San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Institutional History

The mission of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) is to hasten the end of the AIDS epidemic and its impact on society. It has served as a major resource center for educating the public in order to prevent the transmission of HIV, helping all individuals make informed choices about AIDS-related concerns, and protecting the human rights of those affected by HIV. It has provided necessary client services for those in San Francisco affected by HIV, and assisted other organizations in achieving related goals.

The SFAF was organized in April of 1982 as the Kaposi's Sarcoma Research and Education Foundation (KSREF) by a group of community leaders and physicians. Initially it was a volunteer-operated, single telephone, information and referral hotline stationed in a tiny back room at 520 Castro. By the fall of 1982 it had moved into a small suite at 512 Castro and was becoming nationally recognized for its up-to-date information about AIDS. It obtained its first contracts for educational services with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and the state of California in late 1982 and early 1983.

As its reputation grew, an attempt was made to expand into a national organization and the KSREF was reorganized as the AIDS/KS Foundation, Inc (AKF), with Phil Conway as National Director. Other chapters formed in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Rick Crane, the first AKF Director (initially a volunteer position), continued as Director of the San Francisco chapter. When the national organization faltered, the three chapters split off. The San Francisco chapter, which had moved to 51 10th street in October of 1983, reorganized as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) early in 1984. Crane left that year and Jim Ferrels was hired. Ferrels left in 1985 and Tim Wolfred replaced him as Executive Director, following another move, to 333 Valencia.

Wolfred managed SFAF over the next five years as the agency and its programs grew rapidly. In 1987 the Valencia office was overflowing, and administrative offices were moved to 25 Van Ness. A funding crisis in 1989 instigated an extensive and demoralizing cutback in staff and programs. After guiding SFAF through this troubled period, Wolfred stepped down. Pat Christen, who began as an assistant in the education department and later moved up to Director of Public Policy, was chosen as Executive Director to replace Wolfred. In 1990 the rest of the SFAF offices were moved from Valencia to 25 Van Ness Street where the agency continued to occupy several suites. In 1993 executive offices, along with fiscal, personnel, policy, development, and campaigns, moved into additional space on Market Street, and then relocated in 1995 to 10 UN Plaza. By late 1995 the entire agency had moved to that address.

Client services have included health counseling, support groups, housing, client advocacy and referrals. Special focus services exist or have existed for women, people of color, and non-English speaking people. The first head of Client Services was Steve Pratt, who started in 1983 and left the following year. He was succeeded by Tristano Palermino for the years 1984-1986, followed by Hank Tavera from 1986 through 1989. Tavera was co-chair of the Third World AIDS Advisory Task Force during much of this same period. In 1990 Michael Lee replaced Tavera as Client Services Director. Catherine Maier was coordinator of Women's Services during the later 1980s and early 1990s.

The AIDS Food Bank, organized in 1983 as a separate project, was administered by Cary Norsworthy. In 1984 Norsworthy also organized a Thanksgiving Dinner for PWAs at the Valencia Rose, a gay-owned cabaret. This became an annual event, with SFAF producing it under Norsworthy's guidance for several years. The Food Bank (Client Services) continued to serve a needy population for several years. In the restructuring of 1989, SFAF administration decided to eliminate the Food Bank as an SFAF unit. In 1990 it began to operate as an interim joint venture of the AIDS Foundation and Project Open Hand. Since July of 1991 it has been administered by Project Open Hand, which retains records from 1983 on.

The Education department was initially headed by Mitch Bart, who moved into another position and was replaced by Lyn Paleo. Paleo headed the department for the next several years, with Chuck Frutchey as a long-time staff member. Early on, Paleo ran the Northern California Program (often referred to as NorCal), traveling throughout the region to give workshops and encourage the development of AIDS services at the local level. As more agencies opened, the need for the Northern California outreach diminished, and this project ended in 1987. Paleo left SFAF about 1988, and Frutchey was named Director of Education, a position he retained until his retirement in 1994. Among all his other duties, Frutchey was the unofficial historian of the Foundation. He repeatedly rescued and protected records from throughout SFAF, and it is because of Frutchey that many of the records in this collection survived.

Three main strategies have been used to promote education by SFAF. The AIDS Hotline was a de facto operation from the day the telephone was connected in the Castro office in 1983. Over time its services have been used by hundreds of thousands of callers, a remarkable feat for a completely volunteer-staffed service. Various proposals have been made over time to organize non-English language hotline services. Of these, only a Filipino Hotline was ever developed.

Another strategy employed by the Education Department was community outreach through forums, workshops, and other events. The final strategy employed individual educational campaigns which either highlighted a particular message, or targeted a specific group, or both. One of the tactics for developing campaigns, especially those targeting specific groups, was the use of focus groups composed of members of the targeted groups. The focus groups serve as temporary advisory bodies which review proposed campaign images and text. Products have included posters, pamphlets, videotapes, a coloring book, and other materials. Though these materials were originally distributed and/or sold directly by SFAF, in the early 1990s a switch was made, giving exclusive distribution rights to a group called Impact AIDS. The Education Department has also sponsored two newsletters, BETA (a technical journal focusing on AIDS treatments), and Positive News (a general educational newsletter).

The Media Services office has operated since the early days as well. A Public Policy office was added during the mid-1980s. Media Services eventually was subsumed under Public Policy. This office is the advocacy arm of SFAF, which performs research and development for the local, state, and federal government and private sectors, lobbies legislative bodies, holds occasional forums, issues press releases, and responds to media requests.

Organizational History

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is one of the largest and oldest community-based AIDS service organizations in the United States. The mission of the Foundation is to end the AIDS pandemic and the human suffering caused by HIV. The Foundation is a major resource center that educates the public about how to prevent the transmission of HIV, helps individuals make informed choices about AIDS-related concerns and protects the human rights of those affected by HIV. The Foundation provides necessary client services for residents of San Francisco who are affected by HIV, and assists other organizations achieve related goals.

In April 1982, a group of GLBT community leaders, activists and physicians, including Marcus Conant, M.D. and Cleve Jones, founded the Kaposi's Sarcoma Research and Education Foundation (KS Foundation). Their goal was to educate the public about the new illness that was reaching epidemic proportions in the gay community and causing fear among gay men. Initially, the KS Foundation was a volunteer-operated, single telephone information and referral hotline located in a tiny back room at 520 Castro Street. By the fall of 1982 it had moved into a small suite at 512 Castro and was becoming nationally recognized for its up-to-date information about AIDS. The KS Foundation obtained its first contracts for educational services with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the state of California in late 1982 and early 1983. In 1983, the KS Foundation produced its first educational materials and held many community forums.

As its reputation grew, an attempt was made to expand the local KS Foundation into a national organization. It was reorganized as the AIDS/KS Foundation, Inc., with Phil Conway as National Director. Chapters formed in Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rick Crane served as Director of the San Francisco branch. When the national organization faltered, the three California chapters split off. The San Francisco office, which expanded to 8 paid staff and moved to larger offices on 10th street in October of 1983, served 1,500 individuals and answered nearly 6,500 calls in 1983.

That same year, a holiday food drive generated a new service, a food bank for people with AIDS (PWAs). Cary Norsworthy became the Food Bank's first coordinator. A year later, Norsworthy and the Foundation's food bank organized a Thanksgiving Dinner for PWAs at the Valencia Rose, a gay-owned cabaret. This became an annual event. In 1990, the Foundation partnered with Project Open Hand to deliver food to people with AIDS. After a year of joint operation, in July 1991, Project Open Hand assumed sole administration of the AIDS Food Bank.

The Foundation's Client Services Department was also founded in 1983. The Department provides health counseling, support groups, housing, client advocacy and referrals to people with HIV/AIDS. Specially focused services exist, or have existed, for women, people of color and non-English speakers. Steve Pratt, the first head of Client Services, started in 1983 and left the next year. Tristano Palermino succeeded, him, serving from 1984 to1986. In 1984, the Department served over 500 people; by the next year, its clientele had tripled. Hank Tavera headed Client Services from 1986 through 1989. He also served as co-chair of the Third World AIDS Advisory Task Force during much of this same period. Michael Lee replaced Tavera as Client Services Director in 1990, and Catherine Maier was coordinator of Women's Services during the late1980s and early 1990s.

In early 1984, the AIDS/KS Foundation became the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Jim Ferrels replaced Crane as director. That same year, the Foundation's Education Department produced its first training video and safe sex poster and launched its initial media campaign on AIDS awareness and prevention. The first head of the Foundation's Education Department was Mitch Bart. Lyn Paleo replaced Bart and headed the department for a few years, along with long-time staff member, Chuck Frutchey. In the early days of the Foundation, Paleo ran the state-funded Northern California Program (often referred to as NorCal). Starting in 1984, she and her staff traveled throughout the region to give workshops and encourage the development of AIDS services at the local level. As more local agencies opened, the need for the regional outreach diminished, and the NorCal project ended in 1987. Paleo left the Foundatoin around 1988, and Frutchey was named Director of Education, a position he retained until his retirement in 1994. Among all his other duties, Frutchey served as the unofficial historian of the Foundation. He repeatedly rescued and protected Foundation materials; it is because of his diligence that many of the records in this collection have survived.

In 1985, the growing Foundation moved to more spacious offices at 333 Valencia Street. That same year, Jim Ferrels resigned, and Tim Wolfred replaced him as executive director. Wolfred managed the Foundation for five years, and the agency and its programs grew rapidly. In 1987, needing more space, the Foundation's administrative offices moved again, to 25 Van Ness Avenue. In 1988, as the epidemic began to spread at an alarming rate amongst people of color and women, the Foundation responded by developing the Bilingual Multicultural Program and the Women's Services Program. These programs offered case management, benefits counseling and support groups, among other services.

In 1989, a funding crisis resulted in extensive cutbacks in staff and programs. After guiding the Foundation through this difficult financial period, Wolfred stepped down as executive director that same year. Pat Christen, who began as an assistant in the education department and later moved up to Director of Public Policy, became the Foundation's fourth executive director. In 1990 all the Foundation's programs were moved from Valencia Street to the Van Ness Avenue location in order to consolidate services. The organization moved several more times in the Nineties to accommodate its growth and increase its efficiency. By late 1995, the entire agency had relocated to 10 U.N. Plaza.

In 1994, the Foundation began its collaborations with the UC-San Francisco's AIDS Health Project and Shanti and started the Housing Subsidy Program, which provided rental assistance to PWAs in the expensive San Francisco rental market. 1996 was a busy year for the Foundation. The Treatment Education and Advocacy Department fought for fast-track approval and price reductions of new HIV treatments; the Foundation's HIV Prevention Project, the largest needle exchange program in the country, exchanged 2,000 needles; and Foundation outreach workers distributed more than 600,000 condoms through community outreach.

In 1997, the Foundation started several new campaigns and services, including an HIV prevention/harm reduction program for hundreds of homeless youth and one-on-one consultations regarding treatment regimens. The latter included social programs for women and forums on how to manage complex new HIV treatment regimens. A year later, the organization created a HIV Services and Treatment Support Department and developed a new prevention program called "Gay Life," which took a holistic approach to prevention. This was the first program of its kind in the nation. The Foundation also moved to a new location on Market Street and consolidated all of its programs and services.

In 2001, in an attempt to address the needs of the nearly 40 million people living with HIV worldwide, the Foundation created an organization to address the global pandemic, the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation. Over the next few years, the Pangaea Foundation would collaborate with the William J. Clinton Foundation and several African governments to expand access and treatment to care for people with HIV. In 2002, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation was forced to lay off staff to try to close a 2.5 million budget gap. Despite these financial struggles, the Foundation staff ensured that client services remained operational.

In 2004, Executive Director Pat Christen resigned after 18 years of leadership. A year later, Mark Cloutier became the Foundation's fifth executive director. In 2006, in response to the rising use of crystal meth, the Foundation implemented another innovative harm reduction program, the peer-based Speed Project.

The Foundation continues to educate the public about HIV/AIDS. It has used three main strategies to promote education. The first, the AIDS Hotline, was a de facto operation from the day the telephone was connected in the Castro office in 1983. Over the years, its services have been used by hundreds of thousands of callers (in 1992 alone, the hotline answered over 100,000 calls, a remarkable feat for a completely volunteer-staffed service). In addition to English, the hotline offers services in Spanish and Tagalog.

The second strategy employed by the Education Department is community outreach through forums, workshops and other events. The third strategy uses individual educational campaigns that highligh a particular message or target a specific group. In addition to targeting specific groups, such as intravenous drug users, young gay men or African American women, the Foundation also uses educational and media campaigns designed to dispel the myth that AIDS only strikes white gay men.

The Foundation's educational outreach materials have included safe sex posters, pamphlets, videotapes and a coloring book. The Education Department has also sponsored two publications. The first, Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS (BETA), a technical journal focused on AIDS treatments, premiered in 1988. As of 2006, BETA was still an important source of information on new treatments and therapies for HIV disease. The second publication, Positive News, a general educational newsletter, debuted in English, Spanish, Filipino (Tagalog) and Chinese in 1991.

Other important offices at the Foundation include Media Services and Public Policy. The former was eventually subsumed under the latter, which serves as the advocacy arm of the Foundation. It performs research and development for the local, state, and federal government and private sectors, lobbies legislative bodies, fights discrimination against HIV positive people, holds forums, issues press releases and responds to media requests.

This organizational history was largely taken from two sources: the Finding Aid to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) Records, 1982-1995, MSS 94-60 at the University of California, San Francisco, and "25 Years of an Epidemic: Milestones in the Battle Against Aids," accessed through the Online Archive of California and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's website, August 18, 2007.

Organizational History

UCSF AIDS History Project was started in 1987 to promote the preservation of historically significant resources relating to the beginning of the AIDS Epidemic, focusing on the responses by community-based organizations (CBOs) within San Francisco. In 1991 a National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant was received to fund the AIDS History Project Records Survey. More than 50 agencies were surveyed to identify the records that should be permanently preserved. A second two-year NHPRC grant funded an extended survey of collections and development of an acquisition plan. A major part of the project was providing instruction in records management practices to the CBOs. A third NHPRC grant was received in 1993 for another two years for the records acquisition and processing project phase; this grant lasted until July 1995, later extended to December 1995.

The video and audio materials came in several donations over the length of the project and were combined into a single collection. The single largest set of materials relates to the Shanti Project; there are also significant materials relating to the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. For more information on Shanti Project see MSS 98-48, and for the Sixth International Conference see AR 91-19. Other materials come from various television stations, amateur and professional production companies, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other governmental and non-governmental agencies. The source of each tape is listed when known.