Report includes new information from 40 funders based outside the U.S. and Europe
WASHINGTON D.C., CAPE TOWN, GENEVA, 10 December 2013—A new report by Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA), supported by UNAIDS, showed that 5.4% or US$ 0.5 billion of total international funding available for HIV in low- and middle-income countries was from philanthropic sources. Globally in 2012, US$ 636 million came from private donors. The report, which was launched today at the FCAA 2013 AIDS Philanthropy Summit and the 17th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, also shows that philanthropic funding has remained essentially flat (a less than 1% increase) since 2011.
This slight growth is largely due to the addition of 40 funders, new to the report, based outside of the U.S. and Western and Central Europe. Excluding funding from these organizations, philanthropy from U.S.- and E.U.-based organizations decreased by US$33 million, or 5% from 2011. Overall total philanthropic funding has remained at roughly the same level since 2007, and continues to be strongly influenced by the world’s largest HIV/AIDS philanthropic donor, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation). Forecasts in both the U.S. and Europe suggest that private AIDS funding is unlikely to increase in 2013.
“We’re thrilled to highlight the work and impact of 40 new potential partners in the philanthropic response to HIV/AIDS,” said John Barnes, Executive Director, FCAA. “However, the inclusion of these new funding sources in the report masks a troubling decline among U.S.- and E.U.-based organizations. A ‘slow and steady’ approach will not bring the needed resources to bear to meet the current challenges of the AIDS response.”
Other Key Findings:
- Funding from U.S.-based philanthropies totaled US$ 467 million in 2012, decreasing 3% from 2011. Seven top funders – including the Gates Foundation (which represented half of total U.S.-based disbursements), experienced significant decreases (US$ 1m-US$ 18mil) due to reported yearly fluctuations in grantmaking cycles and shifts in funding to other health areas.
- Among E.U-based philanthropies, the 2012 total reached $147 million, decreasing 6% from 2011. This continues a now 3-year gradual decline since 2009. While the majority of E.U.-based funders decreased funding between 2011 and 2012, some of this was the result of yearly fluctuations in the grantmaking cycles, or a strategy review process, rather than a shift away from funding for HIV.
- New for 2013, FCAA conducted research to identify HIV philanthropic funders based outside of the U.S. and the Western and Central Europe. Surveys and additional research generated data from 40 funders in 13 countries, totaling approximately $38 million in AIDS philanthropy in 2012.
“There is a strong sentiment of global solidarity around advancing the AIDS response to reach an AIDS-free generation,” said Luiz Loures, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “UNAIDS continues to urge all partners to look for innovative ways of ensuring increased and sustainable sources of funding to allow us to reach everyone in need with lifesaving HIV services.”
The report was released amidst news that funding for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries from donor governments totaled $7.86 billion in 2012, remaining essentially unchanged since 2008. According to UNAIDS the total resources available for HIV reached US$ 18.9 billion in 2012, $3-5 billion short of what is needed to meet the global target of $22-24 billion. UNAIDS’ Investment Framework to guide more efficient use of resources shows that 4.2 million new HIV infections and 1.9 million HIV-related deaths could be averted, and 15 million people could access HIV treatment, if funding is scaled up to US$ 24 billion by 2015.
While philanthropic aid provided to low- and middle-income countries only represents approximately 5% of all international funding for the AIDS response, FCAA and UNAIDS emphasize that, in its independence, philanthropy has a catalytic role to play in the AIDS response. Philanthropic funding is often committed to addressing critical issues through advocacy and to supporting key populations such as men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers, that are often not covered by other sources of funding.
The FCAA annual resource tracking report, produced with support from UNAIDS, intends to inform stakeholders about the overall distribution and trends of global AIDS philanthropy. The financial data is largely sourced from surveys completed by funders, with supplemental review of grants databases and funders’ grants lists. Data was obtained for close to 300 organizations that are believed to represent the substantial majority of global private HIV/AIDS philanthropy.
Download Global Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2012 at http://www.fcaaids.org/resourcetracking
