Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Information about Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) and its instructions is at www.irs.gov/form990.
| (i)Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 9 above or IRC section (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
| Total | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") .... | 22,876,129 | 33,247,849 | 38,582,579 | 57,556,516 | 56,251,128 | 208,514,201 |
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf....... | 0 | |||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | 0 | |||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | 22,876,129 | 33,247,849 | 38,582,579 | 57,556,516 | 56,251,128 | 208,514,201 |
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f).. | 3,374,428 | |||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | 205,139,773 | |||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | 22,876,129 | 33,247,849 | 38,582,579 | 57,556,516 | 56,251,128 | 208,514,201 |
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | 951,963 | 897,974 | 755,293 | 804,366 | 1,652,775 | 5,062,371 |
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | 1,735,330 | 1,624,966 | 1,467,184 | 1,693,403 | 2,101,178 | 8,622,061 |
| 11 | Total support Add lines 7 through 10. | 222,198,633 | |||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose...... | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513.. | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5. | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons... | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public support (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included in line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | ||||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | ||||||
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e | Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): | |||||
| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 1-1/2% of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by .035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Check here if the current year is the organization's first as a non-functionally-integrated Type III supporting organization (see instructions) | |||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | ||
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
||
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | ||
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | ||
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required) | ||
| 6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions | ||
| 7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6. | ||
|
8
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
||
| 9 Distributable amount for 2014 from Section C, line 6 | ||
| 10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount | ||
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2014 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2014 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
Distributable amount for 2014 from Section C, line 6 |
||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2014 (reasonable cause required--see instructions) |
||||
| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2014: | ||||
| a From 2009.......X | ||||
| b From 2010.......X | ||||
| c From 2011.......X | ||||
| d From 2012.......X | ||||
| e From 2013....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2014 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2009 not applied (see instructions) |
||||
| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2014 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2014 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2014, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2 (if amount greater than zero, see instructions) |
||||
|
6
Remaining underdistributions for 2014. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1 (if amount greater than zero, see instructions) |
||||
|
7 Excess distributions carryover to 2015. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
||||
| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a From 2010.......X | ||||
| b From 2011.......X | ||||
| c From 2012.......X | ||||
| d From 2013....... | ||||
| e From 2014....... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
|---|
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|
| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Information about Schedule O (Form 990 or 990-EZ) and its instructions is at| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Program Service Accomplishments(1) | Line 4a: Research: amfAR supports research projects that explore novel approaches to scientifically sound but untested hypotheses in all areas of research on HIV/AIDS, funding goal-oriented studies that often lack the preliminary data required for support from traditional grant makers. The Foundation plays a vital role in HIV/AIDS research, identifying critical gaps in knowledge and providing essential seed money that enables grantees and fellows to test the merits of new concepts or technologies that subsequently can be validated through large-scale studies, such as those funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. amfAR fellowships allow talented young investigators to conduct original investigations under the guidance of experienced scientists, helping to ensure the long-term vitality of AIDS research. New Grants and Fellowships Grants and fellowships are awarded through a rigorous process of peer review by a team of independent HIV/AIDS experts drawn largely from the volunteer scientists on amfAR's Scientific Advisory Committee. Guided by its scientific advisors and with the approval of its board of trustees, amfAR pursues a strategic research plan that focuses on the pursuit of a cure for HIV/AIDS. Countdown to a Cure for AIDS In February 2015, amfAR outlined a $100 million investment strategy to support its Countdown to a Cure for AIDS initiative, which is aimed at developing the scientific basis for a cure by 2020. The strategy represents an unprecedented expansion of amfAR's grant making and is designed to provide support to any scientist or team of investigators for any research idea with the potential to advance the search for a cure, at any stage of its development. It is structured to provide sustained support for a wide range of studies that advance both emerging and established ideas. The strategy comprises the following components: - amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research Launched at the end of 2015 at the University of California, San Francisco, the Institute will be the cornerstone of amfAR's cure research efforts and will be supported by a $20 million grant over five years. - Innovation Grants These two-year awards of up to $200,000 each will enable researchers to test innovative ideas supported by limited preliminary data. - Impact Grants These grants of up to $2 million each over four years will support the in-depth development of concepts already underpinned by preliminary data showing genuine potential for achieving a cure. - Investment Grants Aimed at recruiting the experience and expertise of scientists from outside the field of HIV, these $1 million grants will be awarded over a four-year period. Grantees may have expertise in fields such as cancer, neuroscience or inflammatory disease that can directly inform efforts to cure HIV. - ARCHE Launched in 2010, the amfAR Research Consortium on HIV Eradication, or ARCHE, supports collaborative teams of scientists in the U.S. and around the world working on a range of HIV cure strategies. - Opportunity Fund This funding mechanism will enable amfAR to respond quickly to emerging and unforeseen research opportunities. Innovation Grants In February 2015, amfAR's Board of Trustees approved the first round of 11 Innovation Grants totaling close to $2 million. Among them is a study by Dr. Benjamin Burwitz of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland that could help determine the precise mechanism of action that led to the first and only known HIV cure in the "Berlin Patient." Dr. Burwitz and colleagues plan to generate a non-human primate that will allow the testing of many hypotheses concerning the Berlin patient's cure, as well as, for example, gene therapy interventions designed to cure HIV. Another of these Innovation Grants was underwritten by generationCURE, a group of young professionals dedicated to supporting amfAR's cure-focused research. This inaugural $180,000 generationCURE grant was awarded to Dr. Brad Jones, assistant professor at George Washington University's Research Center for the Cure and Eradication of HIV, who is studying whether a novel combination therapy can eradicate the latent reservoirs of HIV that present a major barrier to finding a cure. Impact Grants In July amfAR awarded its first ever four-year grants at $2 million each. A team of researchers led by Dr. Dan Barouch of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is investigating the ability of combinations of antibodies to specifically kill latently infected cells in the lab, in monkeys, and then in people. The researchers will test two promising antibodies alone and together, in combination with a newly described drug that can "shock" the virus out of latently infected cells and possibly enhance the ability of the antibodies to locate the infected cells. Dr. Timothy Henrich of the University of California, San Francisco, and his colleagues are pursuing a novel intervention aimed at restoring normal immune function in people with HIV. The team is testing whether the transplant drug, sirolimus, can increase the activity of beneficial components of the immune system while suppressing detrimental activity of other components. The team will thoroughly assess the drug's activities before moving on to test the drug on persistent HIV reservoirs in people. Using an approach that has already proved successful in cancer therapy, Dr. Sharon Lewin of the University of Melbourne, Australia, is exploring whether drugs that block so-called immune checkpoints can also be effective against HIV. Researchers theorize that the immune system cannot eliminate infected cells because of immune checkpoints, a set of mechanisms that limit the duration of an immune response so that the immune system does not become exhausted. Dr. Lewin and her team will test two drugs, alone and together, for their ability to reverse immune exhaustion and restore the ability of the immune system to eliminate infected cells. ARCHE In February the board approved a $1.5 million ARCHE (amfAR Research Consortium on HIV Eradication) grant to support a team of researchers from Rockefeller University in New York, Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. The researchers are testing the ability of the cancer drug Romidepsin, which has been shown to be effective at "shocking" HIV out of hiding, combined with an antibody to eliminate infected cells and thus reduce the size of the persistent HIV reservoir. Mathilde Krim Fellowships In October 2014, amfAR awarded an eighth round of Mathilde Krim Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Research, an initiative that provides funding for exceptional young researchers who are new to the field of HIV/AIDS research. The initiative has already achieved spectacular results, including numerous published studies in major scientific journals. Dr. Stylianos Bournazos of the Rockefeller University in New York is studying a range of antibody functions that could inform future vaccine design. Drs. David Schwefel of MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London and Spyridon Stavrou of the University of Pennsylvania are focusing on antiviral defenses within cells called restriction factors, which HIV has evolved to overcome, thus protecting itself from destruction. And Dr. Henning Hoffman of New York University is studying harmful overactivity of the immune system often caused by HIV infection, which can increase the risk of heart disease and other conditions. Published Research Research studies make the greatest impact on the AIDS field and on the broader scientific community when they are published in scientific journals. In the past year, 44 scientific publications resulted from amfAR-funded research. The Effects of Early Treatment Writing in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, amfAR grantees Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues reported on eight children who were perinatally infected with HIV and then followed for up to 18 years. Four were treated with ART shortly after birth, while the other four, in keeping with treatment guidelines in place at the time of their infection, did not receive ART until 6 to 15 years of age. Most striking was the fact that all four treated early had lower levels of proviral DNA-one measure of HIV reservoir size-along with decreased T-cell activation and absent or minimal anti-HIV immune responses, which is another indication of vanishingly small levels of virus in their bodies. Drs. Luzuriaga, Persaud, and associates concluded that "life-long therapy may not be necessary for all individuals, particularly those who initiate cART during primary infection." When Is the Reservoir Established? Writing in the January issue of Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS, Dr. Nicolas Chomont of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Florida and associates from the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and t |
| Program Service Accomplishments (2) | Line 4b: TREAT ASIA: amfAR's TREAT Asia (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia) program is a network of hospitals, clinics, and research institutions working with civil society to ensure the safe and effective delivery of HIV treatments to adults and children across the Asia-Pacific through research, education, and advocacy of evidence-based HIV-related policies. The TREAT Asia Network encompasses 21 adult and 18 pediatric sites throughout the region, which collaborate on a variety of projects. TREAT Asia scientists published 28 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals in FY2015. TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) TREAT Asia pioneered the region's first adult observational database for HIV/AIDS, which now includes anonymous data collected from approximately 9,000 patients at 21 clinical sites in 12 countries. The information gathered and analyzed through the database informs the development of more effective research and treatment programs, and helps define treatment standards specific to HIV/AIDS in Asia. TAHOD-Lite While TAHOD continues to be an essential resource for assessing treatment outcomes in Asian populations, its model of in-depth data collection limits the size of the cohort to a subset of those living with HIV who are cared for at the participating clinics. In FY2015, TREAT Asia launched a new database called TAHOD-Lite that includes more basic data but from a much larger proportion of the HIV-positive patients seen at participating sites. International AIDS Database TREAT Asia manages the Asia-Pacific section of the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA), a global collaboration established by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In FY2015, the IeDEA consortium launched a new study aiming to develop and validate a standardized tool to measure and better understand adherence among young people. The study is building on research already done by an IeDEA site in Kenya. TREAT Asia is working with HIV-NAT at the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre to conduct a Thai component. The study will employ and evaluate a brief standard questionnaire that can accurately assess young people's adherence to treatment. It will also examine current adherence among children at the three participating IeDEA sites in Kenya, South Africa, and Thailand, evaluate factors that increase the risk of non-adherence, and assess the impact of non-adherence on treatment failure and clinic dropout. TREAT Asia Pediatric Network TREAT Asia's Pediatric Network includes 18 sites in six countries; these sites share information and best practices in an effort to improve the quality of pediatric care in the region. The TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database (TApHOD) was modeled on the adult database and includes data from approximately 5,500 pediatric patients in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. TREAT Asia has been following a prospective cohort study of 248 HIV-infected adolescents to evaluate multiple social, cultural, and behavioral factors that affect ART adherence using an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) instrument at nine TApHOD sites in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Among the study findings were that adolescents with effective virologic suppression were less likely to report high-risk sexual behaviors, such as inconsistent condom use. This emphasizes the need to promote and support strategies to achieve viral suppression as a key priority for adolescents who are struggling to remain adherent to ART. This study was supported by the AIDS Life Foundation. Additional Adolescent Research In FY2015, TREAT Asia conducted and continued several studies aimed at improving the health and well-being of adolescents living with HIV. HIV-NAT/Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, in collaboration with three other clinical sites in Thailand, conducted a study of whether technology-based interventions, in this case short messaging service (SMS) reminders, can increase adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents. This study received support from ViiV Healthcare. TREAT Asia conducted the third year of its study to evaluate the natural history of HPV infection and risk factors for HPV acquisition and persistence among perinatally HIV-infected individuals compared to uninfected female and male adolescents in Thailand and Vietnam. The findings, which were presented at the International Workshop on HIV Pediatrics in July 2015, support the need for greater integration of preventive sexual health services into HIV care programs for young women with HIV, and more effective linkages between existing healthcare programs supporting adolescents. This study was supported by the AIDS Life Foundation. Expanding Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV in Thailand In 2015, in an effort to enhance national HIV prevention efforts, the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre and Adam's Love, Thailand's leading Internet and social media-based HIV outreach initiative, began working on two groundbreaking efforts to bring oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to MSM in Thailand. Both projects are supported in part by TREAT Asia. Adam's Love's PrEP-30 campaign is Thailand's first major effort to spread awareness about PrEP and how it works and encourage MSM who are at higher risk of HIV infection to consider using it. Dr. Nittaya Phanuphak is leading a Thai Red Cross study on the uptake and efficacy of PrEP among Thai MSM and hopes the findings from her research will encourage the Thai government to cover the cost of PrEP under Thailand's national health insurance. Exploring Links Between HIV and Cancer Because MSM living with HIV are twice as likely as those without HIV to develop the anal cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), the Anonymous Clinic of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, a TREAT Asia network member in Bangkok, started screening its patients for anal precancers. Using funding from amfAR's GMT Initiative, they purchased the high-resolution anoscopy microscope necessary to diagnose and treat both anal warts and precancerous anal lesions, and began providing anal Pap smears and treatment free of charge. This not only benefited their patients, it also generated some of the first data about HPV and anal neoplasia-the final stage the lesions reach before developing into cancer-among MSM in a resource-limited setting in the Asia-Pacific. With support from TREAT Asia, the AIDS Life Foundation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the University of California, San Francisco, three additional TREAT Asia sites in Indonesia and Malaysia have established similar programs. Building Community Treatment Literacy and Promoting Advocacy for Treatment Access TREAT Asia works closely with regional organizations to support treatment literacy activities, including the production of "community-friendly" educational brochures on HIV treatment standards in local languages. In 2015, with support from ViiV Healthcare's new Positive Action for Adolescents program, TREAT Asia launched a program called Youth ACATA (Asia Community for AIDS Treatment and Advocacy) in an effort to mobilize HIV-positive youth across the region. It held three Youth ACATA workshops for young people living with HIV from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in an effort to mobilize youth HIV advocacy across the region, among other trainings. TREAT Asia also released a policy brief urging governments, public health authorities, healthcare providers, and civil society in Asia to address persistent gaps in women's access to reproductive health services, especially for women living with HIV in the region. Sexual and Reproductive Health of HIV-Positive Women in Asia: A Policy Framework for the Future provides recommendations aimed at closing gaps in the delivery of HIV prevention and care in Asia. In August 2015, Adam's Love launched Adam's Love Taiwan, its fourth country-specific HIV outreach campaign targeting at-risk populations through its unique online edutainment approach that combines educational HIV resources with videos and social media posts from national celebrities. (Adam's Love is supported by ViiV and amfAR, and sponsored by the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre.) Adam's Love's other three edutainment projects-Adam's Love Thailand and TemanTeman.org Indonesia and Malaysia-have all been highly successful, garnering a total of nearly three million unique visitors to their websites. Adam's Love is partnering with three additional GMT-friendly clinics in the country to help individuals in Taiwan access convenient, discrimination-free VCT services. They aim to continue to expand across the region, with plans to launch websites in South Korea in 2016 and Japan by 2017. In addition, TREAT Asia continued to publish lay-language articles on AIDS research, policy, and community issues facing the TREAT Asia network and the Asia-Pacific as a whole. It also |
| Program Service Accomplishments (3) | Line 4c: EDUCATION AND INFORMATION: amfAR seeks to translate and disseminate information on important AIDS-related research, treatment, prevention, and policy issues for diverse audiences and to increase broad awareness and knowledge of the pandemic. amfAR also publishes a wide range of educational materials, maintains an informative website, and engages respected public figures, HIV/AIDS scientists, and policymakers in communicating the need for continued research to develop new methods of prevention, treatment, and, ultimately, a cure for AIDS. Educational Materials amfAR produces a range of periodicals in both print and electronic formats, including its newsletter Innovations, published twice a year and distributed to more than 45,000 people; the TREAT Asia Report, an e-mail newsletter distributed six times a year to more than 4,000 readers in the international health community; and a monthly e-mail newsletter distributed to nearly 100,000 people. The Foundation's website features news, interviews, blog posts, and other original articles covering science, policy, the global epidemic, and amfAR programs and activities. The website attracts an average 30,000 visitors per month. amfAR also creates and distributes program reports, press releases, and updates on major HIV/AIDS issues and conducts public service advertising campaigns that have been instrumental in educating policymakers, healthcare professionals, people living with HIV/AIDS, and the general public. Social Media amfAR vigorously expanded its presence in the social media arena, reaching large numbers of people, including a younger demographic that is often less educated about HIV and the AIDS epidemic. The Foundation regularly added content to its Facebook page and live tweeted and posted images on Instagram from fundraising and program events. amfAR has 67,000 likes on Facebook, 35,400 Twitter followers, and more than 81,000 Instagram followers. Media Outreach amfAR continued to work closely with the media to raise the profile of HIV/AIDS, both domestically and internationally, and to help ensure the accuracy of AIDS-related press coverage. Articles and reports involving amfAR-many of which included interviews with amfAR staff and spokespeople-were carried in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post, and news agencies such as the Associated Press, CNN, Bloomberg News, and Reuters. amfAR's public awareness efforts are greatly enhanced by the committed support of public figures who lend their voices and donate their time, talents, and resources to help sustain the Foundation's mission. Support of amfAR by prominent public figures began with the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and others have followed in her footsteps. amfAR is profoundly grateful for the continuing steadfast support of Global Campaign Chair Sharon Stone. In FY2015 Scarlett Johansson donated her time to record a voiceover for an amfAR video promoting its Countdown to a Cure for AIDS initiative. Other celebrity supporters included amfAR Ambassadors Milla Jovovich and Michelle Yeoh, Miley Cyrus, Dita Von Teese, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Tom Ford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chiara Ferragni, Ryan Murphy, Lisa Kudrow, Rose McGowan, Jay Ellis, Eddie Redmayne, Lea Michele, Michelle Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, amfAR Trustee Harry Belafonte, Naomi Campbell, Iman, Heidi Klum, Brooke Shields, Coco Rocha, Kate Moss, Cher, Kylie Minogie, Riccardo Tisci, Adrien Brody, Eva Longoria, Harvey Keitel, Harvey Weinstein, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Thicke, Rita Ora, Andrea Bocelli, Dean and Dan Caten, Chris Tucker, Mario Testino, Carine Roitfeld, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Laverne Cox, Anderson Cooper, Sandra Bernhard, Andy Cohen and Mr. Brainwash. |
| Program Service Accomplishments (4) | Line 4d: THE GMT INITIATIVE: Since 2007, amfAR has been serving the HIV-related needs of gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender individuals (collectively, GMT) throughout the developing world through its GMT Initiative. Through small, targeted grants to grassroots groups, amfAR has expanded access to HIV education and prevention services; supported advocacy aimed at increasing funding for prevention and treatment services; and worked to end the stigma, discrimination, and violence that threaten the lives of GMT and fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS. In January 2015, amfAR supported a study at Instituto Pesquisa Clinica Evandro Chagas (IPEC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of 16 clinical sites participating in the Opposites Attract Study, an ongoing international study that explores the effectiveness of "treatment as prevention" in gay male serodiscordant relationships (one sexual partner is living with HIV and the other is not). The study is led by Dr. Beatriz Grinsztejn, director of the STD/AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory at IPEC, who is monitoring as many as 70 gay male serodiscordant couples in Brazil and examining HIV treatment, viral loads, and HIV transmission to find out if HIV incidence is associated with whether the HIV-positive partner is on antiretroviral therapy. Implementation Science Awards In FY2015, the focus of amfAR's grant making through the GMT Initiative evolved from the distribution of small grants to community-based organizations to the support of larger implementation science projects aimed at identifying barriers to HIV testing, treatment and care, and studying the impact of innovative HIV service delivery models for GMT in low- and middle-income countries. amfAR awarded $2.6 million over three years to support three such studies. Dr. Chris Beyrer of Johns Hopkins University is leading a team of researchers and community-based services (in collaboration with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance Myanmar) in evaluating the effectiveness of promising interventions for GMT in Myanmar, where increased HIV testing and treatment opportunities are becoming available. The researchers will assess the effectiveness of HIV self-testing done in the privacy of one's home, point-of-care CD4 testing, and the use of "peer navigators" familiar with the local health system to help those newly diagnosed gain access to HIV treatment and care. In Lima, Peru, Dr. Javier Lama of Asociacin Civil Impacta Salud y Educacin and his team aim to improve the continuum of care among transgender women by using an innovative model that integrates HIV prevention and treatment services with transgender-affirming medical care. Working in collaboration with the Boston-based Fenway Institute and two community GMT organizations, IMPACTA and EPICENTRO, Dr. Lama and his team will integrate routine cross-sex hormone therapy into HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, testing and treatment services, and will implement health services and peer case management for 200 transgender women. And in Bangkok, Thailand, Dr. Nittaya Phanuphak and her team at the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre aim to show how innovative technologies such as GMT-targeted websites using online counseling and support can be utilized to increase rates of HIV testing and referrals to prevention and treatment programs. Working in collaboration with Adam's Love, a web-based health platform for GMT individuals, and two community-based organizations (Service Workers in Group/SWING and The Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand), the team will compare the effectiveness of online services and support interventions with traditional clinic-based HIV services, and a hybrid model that combines elements of both strategies. "In Action" Awards In 2015 amfAR supported five community-based organizations in Africa and Latin America in conducting formalized evaluations of their efforts to improve HIV treatment and care among GMT individuals as part of the GMT Initiative's Evidence in Action Program, which documents and evaluates the impact of community-based programs with the ultimate goal of implementing the most workable strategies for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. Evidence in Action was developed with support from ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action program and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. amfAR also supported four young researchers from Belize, China, Pakistan, and South Africa undergoing five months of graduate-level public health study at the Center for LGBT Health Research of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh as part of the amfAR HIV Scholars Program. The program aims to strengthen GMT community-based research and responses to HIV, often in areas where little data about HIV among GMT currently exist and where stigma and discrimination deter many GMT from seeking HIV testing and services. The 2015 amfAR HIV Scholars included Sheryar Kazi with the Naz Male Health Alliance, Pakistan; Liesl Theron, a consultant supported by Gender DynamiX, South Africa; Erika Castellanos from the Collaborative Network of Persons Living with HIV (C-NET+), Belize; and Weibin Cheng from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and GZTZ.org. Publications As part of its efforts to raise awareness among governments, donors, and international nongovernmental organizations about the spread of HIV among GMT individuals and to advocate for effective strategies to address it, amfAR publishes a range of reports on HIV and GMT. In FY2015, the Foundation published Lessons From the Front Lines: Trans Health and Rights. The report, produced in collaboration with Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), profiled 10 dynamic community organizations with strong transgender leadership in nine diverse countries-Bolivia, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Peru, South Africa, and Ukraine-that are working hard to change the status quo in transgender health and rights. With support from the Arcus Foundation, the report examined data on access to health services and legal protections for transgender individuals in different settings and detailed how societal stigma and institutionalized discrimination come together to create nearly insurmountable challenges for these populations and the organizations that serve them. More importantly, however, the report described how these grassroots groups have confronted, responded to, and in some cases solved, many of the myriad challenges they face. The GMT Initiative also created a series of fact sheets in English, French, and Spanish on emerging HIV prevention technologies that explain each technology and serve as a tool to help GMT advocate for the interventions' increased availability worldwide. |
| Program Service Accomplishments (5) | Line 4d: public policy: Informed by thorough research and analysis, amfAR is a highly respected advocate of rational and compassionate AIDS-related public policy. The Foundation is engaged in efforts to secure necessary increases in funding for HIV/AIDS research; implement the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy; expand access to care and treatment; and protect the civil rights of all people affected by HIV/AIDS. Capitol Hill Briefings In March 2015, amfAR held a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., to illuminate the work that remains to be done to achieve an AIDS-free generation among women and girls in the U.S. and globally. The Capitol Hill briefing drew leaders from government, academia, and the nonprofit sector, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda and cofounder of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS, and Dr. Deborah Birx, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. The program also addressed medical research aimed at improving HIV prevention for women. Dr. Sharon Hillier of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shared exciting progress on female-controlled HIV prevention methods, including vaginal rings containing antiretroviral (ARV) medicines, which have been shown to reduce infection rates in women 25 years of age and older. Other attendees included Reps. Nita M. Lowey and Barbara Lee, Douglas Brooks, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and Maria Cuomo Cole, chairman of HELP USA, which provides housing and other services to the homeless. Shaping the Domestic Response to HIV/AIDS amfAR has long advocated the implementation of a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy to address the epidemic in the U.S., where more than 1.2 million people are living with the virus. In July 2015, amfAR issued a report titled Bolstering State Efforts to Implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Key Indicators and Recommendations for Policymakers and Community Stakeholders. The report outlined recommendations for how states across the U.S. can improve their HIV prevention and care responses. It was released to coincide with the White House's 2015 update to the Strategy. In FY2015, the Foundation also produced issue briefs, fact sheets, special reports, and infographics on multiple critical issues, including addressing HIV among women, better responding to HIV among black gay men in the U.S., advocating harm reduction interventions to prevent the spread of HIV among PWID, and making the case for better access to hepatitis C treatment. Key Populations In February 2015, amfAR published an issue brief showing that efforts to address the HIV epidemic among black gay men have been consistently inadequate and that immediate steps must be taken to reduce new HIV infections among this underserved population. The report, titled HIV and the Black Community: Do #Black (GAY) Lives Matter? described the underlying factors contributing to elevated infection rates among black men and provided a list of steps that can be taken to mitigate this stark and persistent racial disparity. In conjunction with its Capitol Hill briefing on women and HIV in March, amfAR released a pair of issue briefs on women and HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world. The briefs outlined policy action steps to achieve an AIDS-free generation and help more women living with the disease in the U.S. to survive and thrive. Harm Reduction/Syringe Services Programs As one of the earliest supporters of comprehensive harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs (PWID), including syringe exchange, amfAR has played a leading role in advocating the implementation of these lifesaving HIV prevention programs. In April 2015, amfAR issued a brief titled Preventing HIV and Hepatitis C Among People Who Inject Drugs: Public Funding for Syringe Services Programs Makes the Difference. In it, amfAR underscored the importance of syringe service programs (SSPs) as a highly effective tool in the fight against the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. CEO Kevin Robert Frost also authored an op-ed on the issue for CNN.com. Another issue brief published in May and titled A Clear Case for Supporting Syringe Services Programs: New Study Shows Relationship Between Public Funding and Lower HIV Incidence, was based on a study that found a relationship between public funding of syringe services programs, reducing HIV incidence (the number of new infections in a given year), and maintaining already low HIV incidence among PWID. In its Harm Reduction and Global HIV Epidemic report, released in September 2015, amfAR assessed the state of harm reduction worldwide by focusing on the steps that five sample countries-Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Vietnam-have, or have not, taken to address the epidemic among PWID. Treatment Access In Trans-Pacific Partnership: Curbing Access to Medicines Now and in the Future, an issue brief published in May 2015, amfAR strongly opposed the proposed terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, warning that expanding existing intellectual property protections could result in a decline in generic competition and an increase in drug costs, while setting an unacceptable precedent for future free trade agreements. Two agreements being negotiated threaten the future availability of affordable generic medicines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C, and could undermine the global health response in developing countries. In a February 2015 policy brief titled Hepatitis C and Drug Pricing: The Need for Better Balance, amfAR called for structural changes that alter the pricing incentives for pharmaceutical companies in such a way that they cannot charge extortionate prices for their products, however effective they may be. New pharmaceutical breakthroughs have made curing hepatitis C infection easier and more effective, but they have been priced at aggressively high rates that bear no relation to the cost of research and development. Global Health In FY 2015, amfAR launched its PEPFAR Country/Regional Operational Plan database, a comprehensive, navigable database of PEPFAR's planned funding of HIV/AIDS activities from 2007 to 2014. PEPFAR (the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), established in 2003, is the largest international program responding to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and the largest commitment one nation has ever made to combat a disease internationally. The database enables users to analyze planned funding data extracted from PEPFAR's publicly released Country and Regional Operational Plan (COP/ROP) documents. It's designed to help civil society organizations, ministries of health and finance, researchers, and other stakeholders to access and understand PEPFAR's programs and priorities at a deeper level than is currently possible using other platforms. |
| Policies | form 990, part vi, section b Line 11 - The Form 990 was prepared by a nationally renowned accounting firm in conjunction with the organization's financial department. A copy of the draft Form 990 was circulated to the full Board of Trustees for discussion and comment. Each Board Member was provided ample opportunity to comment on the information contained in the 990 prior to its filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Line 12 - Each officer, director, trustee and key employee of amFar ("foundation") is required to annually disclose any conflicts of interest that arise by virtue of employment, board service, or position with the foundation. The foundation monitors compliance with its conflict of interest policy through an annual questionnaire/disclosure statement that is distributed to these individuals. Potential conflicts are investigated immediately. LINE 15 -AMFAR ("FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH") UNDERTAKES A THOROUGH PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THE COMPENSATION IT PAYS TO ITS TOP MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL AND ALL OF ITS OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES IS REASONABLE GIVEN THE MARKET IN WHICH THE FOUNDATION OPERATES. AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTING FIRM QUALIFIED IN THE AREA OF NONPROFIT COMPENSATION PREPARES AN ANALYSIS OF MARKET COMPENSATION RANGES BY JOB FUNCTION AND PRESENTS IT TO THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD. ON THE BASIS OF THIS INFORMATION, STAFF COMPENSATION IS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO SALARY RANGES APPROVED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CEO AND CFO. CEO COMPENSATION IS REVIEWED AND DETERMINED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD UTILIZING THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT ANALYSIS. |
| Disclosure | Form 990, Part VI, Section C LIne 19 - amfar makes its Form 990 available to the public by retaining a copy at its place of business and on its website, www.amfar.org. The Form 990 is likewise published on the internet at www.guidestar.org. The Foundation's financial statements are made available in its annual report and on its website. The Foundation's governing documents and conflict of interest policy are not ordinarily made available to the public, but, if requested, will be provided at management's discretion. |
| Functional Expenses | Part IX, Lines 1 & 3 The Foundation for AIDS Research reports its grants net of grant returns or recoveries. Periodically, grants remitted to charitable organizations are returned to AMFAR for a variety of reason. On Schedules F & I, grants are reported irrespective of whether they were ultimately returned to AMFAR since categorizing the "returned" amounts would be time consuming. Therefore, amounts reported on Part IX, Line 1 will not tie to total grants on Schedule I; amounts reported on Part IX, Line 3 will not tie to total grants on Schedule F. |
| Other Changes in Net Assets | FORM 990, SECTION XI, LINE 5 CHANGE IN VALUE OF THIRD PARTY TRUST............$2,556 ------- TOTAL LINE 9 $2,556 |
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