It's now only two weeks until the start of AIDS/LifeCycle. As many here know, I participate annually in this event, riding my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Those of us who ride raise for AIDS services for either the LA Gay and Lesbian Center's Jeffrey Goodman Clinic or the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Being a good San Franciscan, I raise money for the Foundation and have done so every year since 1999, with the exception of 2002, when I took a year off.
Yes, this diary here is asking you to contribute to my fundraising efforts. I know there are many, many worthy causes out there; I also know that some people are just simply NOT in any position to contribute money to any cause, no matter how worthy. I also realize there's some sort of big election thing happening soon and that some folks may prefer to make contributions to political campaigns. On the other hand I've no doubt that some of you here would love to make a worthwhile and fully tax-deductible donation to help people living with HIV and AIDS.
It seems only proper to focus a bit on what a donation does, so if you'll follow me beyond the Daily Kos Orange Swirl, I'll explain to you what's what.
First of all, AIDS/LifeCycle has raised a great deal of money. Last year's ride, number 10, raised over $13 million, which made it the single most successful AIDS charity fundraiser in history.
Because the ride raises so much money, it's pretty important to the organizations it supports. In fact, AIDS/LifeCycle is the single largest source of income for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The $13 million figure cited above is the total amount raised for both beneficiaries. While I can't give you a specific portion of that amount which went to the Foundation (rather than the Center), what I can tell you is that there are in any given year more San Francisco riders than LA riders. What can I say? We're just cooler here up north. The Foundation's total income from fundraising for the year ending 6/30/2011 was $14.5 million. So even if the amount raised by the ride was distributed 50/50 between beneficiaries, the ride's fundraising would represent almost 50% of that entire total, which itself represents 2/3 of the Foundation's annual budget. And BECAUSE there are more San Francisco riders than LA riders, it is likely that the ride accounts for more than half of the Foundation's non-government-grant income.
You'd think that a complex event such as AIDS/LifeCycle costs money to produce. And you'd be correct. There is a good deal of infrastructure involved--food vendors and preparers, support vehicles, campsites, tents. We're not pampered or spoiled by any means but the ride is committed to making sure that we are kept safe, properly-fed and sheltered for seven days. They don't cut corners providing what we need to make the event a success but they don't waste money either. Last year the net to the beneficiaries after expenses was 68.3% of the total. That's the highest proportion ever and is considered a very good return for events of this sort.
Apart from the financial aspect of the ride, there are other considerations. You can think of it as being a week-long, mobile AIDS awareness exhibit. About 10% of participants (myself included) live with HIV or AIDS. Doing the ride gives us an opportunity to break the stigma of living with this disease, to stand proud and strong as advocates for ourselves and others.
The ride's website includes this statement:
AIDS/LifeCycle is an increasingly critical part of both benefiting agencies' development efforts. In addition to the funds raised, AIDS/LifeCycle brings new donors to each organization and often turns participants into impassioned and committed advocates. These are critical outcomes that contribute to the overall success of the fundraising efforts at each organization.
It's a good idea to be able to quantify what a donation actually does. It's not merely a feel-good thing; it produces tangible benefits. What is the practical effect of making a donation to AIDS/LifeCycle (by clicking
this link or the one in my signature line?
The ride provides funding for the Foundation's many programs, which divide generally into several somewhat overlapping components. These components overlap because, for example, programs that provide substance abuse treatment serve to both improve the health of people who are already infected, and to keep people from contracting HIV by supporting behavioral changes and reducing high-risk behaviors. Access to clean syringes (an initiative spearheaded in San Francisco at a time when such programs were still illegal) likewise keeps those IV-drug users already infected from getting sicker and prevents the spread of HIV by limiting needle-sharing. There are multiple programs for drug and alcohol abuse treatment. There are community health clinics. There is specific outreach to the African-American and Latino communities. There are direct client services to assist low-income people in obtaining benefits, including housing. The Foundation also advocates on public health policy at the local, state and federal levels.
Here are the direct benefits of donating:
- $10 can help distribute 143 condoms through the Stop AIDS Project
- $25 can help provide one Rapid HIV Antibody test at Magnet (a free community based clinic located in the heart of San Francisco's Castro district).
- $100 can help provide the travel cost for a Stop AIDS Treatment Advocacy Coordinator to attend 25 medical appointments to provide moral support and to help the client advocate for himself or herself.
- $125 can help provide the resources for one visit for a client at Magnet.
- $500 can help provide medical benefits counseling for 15 people to help them obtain prescription drug assistance through the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's Financial Benefits Program.
- $625 can help provide for a safe and stable housing situation for one HIV-positive for a month through a partnership between the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
- $1,000 can help put on TWO Stop AIDS Community Education Forums.
- $5,000 can help keep the Stop AIDS HIV Testing RV rolling for a year.
I have to admit that I did not come up with these figures; a friend and fellow rider gave them to me; I believe they are produced by ride staff to help people like me remind people like you that donations actually DO things. On the other hand, when I first began riding a bike from San Francisco to LA back in 1999, I had no idea I'd end up...
...renewing the love of cycling I had when I was a kid
...becoming a fierce advocate for a cause I passionately believe in
...be willing to stand in front of a television camera and say out loud to people I don't know and will never meet that I live with HIV
...become a mentor for first-time participants in subsequent years
...acquiring all sorts of other skills that you would not normally assocate with riding a bike (Fact: I've become a better photographer just as a result of doing AIDS/LifeCycle.)
...spend a week in spandex and, as an extra bonus, dress up in red once a year and make a complete fool of myself. (One day of the ride, specifically Day Five, began as "Dress in Red Day." Because there are so many fabulous people involved in the ride, it soon turned into "Red Dress Day." Even very straight macho men have been known to clothe themselves in yards of red chiffon, despite insisting they'd never, ever do such a thing!)
...become a part of a community of extraordinary individuals who I'd never otherwise get the chance to meet.
Did I mention, incidentally, that I've now raised over $80,000 since my first ride? And I HATE asking people for money!
If I can get to do all of these things, surely you can make a donation, be it large or small. I know I'm gonna keep riding until my legs fall off or until there's a cure. Hopefully the latter.