Although organized corporate philanthropy was slow in its initial response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, some corporations began to respond to AIDS in the early 1980s. The first industries to get involved were those that felt the impact of the epidemic early on, either because the disease had a direct effect on their business (health care companies, for example) or because they were located in one of the epicenters of the epidemic. Some companies provided direct cash assistance; others provided in-kind support for AIDS research, community-based organizations, and fundraising events.
For example, researchers at the health care company Hoffmann-La Roche became aware of the disease early on, and in 1984 the company funded the first national television documentary on AIDS. The insurance industry also made an early, major commitment: In 1985, health and life insurance companies committed $1.6 million to the fight against AIDS. In 1989, 128 companies pledged a total of $14 million, both individually and through INSURE (Industrywide Network for Social, Urban, and Rural Efforts). By 1994, insurance companies had donated approximately $34 million for HIV/AIDS education, service delivery, and research. Other industries became involved early as well, often spurred by the increasing incidence of the disease in their workplaces.
In the years since, the corporate response to AIDS has grown steadily, expanding in dollars, scope, and depth. The increasing globalization of the economy has helped companies in the United States and across the world wake up to the fact that fighting AIDS is not only good citizenship, it is good business. AIDS is a leading cause of death for people 25-44, who represent 50% of the workforce and form the backbone of families, businesses, and the economy.
In 2001, 17 U.S. and international companies formed the Global Business Coalition (GBC), an alliance that has grown to include more than 220 companies. The goal of the coalition is to harness the expertise of the world's top corporations to fight AIDS at the local, national, and international levels. Businesses in the GBC are responding proactively by sharing information and education with key groups of working age people, developing nondiscriminatory company policies, and creating opportunities for employees to join the fight. In 2008, member companies pledged $9.7 billion over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Pooling their expertise, talents and resources, these business partners are inventing new and bold philanthropic responses to address the myriad problems posed by the epidemic.
