Recommendations to Potential Funding Organizations
On Involving US Groups in Global AIDS Activities
On Advocacy
1. Potential funding organizations must find ways to support US AIDS groups in working on global AIDS advocacy including policy analysis, policy education, and communication activities. (GAAN estimates that one to two million dollars per year is needed to create a fully effective global AIDS advocacy effort.)
2. In this endeavor funders should build on the existing advocacy capacity of US AIDS groups, supporting multiple organizations on a range of issues. In a multi-decade advocacy effort, the diversity of American AIDS community is its strength.
3. Funders should consider funding advocacy efforts via specialized issues teams consisting of a few groups working on common agenda. If supporting single organizations, funders should urge groups to coordinate with other groups and develop, where possible, sustainable collaborative relationships.
4. In supporting groups in global AIDS advocacy efforts, priority should be given not only to the ability to work on specific issues in the short run, but also the ability to educate and mobilize whole communities over several decades.
5. Funders should be wary of seeking to "over-direct" advocacy efforts. This may be necessary for short-term activities, but in the long run this approach will limit participation. Ideally funders would sustain advocacy capacity, not set advocacy agendas.
6. Funders should insist that US groups engaging in global AIDS advocacy have a credible means of consulting southern groups on their policy agendas.
On Two-way Partnerships
1. Funders should support two-way partnerships between US groups and southern nation ASOs in those circumstances where this relationship provides clear benefit to both groups. (GAAN estimates that thirty to fifty such partnerships could be productively developed over the next few years at a cost of between three and five million dollars per year.)
- Funders should seek to develop a new mechanism to support two-way partnerships that
a. Allows both groups to control their own funding
b. Allows southern groups as well as northern groups to chose their partnering organization
c. Provides support from a broad range of groups, particularly other partnering organizations around the world
- To be effective, funders should support long-term partnerships lasting two to four years and preferably longer.
4. In considering if a partnership might be viable, funders should consider
a. Is the benefit that both groups expect to receive clearly defined?
b. Do the groups share an affinity, a shared perspective, or a common agenda that will help them overcome cultural differences?
c. Are both groups able to utilize technology (i.e., Internet) to maintain ongoing communication?
d. Do these groups respect each other? Like each other? How important in this relationship is the elusive benefit of solidarity?
