The Conexiones Positivas Fund (CPF), a program of AIDS United, is proud to announce its fourth cohort of grantee partners for the 2025 funding cycle. Seven organizations were awarded $390,000 through a combination of CPF’s Caminos Fund and Desarrollo Fund to support general operations and sustainability and address the health and well-being of Latine people living with and vulnerable to HIV in their communities across the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico.
“We deeply appreciate the Conexiones Positivas Fund at AIDS United’s investment in our Latine-led and serving organization at this pivotal time. Your commitment ensures that trans-Latinas and all trans women of color have the resources, leadership opportunities, and community support needed to thrive. This multi-year funding allows us to strengthen our infrastructure, expand our reach, and continue the fight for equity and justice.”
–– Merrique Jensen, President and CEO, Transformations Youth Group
A 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that national prevention efforts continue to move in the right direction. However, longstanding social and economic factors continue to contribute to health inequities––particularly among Latine people. Despite accounting for roughly 20% of the total U.S. population, Latine gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sexual contact with men accounted for 89% of new HIV diagnoses among all men in the United States, Latine women accounted for roughly 19% of new HIV diagnoses among all women in the United States, and Latine transgender and nonbinary people accounted for 38% of all new HIV diagnoses among transgender and nonbinary people in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). These findings point to a widening gap in the nation’s response to the epidemic, referred to by researchers as the “invisible HIV crisis,” due to the largely unrecognized disparities and the underlying drivers that increase HIV incidence among Latine communities in the U.S. (Guilamo-Ramos, et al., 2020). These data underscore the importance for tailored and culturally responsive interventions that address the drivers and the direct service needs of Latine communities. Through the Conexiones Positivas Fund, AIDS United seeks to address these gaps and reinforce the national efforts to end the HIV epidemic by making focused investments in community-driven strategies in four priority areas: (1) expanding access to healthcare and support services for Latine communities living with and vulnerable to HIV, (2) investing in the next generation of Latine public health professionals, (3) addressing HIV-related stigma among Latine communities, and (4) building an intersectional HIV justice movement that address the drivers that effect HIV outcomes among Latine communities.
“Public health has played an integral part of history by addressing epidemics and pandemics. This has remained true since the beginning of the HIV epidemic. Public health professionals and social justice advocates have fought side by side to ensure that those affected by and living with HIV have had the best quality of life. Over the years we have seen strategies evolve and leaders become more and more diversified. Now more than ever we cannot forget the pivotal founding blocks we have laid in the fight against HIV. The Conexiones Positivas Fund does just that by bringing those, not only to the table with a chair, but by bringing in a new strategy to shake up the system. With funding these seven organizations AIDS United is pushing forward with a new system to dismantle the unsustainable approaches systemic racism has laid behind us. Prioritizing general operating funds and organizational sustainability will continue to take us forward and help us reach our goal of Ending the HIV epidemic.”
–– Obrenka Thompson-Clayborn MPH, Program Manager, AIDS United
The 2025 Conexiones Positivas Fund grantee partner cohorts represent an array of organizations and initiatives led by and serving Latines people living with and vulnerable to HIV whose work breaks down the systemic barriers to equitable healthcare, promotes the health and well-being of Latine communities, and builds an intersectional movement to address the compounding social justice and civil rights issues that affect health outcomes for Latine people nationwide.
Join us in celebrating the 2025 Conexiones Positivas Fund grantees:
Caminos Fund: The Caminos Fund is a project of the Conexiones Positivas Fund supporting emergent organizations and leaders of color working at the intersection of racial and health justice to develop their visions of action for systemic change.
- Gender Advancement Project – Orlando, Florida – $30,000
The Gender Advancement Project (GAP) is dedicated to the progression, inclusion, and health equity of transgender and gender nonbinary individuals in all facets of society. By expanding access to essential healthcare, providing targeted outreach, education, and comprehensive support, GAP aims to empower the diverse trans community and eliminate barriers to care throughout Central Florida.
- Gran Varones – Nationwide – $30,000
Gran Varones (GV) is one of the few platforms dedicated to amplifying the stories of gay, bisexual, trans, and queer Latinx and Afro-Latinx men. GV uses digital storytelling to combat HIV stigma, disseminate public health resources, and foster a network of organizers, advocates, and storytellers.
- Gua’Kia – San Juan, Puerto Rico – $30,000
Gua’Kia implements a holistic harm reduction model through education and free direct services for people who use drugs and the broader community across Puerto Rico. Through their work, Gua’kia provides hygienic, educational, and personal safety materials for drug use and sexual health, promotes the dignity and quality of life for people who use drugs and raises awareness of health and human rights.
Desarrollo Fund: The Desarrollo Fund is a project of the Conexiones Positivas Fund supporting frontline organizations and movement-leaders implementing innovative strategies to accelerate systemic change and promote the health and well-being of Latine communities.
- Latinos in the South – Durham, North Carolina – $75,000
Latinos in the South, a regional program of the Latino Commission on AIDS, works to ensure health justice for Latine communities across the U.S. South by employing innovative and community-centric strategies that disrupt systems that impact and harm communities of Black, Latine, migrant, LGBTQ+, and people living with HIV.
- PACTA – Arecibo, Puerto Rico – $75,000
PACTA is a faith-based non-profit organization that provides comprehensive support, educational, and health services to develop the capacity, strength, and potential of people living with HIV and their families.
- Somos Familia Valle – Sun Valley, California – $75,000
Somos Familia Valle is an LGBTQ+ community-based organization that supports, empowers, and mobilizes families for racial, gender, and economic justice in the San Fernando Valley.
- Transformations Youth Group – Kansas, Missouri – $75,000
Transformations Youth Group (TYG) is a trans-Latina-led nonprofit organization that builds leadership and organizes power among trans communities of color across Kansas, Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas.
“The HIV Movement in the United States has a long history of resisting tyranny by standing together and drawing strength from one another in times of peril. We stand at the precipice of a nation embroiled in struggle, where the rights and lives of our communities are threatened, particularly LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, those in need of reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, and Black and Brown communities, yet we are reminded of the power of collective resistance that bore this movement. The challenges ahead are undeniable, as billionaire-backed extremist politics advance immoral agendas that seek to erode the very fabric of our democracy and dismantle the vital social safety net meant to ensure the nation’s most vulnerable have access to quality and life-saving care, yet despite what may seem like insurmountable challenges, hope still reigns. This year’s CPF cohort carries forward the mantle of the HIV movement refusing to slow down, instead doubling down on their commitment to root out inequity, transform communities, and fulfill this nation’s promise of freedom and equality. Together, we will move forward and create the world we envision and know is possible.”
–– Christopher J. Cuevas, Senior Program Manager, AIDS United
About Conexious Postivas Fund: The Conexiones Positivas Fund was established in 2020 by a group of philanthropists in the HIV sector seeking to address the rising rates of HIV among Latine communities across the United States and Puerto Rico, with a mission to end the epidemic among Latine communities by investing resources and support in grantmaking, capacity-building, public policy/advocacy, strategic communications, and original research. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, we have awarded more than $780,000 to organizations creating healthier communities in work that includes human services, health, the arts, public policy, and economic development.
The Conexiones Positivas Fund and its initiatives are generously supported by ViiV Healthcare’s Positive Action Grant Program, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign, and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Click here to learn more about AIDS United’s programs.
