Resources and a message from Masen Davis on The HIV Community’s Response to the U.S. Funding Freeze

And now we know.  That is how FCAA Board Chair and AIDS United President & CEO Jesse Milan, Jr. opened the 2025 FCAA Global Philanthropy Summit last week in Washington, D.C.

While together, we watched the new U.S. administration take a cascade of actions that are already having a catastrophic impact on the global HIV response. Billions in funding have vanished overnight, and millions of people face needless suffering and death without immediate action.

What the administration rolled out this week seems intended to create chaos and harm. While some lauded the humanitarian waiver issued on the 28th of January, it remains unclear if prevention and other services will be included. The fine print also reveals a targeted omission for family planning, abortion, and gender-affirming care.

Yet, we did not stop moving. Summit plenaries and workshops pivoted. Meetings were held, and strategies were developed in real time.  Aidsfonds and GNP+, for example, launched an initial mapping at the Summit to assess the impact of the stop-work order on community networks and organizations (check out those early findings here).

What was clear is that we are in unprecedented times, and that there is a lot to be afraid of.

Yet, I encourage you to feel your fear – but don’t let it paralyze you. Fear won’t help us except to the extent that it motivates us to act. It won’t keep organizations’ doors open. It won’t get people their HIV medications. It won’t end HIV as a public health crisis.

The challenges we face today require clarity, courage, and collective action.

It’s clear that the global HIV response is at a crossroads—an intersection shaped by shifting political landscapes, funding uncertainties, and escalating attacks on human rights. Yet, it is also an opportunity for philanthropy to demonstrate its power to lead boldly when other sectors falter.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure of how to act, please reach out. We learned this week that our collective community is powerful, and caring. Many of you have already taken steps or are exploring what to do to meet this unprecedented moment.

There are things you CAN do today:

  • Check in on your grantees and partners. Ask them how they’re doing and what they need. We encourage you to do this by phone or Teams/Zoom to protect the digital security and safety of your organization and grantees.
  • Start to assess your organizational security. Is your data safe and protected?
  • Continue to share the Aidsfonds and GNP+ survey with partners.
  • Stay in community. Below are some upcoming opportunities to come together, add your voice, or your resources.

Please note, you may not see a formal wrap-up report from the Summit in the near future. Instead, we will be focused on providing regular updates and identifying opportunities for us to continue to come together. You can begin a growing list of resources below, along with a few upcoming opportunities to reconvene in community.

We are proud to work alongside you to defend the health and human rights of the people and places most impacted by HIV.

In solidarity,

Masen Davis Executive Director



  • FCAA will hold a virtual post-Summit member discussion on February 6th at 11:00 am ET/17:00 CET. There will be no formal agenda, just an opportunity to provide updated news and responses in relation to the HIV funding crisis, and share how our community is responding. Register online.
  • On February 7th at 11:00 am ET/17:00 CET the FCAA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Donor Working Group will convene a working group discussion on emergency responses to the U.S. aid freeze. If you would like to join, please email [email protected].
  • On February 12th at 12:00 pm ET/18:00 CET Join FCAA and Grantmakers in Health for a discussion on the major threats being faced by the HIV field at the federal level in the US, plans to expand the #SaveHIVFunding campaign, and how you can support this work to defend federal funding to end the HIV epidemic. Learn more and register online.


We will continue to update the resource list. Please send any resources you’d like to distribute to Sarah Hamilton at [email protected] or via Signal at +1509-336-9240.