Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Name	Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1988
Location	New York City, United States
Mission	Support people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses through grants to community-based organizations and emergency assistance programs

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is a New York–based nonprofit established in 1988 that mobilizes the theatrical community to raise funds for HIV/AIDS programs, emergency relief, and equity-focused health services. The organization has engaged producers, performers, unions, and audiences connected to Broadway (Manhattan), Actors' Equity Association, The Shubert Organization, Nederlander Organization, and Jujamcyn Theaters to fund AIDS service organizations across the United States and internationally, drawing support from benefit performances, telethons, and philanthropic initiatives associated with Tony Awards, The Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, and touring productions.

History

The organization formed in the late 1980s amid the public health crisis that involved activists, performers, and labor groups, including figures linked to AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Act Up, The Public Theater, Circle in the Square Theatre and unions like Screen Actors Guild and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Early benefit events convened artists from productions on Broadway (Manhattan), Off-Broadway, and national tours associated with companies such as Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre (London), and Goodman Theatre, and drew attention from cultural institutions including Museum of Modern Art and Carnegie Hall. Over successive decades the nonprofit expanded partnerships with foundations like Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as well as city and state programs in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago to scale grantmaking and direct support services.

Mission and Activities

The mission emphasizes financial support for organizations addressing HIV/AIDS, emergency assistance for performers and theater professionals, and initiatives that reduce stigma, informed by collaborations with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and community health centers such as Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis). Regular activities include benefit galas involving artists from Hamilton (musical), The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and concerts featuring performers who have worked with Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Stephen Schwartz. The nonprofit also runs programs that provide short-term relief to individuals, coordinating with agencies like Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, and local AIDS service organizations such as San Francisco AIDS Foundation, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and The Ali Forney Center.

Major Fundraising Campaigns and Events

Signature campaigns and events include annual drives timed with landmarks like the Tony Awards telecasts and holiday benefit concerts involving ensembles from The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Lady Gaga, and theatrical casts from productions such as Wicked (musical), Chicago (musical), and The Lion King. Large-scale events have featured collaborations with celebrity producers and artists associated with Barbra Streisand, Billy Porter, Nathan Lane, and Bette Midler as well as auction partnerships with cultural institutions including Sotheby's, Christie's, and Broadway-related merchandising campaigns tied to Disney Theatrical Group. Fundraising methods span staged readings, benefit performances at venues like Winter Garden Theatre, themed collections at openings for Merriam-Webster-hosted galas, and community drives that mirror models used by Live Aid and Red Nose Day.

Grants and Impact on HIV/AIDS Services

Grantmaking targets community-based providers, emergency assistance programs, and long-term care initiatives, channeling funds to organizations such as GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis), Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and domestic violence and housing partners like Housing Works and The Bowery Mission. Impact metrics reported by grantees include expanded testing, linkage to care, antiretroviral access, and supportive services modeled on interventions recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. The organization’s grants have supported research collaborations and pilot programs with academic centers such as Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, San Francisco, and public health schools including Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Governance and Funding Sources

Governance comprises a board of trustees and committees drawn from theater producers, union leaders, and philanthropic advisors with affiliations to The Shubert Organization, Nederlander Organization, Jujamcyn Theaters, Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and arts philanthropists linked to Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. Funding sources include individual donations from artists and patrons, corporate sponsorships with entertainment companies such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal Music Group, grants from foundations like Ford Foundation and Gates Foundation, and revenue from benefit events and licensing tied to productions including Hamilton (musical), Wicked (musical), and touring companies affiliated with Nederlander Organization.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations span theater unions, cultural institutions, healthcare providers, and advocacy organizations, involving partners such as Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Musicians, The Broadway League, Tony Awards, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis), AIDS Project Los Angeles, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and academic partners including Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. International and cross-sector partnerships have engaged entities like World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and philanthropic networks connected to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations, enabling coordinated responses and expanded service delivery across metropolitan areas including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Category:HIV/AIDS charities