Robert Carr Fund

As the year and the Robert Carr Fund's funding cycle are coming to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible grantees and partners, to the entire #RCFfamily around the world! At the Robert Carr Fund, we believe in the power of communities. It’s through your leadership, resilience, and innovation that meaningful change is created. As a participatory grantmaker, we are proud to place communities at the heart of everything we do, ensuring that our collective efforts are driven by those closest to the challenges—and the solutions. Together, we have proven that when communities lead, progress follows. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a New Year filled with hope, strength, and continued collaboration! #CommunitiesFirst

Robert Carr Fund announces the award of $23 mln. USD to 25 grantees globally, providing multiyear, core and flexible funding for organizational strengthening, increasing access to #HIV and #SRHR services, advocacy and movement building. During the 2024 Request for Proposals process we received an overwhelming number of applications, more than ever before. A total of 93 eligible proposals were assessed through the RCF’s rigorous participatory review process. Due to a significant funding gap in RCF’s budget for the 2025-2027 funding cycle, the International Steering Committee (ISC) had to make tough choices as resources become increasingly limited, and the ability to meet the diverse and increasing needs of all communities is under strain. RCF is grateful for the steadfast support and partnership of the governments of the USA, the UK, Norway, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and, as a new donor, Gilead Sciences. RCF remains committed to sustaining the capacities of community-led networks to uphold #HumanRights and remove barriers to health services, working to #EndAIDS among inadequately served populations. RCF International Steering Committee Communiqué and the list of successful grantees can be found here: https://bit.ly/3BBDsBG #CommunitiesFirst #RFP2024

Just Announced: The Global Fund and PEPFAR, have joined forces with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch a coordinated effort to provide affordable and equitable access to the twice-yearly injectable PrEP lenacapavir. This effort aims to reach at least 2 million people over the next three years and represents a bold step toward ending AIDS as a public health threat. "We’re incredibly excited by the promise of lenacapavir and its potential to help us achieve a further significant reduction in new infections among individuals at high risk of acquiring HIV. ” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund https://lnkd.in/ezHj9Y6Q

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Delivered this intervention during the 55 Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS in Nairobi: "Thank you, Chair. I speak on behalf of NGO Europe. During last June’s Thematic Segment, the Programme Coordinating Board heard powerful testimonies from Edwin J Bernard of the HIV Justice Network and Anya (Ganna) Dovbakh of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association. Theirs and other compelling voices made it clear: we are falling short of the 10–10–10 targets due to structural barriers like criminalization, discrimination against key populations, and shrinking civic space. The criminalization of drug use exemplifies this systemic failure. Evidence shows punitive measures not only fail to reduce drug use but also amplify harm. I myself am fortunate to be in Nairobi at all, as my 20-year-old drug-related criminal record didn’t disqualify me under the current Kenyan visa rules. Thank you for this! However, many countries impose stricter criteria—for example, I’ve been waiting for a US visa decision since August and had to go through a rigorous criminal rehabilitation process in Canada that took me over a year. I’m privileged in this sense, but the majority of people who use drugs and other key populations are really suffering from such mobility restrictions. Therefore, decriminalization is not just a moral imperative; it’s a pragmatic solution to curb HIV, save lives, and redirect resources to community-driven human rights initiatives. Equally concerning is the 94% funding gap for harm reduction in low- and middle-income countries. Governments must address this crisis by reducing communities’ reliance on a few remaining donors, like the Global Fund, and ensuring sustainable funding for vital initiatives. Mechanisms like the Robert Carr Fund for Civil Society Networks are pivotal in supporting organizations such as the International Drug Policy Consortium, Harm Reduction International, Youth RISE, International Network of People who Use Drugs, EuroNPUD - European Network of People who Use Drugs and 65 other regional and global networks in 130 countries. Their community-led and community-based solutions are transformative and indispensable. Today, on Human Rights Day, we urge PCB member states to become champions of decriminalization. For us, silence does not mean compliance and concurrence. Ending punitive laws and policing practices is essential for a sustainable, effective HIV response. Let us follow science, invest in equity, and empower communities to lead. Together, we can dismantle the injustices fueling this epidemic. Thank you.

RCF Spotlight: A Call to Action from the UNAIDS PCB NGO Delegation. The UNAIDS NGO Report, presented at the Programme Coordinating Board by the NGO DELEGATION TO THE UNAIDS PCB, emphasizes a critical truth: community leadership is at the heart of the #HIV response. Significantly, the report highlights the need to fully fund the Robert Carr Fund (RCF) alongside UNAIDS and The Global Fund. Core, flexible, and long-term funding to community-led organizations — especially those led by inadequately served populations — remains essential to overcoming safety, security, and #humanrights barriers. Communities have been essential as service providers, advocates, and change-makers, driving progress toward ending AIDS. Yet, this leadership is under threat from declining #HIV funding, shrinking civic space, and anti-rights movements. The report calls on Member States to step up and fast-track actions to meet the 2025 AIDS Targets, including sustainable financing for community-led HIV organizations. The Robert Carr Fund plays a unique role in enabling these organizations to sustain their work, strengthen their leadership, and amplify their impact. Investing in RCF is investing in the future of the HIV response. Let’s ensure these vital resources are prioritized and protected. The NGO Report to the UNAIDS PCB is available here: https://bit.ly/4faqzfp #CommunitiesFirst #HumanRightsDay HIV Justice Network GNP Plus Y+ Global Frontline AIDS International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa - ICWEA TGEU — Trans Europe and Central Asia Eurasian Harm Reduction Association

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Investing in people means investing in impact. The 2023 grantee data clearly shows that core funding is vital in supporting ISP-led and ISP-serving networks to achieve their programmatic outcomes. As the RCF Annual Report 2023 demonstrates, up to 87% of our grantee networks relied on core funding to implement programmatic activities, most frequently by paying the salaries of expert staff involved in implementation. Long-term, flexible core funding provided by the Robert Carr Fund underscores the importance of funding staff expertise and the critical role of human resources in all aspects of the HIV response. This approach places experienced and highly motivated people at the center of advocacy, documentation, strategic litigation, and other essential work serving inadequately served populations. Read more about our impact in the RCF Annual Report 2023: https://bit.ly/3ZuGzVy #CommunitiesFirst

Robert Carr Fund is profoundly grateful for the UK government's commitment of £10 million, as announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of World AIDS Day. This significant investment will enhance our efforts to support inadequately served populations worldwide, ensuring greater access to vital #HIV services, and advancing the global mission to end AIDS by 2030. The Robert Carr Fund has been instrumental in empowering community-led networks to advocate for human rights, tackle stigma, and improve access to healthcare for marginalized communities. This funding will enable us to continue our long-term investment into global and regional networks, fostering resilience and inclusivity in the global HIV response. Together with our partners we can achieve a future where noone is left behind. Read the official statement here: https://lnkd.in/e4f-8v6M #CommunitiesFirst #WorldAIDSDay