By Kandy Ferree, President and CEO, National AIDS Fund, and Rebecca Haag, Executive Director, AIDS Action Council and Foundation
Recently we announced exciting new plans to invigorate leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the United States. We are finalizing plans to merge the National AIDS Fund and AIDS Action to make our collective efforts better and stronger. The merged organization, called AIDS United, fuses the core strengths of our organizations, bringing together experienced private-sector fundraising, philanthropy, coalition building, public policy expertise, and advocacy -- as well as a network of passionate local and state partners. AIDS United provides an unprecedented opportunity and enhanced capacity to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The formation of AIDS United has been the culmination of hard work over the past 24 months. As we moved through the process it became clear that AIDS United's bold new direction requires a fresh leadership vision. It is with great pride, therefore, that we announce that Mark Ishaug, President and CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, will assume the helm of AIDS United.
Mark helped establish AFC as the Midwest's largest HIV/AIDS service organization and Illinois' leading advocate for people with AIDS and the agencies that serve them. Mark has long been affiliated with both NAF and AIDS Action, as AFC is a longtime NAF Community Partnership as well as a member organization of AIDS Action. We are confident that Mark will bring new energy and vision to the national debate and ensure that other community leaders are engaged and those living with HIV/AIDS anywhere in the U.S. have a voice in policy making and program design.
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| Kandy Ferree |
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| Rebecca Haag |
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| Mark Ishaug |
The work of AIDS United will focus on several key areas:
For our broad constituents, most changes will be apparent over time. The ongoing portfolios of each organization's work will continue while we develop the AIDS United's strategic plan and policy priorities.
Each organization's current CEO will remain involved in AIDS United. Kandy Ferree will become a senior consultant to the new organization, and Rebecca Haag will be involved in the work of AIDS United's Public Policy Committee and continue to influence federal policy and programming through her continuing role as the CEO of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. As architects of this merger and new vision, we both look forward to working in partnership Mark during the organization's transition.
National AIDS Fund and AIDS Action have been through a great deal in our respective histories, and coming together as AIDS United is yet another pivotal turning point in how we will be responding to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic in the coming years. So many of you have been with us every step of our journey and continue to stand by us. For that we express deep gratitude. For AIDS United to build the capacity of individuals and communities to exercise their own power; to create unity and strength in our collective national voice; and ensure that people at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS have the services they need, we need your continued and increased investment.
On behalf of all of us at AIDS United, we thank you for your past and for your future support. We know that we are accountable to our funders and the communities in which we work. And we never take for granted the fact that we stand on the shoulders of so many who have gone before us and have a responsibility to end the epidemic in the United States for the sake of future generations.
Finalizing our merger is one important step on a longer path-- and now that journey continues as we (our employees, donors, Board, grantees and allies) work together to create the country's most transparent, results-driven and accountable national AIDS organization in history - as AIDS United.
Let's end HIV/AIDS in the United States together.
1. Maximizing and leveraging new resources through public-private partnerships;
2. Building local, state and regional advocacy capacity and enhancing federal capacity to ensure that public policy is guided by community needs, and that affected populations are informed and mobilized;
3. Using evidence to spur innovation and scale programs that work;
4. Investing in the most impacted geographies and populations to end the epidemic in the US;
5. Supporting implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy;
6. Advocating for implementation of health care reform ensuring the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS are addressed as the legislation is implemented;
7. Enhancing the voices and involvement of those infected, affected and at risk for HIV/AIDS.
For our broad constituents, most changes will be apparent over time. The ongoing portfolios of each organization's work will continue while we develop the AIDS United's strategic plan and policy priorities.
Each organization's current CEO will remain involved in AIDS United. Kandy Ferree will become a senior consultant to the new organization, and Rebecca Haag will be involved in the work of AIDS United's Public Policy Committee and continue to influence federal policy and programming through her continuing role as the CEO of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. As architects of this merger and new vision, we both look forward to working in partnership Mark during the organization's transition.
National AIDS Fund and AIDS Action have been through a great deal in our respective histories, and coming together as AIDS United is yet another pivotal turning point in how we will be responding to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic in the coming years. So many of you have been with us every step of our journey and continue to stand by us. For that we express deep gratitude. For AIDS United to build the capacity of individuals and communities to exercise their own power; to create unity and strength in our collective national voice; and ensure that people at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS have the services they need, we need your continued and increased investment.
On behalf of all of us at AIDS United, we thank you for your past and for your future support. We know that we are accountable to our funders and the communities in which we work. And we never take for granted the fact that we stand on the shoulders of so many who have gone before us and have a responsibility to end the epidemic in the United States for the sake of future generations.
Finalizing our merger is one important step on a longer path-- and now that journey continues as we (our employees, donors, Board, grantees and allies) work together to create the country's most transparent, results-driven and accountable national AIDS organization in history - as AIDS United.
Let's end HIV/AIDS in the United States together.
Is there room for the Faithbased Organization? If so, how can the faithbased organization get invovled?
Thanks
This is just a suggestion. I would like to suggest an AIDS rose memorial garden. People can donate a rose bush to the memorial garden in memory of someone who has died from AIDS.