Gilead Sciences COMPASS Initiative Awards Over $2.3M to 40 Organizations Fighting HIV
Today, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Southern AIDS Coalition, and the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work announced 40 organizations that will receive a total of $2,309,592 to combat the spread of HIV in the South and support people living with HIV. The three organizations are the Coordinating Centers of Gilead Sciences’ COMPASS Initiative (COMPASS), which identified grantees engaged in community-driven solutions that are improving the health and well-being of those impacted by HIV in the South.
“The data shows a need for increased financial investment in Southern based organizations. These resources are vital to saving lives,” said Neena Smith-Bankhead, MS, Director of Capacity Building & Community Engagement, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. “Together, we can find, grow and strengthen the capacity of organizations that are able to combat HIV in the Southern United States.”
Despite being home to only 38 percent of the country’s population, Southern states experienced 52 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2017. Due to social and structural disparities in the South—including poverty, housing stability and food security—the epidemic represents a complex challenge that requires a variety of community-based solutions. COMPASS invests in community organizations that build awareness, reduce stigma, advance education, share knowledge and promote the well-being of individuals impacted by HIV.
“People living with HIV often experience trauma and mental health challenges that require culturally appropriate and person-centered treatment,” said Samira Ali, PhD, LMSW, Assistant Professor and Center Director, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. “These new resources allow our community partners to enhance their quality of care so that the communities’ needs are met through community-driven solutions.”
The one-year grants are focused on addressing disparities within the HIV epidemic by increasing organizational capacity, reducing stigma and promoting well-being, mental health and trauma-informed care. Last year, 32 organizations received Transformative Grants to develop and expand the infrastructure of HIV services in the South.
“Through this funding, organizations are creating programs to combat the stigma and isolation that too often accompany an HIV diagnosis. Communities are key in turning the tide of the epidemic in the South,” said Dafina Ward, JD, Interim Executive Director, Southern AIDS Coalition. “We need to keep that momentum going into the next year to combat the spread of HIV while caring for those living with it in the South.”
Born out of the recognition that the South is disproportionately affected by HIV, Gilead announced the COMPASS Initiative two years ago. Over the course of 10 years, the community-focused program will provide more than $100 million in an unprecedented effort to combat the HIV epidemic in the South.
“We believe in going where the need is greatest, listening to those working on the front lines, and providing them the resources they need to scale their success,” said Korab Zuka, Vice President of Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences. “Nowhere is that truer than in the Southern U.S., where HIV infection rates are increasing and finding access to care can be difficult. Last year our Transformative Grant partners helped reduce stigma, train healthcare professionals and expand access in rural communities. We’re excited to see these new grantees bring their creativity and tenacity to end HIV once and for all.”
For more information on the COMPASS Initiative and its grantees visit www.gileadcompass.com. A full list of organizations receiving Transformative Grants is as follows:
Alabama:
- Alabama Regional Medical Services
Florida:
- Big Bend CARES
- Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Greater Fort Lauderdale, Inc.
- HIGH IMPACTO, Inc.
- Let's BeeHIVE! Inc.
- Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan, Inc.
- TransInclusive Group
- University of South Florida Research Foundation
Georgia:
- Aniz, Inc.
- Black AIDS Institute SOUTH (Black Treatment Advocates Network)
- A Vision 4 Hope, Inc.
- He Is Valuable, Inc.
- Here's To Life
- National AIDS Education Services for Minorities (NAESM, Inc.)
- SisterLove, Inc.
- Thrive SS, Inc.
Louisiana:
- 504HealthNet
- Brotherhood, Incorporated
- Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services
- Louisiana Public Health Institute
Mississippi:
- Delta Health Alliance
- Mississippi Center for Justice
- My Brother's Keeper, Inc.
North Carolina:
- AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance, Inc. (ALFA)
- Circle of Friends Task Force
- Latino Commission on AIDS
- Positive Wellness Alliance
South Carolina:
- Gender Benders
- University of South Carolina Education Foundation (PASO)
Tennessee:
- Chattanooga C.A.R.E.S., Inc. Cempa Community Care
- Friends for Life Corporation
- My Sistah's House
- Partnership To End AIDS Status Inc. (PEAS Inc.)
- Positively Living
- Relationships Unleashed
- Tennessee Recovery Alliance
Texas:
- HOPE, Health, & Wellness Center
- Legacy Community Health Services
- Southern Black Policy and Advocacy Network
- Whatsinthemirror?
About the Gilead COMPASS Initiative™
The Gilead COMPASS Initiative is a 10-year, more than $100 million commitment in the Southern United States supporting organizations working to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The corporate giving program of the Initiative has a threefold mission: to build capacity and increase knowledge sharing among community-based, underfunded organizations in Southern states; to explore interventions that appropriately respond to patients' needs, including the bundling or reframing of mental healthcare, as well as the intersection between substance use, the opioid epidemic and HIV/AIDS; and to fund awareness and anti-stigma campaigns. Through this Initiative, Gilead plans to dramatically increase the reach of these organizations working to address the epidemic in the region, and ultimately to improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS.
