New Community Partnership to Provide Grants for HIV/AIDS Prevention Education
July 7, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – July 7, 2009 – Central Carolina Community Foundation has been selected as the first National AIDS Fund Partner in South Carolina and has received a challenge grant to support HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs. $154,500 has been raised to support grant making in the Community Foundation’s 11-county service area.
This grant is critical as the Southern states, including South Carolina, have the highest number of new AIDS diagnoses in the United States. 23,199 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control in its December 31, 2008 STD/HIV Surveillance Report ranking South Carolina 9th in the nation for new AIDS cases. Our capital, Columbia, ranks 6th in the nation, among large metropolitan areas, based on the number of new AIDS cases reported annually.
Disturbingly, the 20 – 29 year old age group reports the highest percentage of newly diagnosed HIV positive people in our state. This age group represents our future. Prevention education is critically needed in order to halt this trend.
To manage the HIV/AIDS prevention education grant, the Foundation has formed the Central Carolina Aids Partnership (CCAP). CCAP will conduct a Request for Proposal process to determine recipients for funding. Grants will be awarded in late October or early November. Details will be available on the Foundation’s Web site, www.yourfoundation.org, by the first of August.
In addition to the support from The National AIDS Fund and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, CCAP is supported by several local organizations including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the New Morning Foundation and the AIDS Benefit Foundation.
About Central Carolina Community Foundation
Central Carolina Community Foundation’s mission is to promote, facilitate and increase philanthropy to create a sustainable impact on our community through responsible giving. CCCF serves 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and community leaders to areas of need. For more information, visit www.yourfoundation.org.
About the National AIDS Fund
The National AIDS Fund was founded in 1988 to reduce the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS by promoting leadership and generating resources for effective community responses to the epidemic. Over the last 20 years, NAF and its Community Partnerships have directed $160 million through Challenge Grants alone to support HIV/AIDS services, capacity building and advocacy, now reaching over 400 community organizations annually. For more information, visit www.aidsfund.org.
