The HIV/AIDS philanthropy sector: towards harmonization of resource tracking

The HIV/AIDS philanthropic sector, which supports programmes in developing countries, is diverse. Grant making organizations include foundations, public charities and the corporate sector. Foundations include private, family and community foundations. The meaning of the term foundation varies between countries. Some are endowed, community, operating or corporate foundations, while others benefit from the proceeds of lotteries and gambling (EFC, 2006, p. 6). To support their operational or grant making programmes, some foundations act as charities mobilizing funds from various sources, including the general public (e.g. friends of) and lotteries. Some non-governmental organizations both execute government programmes and raise private contributions. Corporations and businesses provide support through non-cash mechanisms such as price reductions for HIV/AIDS medicines, commodity donations and other in-kind support. The corporate sector, the government sector and NGOs may have joint programmes and some activities (e.g. research) may be funded from multiple sources (e.g. public-private partnerships). This newsletter tries to attribute to the process of harmonization. The data collection mechanisms of four major resource tracking initiatives are compared: FCAA, EFC, UNAIDS and the RF Project