sense of momentum. A 2005 report commissioned by the Ford Foundation highlights the importance of GAA's advocacy and media outreach in pushing for a White House initiative on global AIDS, which ultimately resulted in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Click here for highlights from this report.
Click here for highlights of GAA's 2009 program activities.
How is GAA funded?
GAA relies on the generosity of concerned individuals like you to help sustain our work. We also receive significant support from private grantmaking foundations. GAA does not accept any funding from the US government or from pharmaceutical companies.
Does GAA make grants to other organizations?
GAA is not a grant-making organization and is unable to respond to unsolicited requests for funding. Please click here for information about potential funding sources.
How can I make a donation?
There are many ways to donate to GAA. To make a secure online donation using your credit card, please click here. To find out about other donation options, please click here.
How does GAA spend donor contributions?
GAA works hard to ensure that most of the money donated by the public goes to program expenses, including policy analysis and advocacy, media outreach and public education, coalition-building, and grassroots mobilization. In 2007, we spent 87% of total expenses on program services, 6.6% on fundraising, and 6.4% on management and administration. To review GAA's 2007 IRS Form 990, please click here. For a copy of our audited financial statements, please email info@globalaidsalliance.org or write us at Global AIDS Alliance, 1121 14th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005.
Who are GAA's partners?
Coalition-building is central to the Global AIDS Alliance's efforts to mobilize a comprehensive response to the global AIDS crisis, and we work with a broad array of civil-society partners, including US and global AIDS advocates and service providers, humanitarian and relief agencies, and faith-based organizations. In particular, GAA has forged strong links to organizations working on children’s issues, and we are one of the few global AIDS advocacy groups with close ties to the women’s and reproductive health communities. Finally, GAA seeks to activate groups that have not been engaged on HIV/AIDS but work on related issues, such as basic education, debt relief, and health system strengthening, and to encourage greater involvement of domestic AIDS activists on global issues.
Click here for a complete list of GAA's partners.
How can I get involved with GAA's mission?
The easiest way to get involved with GAA's work is to sign up for our regular email alerts and let your elected officials know that you expect them to take concrete action to combat global HIV/AIDS. If you're interested in doing more, you can also conduct face-to-face meetings with members of Congress, or write and publish letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in local newspapers. GAA supporters can also help by organizing education or fundraising events at their workplaces, schools, colleges and universities, houses of worship, and other civic organizations. For help organizing local events, please email us at info@globalaidsalliance.org.
Does GAA have any jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities available?
GAA is a small organization. On the rare occasion that staff positions become available, they will be posted on our website, and in most cases on idealist.org. GAA does offer regular unpaid internships, which are normally filled by students attending colleges and graduate schools in the Washington, DC, area, or participating in internship programs such as The Washington Center and Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. If you're interested in applying for an internship, please email Mary Peterson at mpeterson@globalaidsalliance.org.
The best way to volunteer with GAA is to become a grassroots activist and contact your Senators and Representatives (both in DC and when they're home visiting their constituents) to let them know that you expect concrete action on global HIV/AIDS. We occasionally need volunteers for conferences and other special events, and these volunteer opportunities will be posted on our website and included in our email alerts.
There are a number of organizations that organize study tours and offer volunteer opportunities that are a good way to learn more about the impact of AIDS and how people are working to combat the epidemic. Click here for more information.
How serious is the global AIDS epidemic?
AIDS has killed 25 million people since it first emerged in the early 1980s—more than died in the 20th century's two World Wars. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 33 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS, and roughly 7,400 people are newly infected every day. Women now account for half of new HIV infections worldwide—and 60% in sub-Saharan Africa. In many of the countries hardest hit by AIDS, young people ages 15 to 24 now account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. The pandemic has also orphaned at least 15 million children worldwide.
Over 95% of all people with HIV/AIDS live in developing countries that lack the resources needed to cope effectively with the epidemic. While great strides have been made in bringing treatment to 3 million of the nearly 10 million people in need of antiretroviral treatment worldwide, 69% of those in need still do not receive this lifesaving treatment. Meanwhile, the number of new HIV infections continues to outstrip advances in treatment coverage -- for every two people put on ARVs, another five become newly infected. Globally, only 33% of pregnant women receive services to prevent HIV, although 90% of all children with HIV are infected through mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
The impact of HIV/AIDS extends far beyond those infected with the disease. In the hardest hit countries, AIDS is devastating families and communities, deepening poverty, and exacerbating food shortages. The epidemic is also undermining social and political stability and poses a significant threat to global security. In 2004, Secretary of State Colin Powell called HIV/AIDS the most serious threat to mankind and "the greatest weapon of mass destruction on Earth."
How much will it cost to respond effectively to the global AIDS crisis?
UNAIDS estimates that simply to maintain the current pace of universal access scale-up, funding levels will need to increase by over 50% by 2010. In 2007, while $10 billion was put toward for HIV programs, UNAIDS estimates there was a funding gap of $8.1 billion - meaning roughly only half of the amount needed was available. At the same time, commitments to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria have fallen far short of the amount needed. According to current figures, the Fund will need $4 billion in 2008 to meet demand for its programs, but pledges as of August 2008 totaled only $3.2 billion.
Why can't people with HIV/AIDS get help from their own governments?
Over 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in the developing world, where governments are struggling with serious economic and social problems, and in some cases, political instability. Some countries like Senegal, Uganda, and Thailand have succeeded in reducing HIV infection rates. But more resources are required to scale up community-based programs and cope with the epidemic's impacts. Many developing countries spend as little as $10 per person per year on health care—far too little to provide comprehensive HIV/AIDS services, much less universal access to antiretroviral medications. In many cases, the foreign debt burden on poor countries significantly reduces the amount they can invest in essential health and social programs, including HIV/AIDS services. Some national leaders remain in denial about the impact of AIDS on their people and societies. And people living with HIV/AIDS are often excluded from decision-making about how to use scarce resources.
Why should I get involved in the fight against global HIV/AIDS?
Governments and multilateral organizations like UNAIDS and the World Health Organization have a critical role to play in fighting AIDS. But many of these organizations are extremely slow-moving. In addition, some government (and other) programs place unreasonable restrictions on community-based programs, for example, preventing access to affordable generic medications, or denying funding to clinics that offer reproductive health services. We believe that concerned individuals can play a direct role in persuading their political leaders to adopt responsible AIDS policies and devote the necessary resources to combat the epidemic. With nearly 5,500 people dying and nearly 7,400 new HIV infections each day, it is essential that we harness the power of the people in the fight against AIDS.
Where can I find more information about the global AIDS epidemic?
Each December, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) publishes an update on the global epidemic. Click here for the latest update. In addition, the Kaiser Family Foundation publishes a Daily HIV/AIDS Report that includes news on the global epidemic. Click here for the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report.
Click here for links to other online resources for information on global HIV/AIDS.
Where can I find general information about HIV/AIDS, including the US epidemic?
AIDS.org
The Body
Kaiser Family Foundation
HIV Insite
JAMA HIV/AIDS Information Center
Johns Hopkins AIDS Service
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If you have other questions about the Global AIDS Alliance and can't find the answers on our website, please email us at info@globalaidsalliance.org. We regret that we are unable to provide assistance with individual school projects or research papers.