Comments on: Highlights from the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media http://blog.aids.gov/2011/08/highlights-from-the-national-conference-on-health-communication-marketing-and-media.html HIV Policy & Programs. Research. New Media. Wed, 15 May 2013 18:33:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Melissa http://blog.aids.gov/2011/08/highlights-from-the-national-conference-on-health-communication-marketing-and-media.html#comment-18415 Melissa Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:12:11 +0000 http://blog.aids.gov/?p=3756#comment-18415 My name is Melissa, and I currently work for an AIDS Care organization in Virginia. We rely heavily on private donors, as do many nonprofits through these tough economic times, and most of our donor base are older, white, gay couples, mostly male. However, our client base is largely AA. I’ve tried discussing with a couple of local civic leaders how to engage the AA community, especially the educational environment with local AA colleges and universities, and bring them on board with activities and fundraisers….it’s such a touchy subject encompassing not only race but sexuality and the potential stigma that hangs on to HIV/AIDS that even the civic leaders were a bit stumped as to how to reach out to the AA community without risking insulting, offending, or placing the social status of our nonprofit in danger.

Do you have any ideas on how to bridge the gap between our older, white, gay, male donor base and our client base that is largely slightly younger, AA, gay and straight, and about half female?

Thanks in advance for any advice that you could give!

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