The Global Advocacy Corps (GAC) is a small grants program led by amfAR’s Public Policy Office. GAC grants strengthen the connection between rigorous data collection, policy analysis, and community-based advocacy to effect more strategic decision making by national governments and donors.
Projects funded in 2013
Empowering civil society to effectively engage with PEPFAR and key donors ($39,948) – This award will support efforts of civil society advocates in Myanmar (including groups led by MSM, PWID and sex workers) to develop a unified advocacy strategy for engaging the US government, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other donors. This will include providing civil society with basic knowledge about the donor landscape, funding processes, the national HIV/AIDS strategy and the nation’s HIV budget, as well as following through on the development and delivery of civil society strategy for HIV/AIDS to major funders.
Analyzing Donor Investment in Harm Reduction ($20,000) – This award resulted in an updated analysis of donor funding for harm reduction services with special attention to the Global Fund. This data will feed into a public access database meant to help civil society advocates better understand what donor funding for these programs looks like in their country.
Advocating for Greater Civil Society Involvement in Zimbabwe ($59,966.30) – This award will support an in-depth analysis of donor engagement with civil society and support for their involvement in the implementation of HIV programs in Zimbabwe. It will go one step beyond mapping to conduct a wide ranging survey of civil society’s knowledge of donor systems and satisfaction with them. It will also work to establish a civil society-donor forum that will formalize dialogue between stakeholders in country.
Projects Funded in 2012
Budget Monitoring in Zimbabwe ($60,555) – This GAC award supported budget monitoring and reporting training to a coalition of community-based organizations in Zimbabwe (including a GMT Initiative grantee) that resulted in the first community-led HIV budget analysis in that country.
Treatment Scale-Up in Nigeria ($20,000) – GAC funding has supported a wide-ranging analysis across several Nigerian states to determine how effectively that country’s government is implementing its new HIV treatment strategy.
New Prevention Technologies in Uganda ($19,999) – amfAR support allowed one Ugandan community-based organization to analyze how effectively new prevention technologies (including PrEP, treatment as prevention, and male circumcision) can be adopted into that country’s HIV response. An advocacy campaign is expected to follow the project report.
Supporting MSM Through U.S. Government Funding in Malawi ($16,200) – Shortly before the new Malawian President took office, our support allowed one Malawian community-based organization to develop an advocacy campaign that specifically targeted PEPFAR’s response to MSM in that country. The campaign was significantly aided by President Banda’s open support for HIV programs targeting MSM in her country.
Qualifying Organizations
Community-based policy and advocacy organizations in countries with substantial generalized or concentrated epidemics that have established a track record of smart, data-driven advocacy are qualified to apply for GAC funding. Given the time-limited nature of this support, nascent organizations or individual advocates that are unaffiliated with community-based groups are not eligible to apply. GAC awards may support the work of coalitions, though one organization must receive all funding.
Qualifying Projects
At the heart of all GAC grants is unique research1 and analysis that will inform the national response to HIV. Advocacy and policy work supported by GAC derives from an analysis of emerging local issues and remains targeted towards specific stakeholders (policy makers, civil society, clinicians, researchers, etc.) on a national or regional level. While GAC projects may have implications for global bodies, the intention is for these resources to inform regional, national, or sub-national bodies. Projects are designed along a specific timeline and conclude within a 12- to 15-month timeframe. Though organizations may apply for funding after the initial period, these funds would be considered a new grant. Renewals are not awarded.
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1 Research can include budget, legislative, or regulatory analyses among other topics. GAC does not fund any clinical research or any research requiring IRB approval.