Refocusing….

Let’s face it, times are hard. CNN’s red arrows continue to point to an economy that is responding to the greatest financial crisis of our time. It is hard not to become overwhelmed by the ever surrounding news of foreclosures, falling house prices, and the looming presidential election. It is enough to make to even the most uninterested American sit up and take notice, or at least change the channel from I Love Money to Anderson Cooper 360^o for 15 minutes.

It is a tumultuous time for non-profits across the country. Funding is being reallocated and/or lost, jobs are being cut, and sites are closing down; all while agencies must continue to prove their worth to the community and their funders, while doing more with less or less with less.

While our economy and job market continue to flounder, the CDC recently updated their 2006 new HIV infection rates to reflect an increase of 16,300 people living with HIV/AIDS, reaching a total of 56,300 HIV infections in the US compared to the previously reported 40,000. What does this mean?

It means that now, more than ever, is the time for innovative and flexible HIV prevention education. With less money to go around, a real possibility in a strapped household might be to have to choose between toilet paper and milk; personal protection items such as condoms, lubricants, dental dams, etc are left on the back burner. This is a very important time within our HIV/AIDS prevention community, back are the days when you teach people to make a dental dam by cutting up a plastic glove.

Also gone are the times of 500k, multi-year grants from the city, state, or local governments. Agencies must once again look to small foundation/private grants (who will to supplement funds to provide direct service and to market these services. I bring this up because the deadline for the Tony Cox Community Fund 2008 Cycle 2 was on September 12^th, 2008 and out of all the ASOs in the 50 states, we have a grand total of 25 applications. While I understand that a grant application can be an unwelcome addition to an already overworked and underpaid staff person’s job description; the benefits of up to $7,000 worth of unrestricted funds cannot be denied.

While the initial grant application may seem taxing, the results can be tremendous, including: a partnership with a local cable system (that can only grow), increased agency clientele, agency branding, increased agency recognition within your community (and in the surround areas), increased participation in agency events, increase in potential grant monies from PSA exposure, etc. etc.

Cable Positive’s motto, “we have work to do,” has never echoed stronger or with such urgency, do your research and apply for small grants, the worst that can happen is that you are funded!!!