National AIDS Fund Receives $3.6 Million Social Innovation Fund Award From Corporation for National and Community Service For Access to Care Initiative

New Public Private Partnership Supports Implementation of National HIV/AIDS Strategy; Leverages Corporate, Philanthropic and Individual Support for Programs Ensuring Access to High-Quality HIV Care

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National AIDS Fund (NAF) announced today it is one of 11 organizations to receive the first-ever  Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants, an initiative administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The $3.6 million SIF grant will enable NAF to expand the scope of its Access to Care initiative in support of innovative public-private partnerships to improve individual health outcomes and strengthen local services systems, connecting economically and socially marginalized individuals living with HIV to high quality supportive services and health care.

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"The National AIDS Fund is honored to be a part of the distinguished first class of Social Innovation Fund grantees," said NAF President and CEO Kandy Ferree.  "The Social Innovation Fund is a true public-private partnership and is an example of how the Obama Administration is using new funding pools to support issues of national significance, carrying with it a requirement to leverage a 1:1 match at both the national and local grantee levels."

According to Ferree, NAF's SIF award serves as a pivotal follow-up to the May 13 meeting at the White House that addressed the role of public-private partnerships in the implementation of National HIV/AIDS Strategy.  "This is a call to action and invitation by the National AIDS Fund and Obama Administration to have corporations, foundations and individuals join in helping the United States reach the 'Increasing Access to Care' goals set in the new National HIV/AIDS Strategy," said Ferree.  

NAF kicked off its Access to Care Initiative with support from Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Walmart Foundation. Ferree emphasized however, that the leadership and collaboration with BMS and the Walmart Foundation must serve as a launching point for even more support of efforts to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States have access to care.  

"This is a huge opportunity for the private sector to step up and help to create a country where new HIV infections are rare and where ALL people living with HIV/AIDS have access to high quality health care," said Ferree.  

The SIF is a new way of doing business for the federal government that better targets public-private resources toward solving social challenges. The initiative is designed to expand the impact of high-performing organizations and innovative solutions to issues in three key areas: economic opportunity, youth development and school support, and healthy futures. Specifically, the SIF is designed to:

• Identify and grow innovative and effective nonprofit organizations;
• Generate and share new evidence and knowledge about how to address critical social challenges; and
• Build the grant making infrastructure and supportive environment necessary for social innovation to flourish in a diverse set of geographies.
•  Click here to read the complete list of SIF grantees and to learn more about the Fund.

"Our SIF award is a significant and pivotal investment in our nation's fight against HIV/AIDS," said Ferree. "As the single largest award for HIV/AIDS made in decades by the federal government from new money and from non-AIDS-specific funds, the award demonstrates the premium value placed by the Obama Administration on the uniting of the public and private sectors to improve the life and health of our nation's communities.  These funds will enable the National AIDS Fund, in collaboration with current and new funding partners, to develop and enhance more evidence-based and innovative community-driven interventions that help to increase health literacy, remove barriers and get more people living with HIV access to primary health care and HIV specialty care."

About the National AIDS Fund

The National AIDS Fund exists to leverage resources, develop leadership and advocacy, and foster community innovation to prevent new HIV infections and care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

About the Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

SOURCE National AIDS Fund