In June 1987, the Ford Foundation appointed a panel of experts to examine needs posed by the AIDS epidemic. The panel determined that private philanthropy could step in to provide social services, practical support to individuals with AIDS and their families, and design community education programs.
The Ford Foundation Board of Trustees established a National-Community AIDS Partnership (NCAP) to support community-based efforts to provide preventive education and social services for people with AIDS.
The Ford Foundation initially contributed $2 million to the Partnership, but ultimately contributed $15 million to strengthen philanthropic support for AIDS-related needs between 1988 and 1998. The Partnership, composed of private foundations and corporate donors, was housed at the National AIDS Network (NAN) in Washington, DC.
In 1988, the National-Community AIDS Partnership targeted locations included: Atlanta, Connecticut, Greater Cleveland, Minnesota, Northern California, New York/New Jersey, Southern California and Southwest Border States, and Washington, DC.
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