In each of my five years on the board of the Academy of Friends, February has been busy, challenging, and exciting. Our board works hard all year, but never harder than the weeks leading up to our annual Academy Awards night gala benefiting Bay Area AIDS service organizations. Last June, when I was elected board chair, I knew this February would be even more intense.
Regular readers of this paper likely already know that the Academy of Friends has faced fiscal difficulties in the last few years, so I won't go over old news. There was a lot of work to be done as the new board chair. I believed in our mission and knew we still had work to do and asked my fellow board members to join me in turning things around. Academy of Friends is committed to continue its work until the HIV/AIDS pandemic has passed.
We reached out to former board chairs, former board members, corporate sponsors and individual sponsors (underwriters). I also reached out to other community leaders, including the Bay Area Reporter editorial staff, to meet, discuss our new ideas and plans, and establish more open and reciprocal communication. To that end, I invite you to send your comments to me at your convenience at [email protected].
While we may not agree on how best to run Academy of Friends, how to put on our gala or manage other details, I found there is a lot of common ground.
We all believe in the power of community, the power to come together and make progress toward common goals. We share concerns for our local, overlapping communities impacted by the AIDS epidemic, especially caring for individuals living with HIV disease and preventing new HIV infections.
As this recession continues, as state and federal budgets grow thinner and more strained, and as the number of people living with HIV or AIDS continues to increase, the need to raise money for services is real, crucial, and ongoing.
We have an opportunity right now to make a difference. In my case, I'm doing all I can to make this year's "Scandalous"-themed gala an outrageously fun and effective fundraiser for our 2012 beneficiaries �" Huckleberry Youth Programs, Maitri, Shanti, Tenderloin Health and the Women's HIV Program at UCSF. The gala takes place Sunday, February 26 at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria.
For me, this has been a period of incredible personal growth, renewed effort, tough decisions, anxiety, some frustration, and a gradual trend toward excitement and anticipation of success. Here are some highlights you may not know.
We continued to reduce our ongoing operating expenses. Our monthly costs are less than one-eighth of what they were two years ago. We cut all but the most essential costs.
We redoubled our efforts to seek new corporate sponsorship while strengthening existing relationships with local and national businesses. I'm grateful and glad to mention that Nordstrom is a presenting sponsor of the gala, leading a great group that includes major sponsors such as AT&T, Gold's Gym, Blueprint Studios, and the Diageo brands, including Smirnoff and Ketel One.
Our goal has always been to raise corporate and individual sponsorship to cover gala expenses in advance. So, ideally, funds from gala ticket sales, raffle ticket sales and silent auction item proceeds will go to our beneficiaries. As of this date, we are confident this will be the case for the 2012 Academy of Friends gala.
This year, we have not required any efforts by our beneficiaries, though they have and are joining us in selling raffle and gala tickets, as well as providing some silent auction items and some volunteers. We already have funds set aside to go to each agency. Let me repeat, there's already money to give to each agency this year, and we hope you will join us in raising even more.
On our website, you can choose an agency to support or distribute your donations among all five. They are counting on our community to step up and participate.
As usual, this year's gala will be glamorous, fabulous and the place to be on Academy Awards night. There are even hints that the Oscars may hold some surprises for some of the nominated films.
If you haven't already purchased your tickets, I ask you to do it now. Ask your friends to do the same. Together we can make it happen.
Please join us in making a difference and having a great time! I'd love to see you at the 32nd annual Academy of Friends gala. For more information, please visit www.academyoffriends.org or call us at (415) 995-9890.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to our friends who believed in me, and believe in what AOF has done for Bay Area AIDS service agencies and can accomplish this year.