2012 Year-End Report

#IMPACTHIV

#IMPACTHIV, Page 2

Introduction

IMPACT is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization, founded by a group of young professionals to

foster civic engagement, to increase knowledge of the political and legislative processes and

to enhance economic empowerment opportunities for young professionals ages 21 to 40.

IMPACT’s three core principles are as follows:

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT | ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT activities identify and enable IMPACT leaders to use resources to ensure

the preservation and advancement of our communities. Through POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT,

IMPACT facilitates and supports the engagement of our peers in politics, policy development

and advocacy. Focusing on ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT provides unique opportunities for

IMPACT leaders to accumulate and preserve wealth, while imparting skills and experiences

needed to enable others to do the same.

2012 Year-End Report, Page 3

HIV/AIDS Trends-Youth At Risk

HIV/AIDS remains one of the worlds most serious health challenges. An estimated 34.2 million

people worldwide had HIV in 2011. This is up 18 percent compared to 2001. Additionally, there

were 2.5 million new infections in 2011 which included an estimated 330,000 children. (The

End of HIV?, December 2012)

The rates of infections among youth in the United States are the most alarming with youth

making up 7 percent of the more than 1 million people living with HIV. What’s worse, many

of those individuals do not know they have the disease. In fact, 25 percent of people who do

not know their HIV status drive 50 to 70 percent of new HIV infections. Almost half of all new

infections among youth occur in African American males. Of the nearly 50,000 people infected

with HIV each year,1 in 4 are 13 to 24 years old. (CDC Factsheet: HIV Amongst Youth in the US,

November 2012)

With those startling statistics in mind, IMPACT launched a social media awareness campaign

called #IMPACTHIV to highlight the prevalence of HIV/AIDS amongst young people and

discussmeaningful ways to address this issue.

Leveraging the power of social media, IMPACT’s mission is to increase testing rates among

young people. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that this 100 percent preventable disease is eradi-

cated from our population, we want a world free of HIV/AIDS.

GOALS

1. Leverage social media to increase awareness of resources and statistics to educate,

inform, and spark conversations amongst young professionals of color.

2. Challenge young professionals and college students to get tested at least twice a year.

3. Develop an international engagement program for young professionals in the United

States to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

#IMPACTHIV, Page 4

Advocacy in Action: Our Record

2012 International HIV/AIDS Conference

“Champions of Change” Reception:

IMPACT launched its inaugural effort last summer with a

reception honoring HIV/AIDS advocates of color at the 2012

HIV/AIDS International Conference in Washington, D.C.

IMPACT recognized the work of the following individuals who

were noted as “Champions of Change”:

• Larry Bryant, Housing Works/DC Fights Back

• Dr. Ayana Elliot, Unity Healthcare

• Lisa Bediako, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

• Dr. LaRon Nelson, University of Toronto

• Damon Humes, The Legacy Project

• Kali Lindsey, National Minority AIDS Council

• Christopher Chauncey Watson, George Washington

University’s School of Public Health

• Bridgette Gordon, Activist

• Hydeia Broadbent, Activist

• Daniel Montaya, National Minority AIDS Council

• Jamaal Clue, National Alliance of State and Territorial

AIDS Directors

Special Recognitions included:

• Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson Foundation

• Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA, District 9)

• Congresswoman Maxine Waters, (D-CA, District 35)

2012 Year-End Report, Page 5

Advocacy in Action: Our Record

#IMPACTHIV Twitter Chats

IMPACT continues to leverage social media as a powerful medium to educate young profes-

sionals. Immediately following the “Champions of Change” reception, IMPACT hosted a

Twitter chat with Champion of Change, Chauncey Watson. IMPACT also hosted four weekly

Twitter chats during December, AIDS Awareness Month, collaborating with the National

Minority AIDS Council and Dr. Rani Whitfield, also known as the “Hip Hop Doc.”

#IMPACTHIV, Page 6

Next Steps

IMPACT has taken on HIV/AIDS as a focal point of its involvement in advocacy. We have featured

articles about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in our quarterly newsletter, honored Champions

of Change in HIV/AIDS work and leveraged social media to educate our peers via Twitter chatsto

commemorate World AIDS day and AIDS Awareness Month.. IMPACT will continue its efforts to

educate and empower young professionals in this space and help bring about the end of HIV/AIDS in

the following ways:

Social Media Engagement

IMPACT will continue its Twitter chats in partnership with Dr. Rani Whitfield (@theHipHopDoc) on

to educate young people about the importance of testing, initiating conversations with friends and

family and reducing the stigma around HIV/AIDS.

#IMPACTHIV Campus Challenge

IMPACT will engage young people on college campuses with an “ #IMPACTHIV Campus Challenge.”

Designed to achieve our primary goal of increasing testing rates among young people, the “Campus

Challenge” asks leaders on college campuses to host testing events and keep track of the numbers

of attendees. Culminating in the month of April, the Campus Challenge winner will be announced

in May. Prizes include stipends awarded to campus organizations on a sliding scale to assist in fund-

ing future HIV testing events. Moving forward, our goal is to establish a national youth testing day

nationwide by 2014.

Global Advocacy in Action

IMPACT understands the importance of educating young professionals about the prevalence of HIV/

AIDS in minority communities. However, we also understand our role as global citizens, and as such,

IMPACT plans to take a group of young professionals to Africa, home to some of the highest HIV/AIDS

rates in the world. This group will participate in HIV/AIDS relief work in partnership with organiza-

tions working on the ground on these issues every day. The trip will be documented to help raise

awareness of HIV/AIDS as a global pandemic. The experience will help engage leaders in discovering

what we can do to IMPACT lives and create real changes here at home.

2012 Year-End Report, Page 7

Conclusion

Working together with partner organizations, we will make an IMPACT on the alarming rate of HIV/

AIDS infections in minority communities. Through targeted, strategic action, IMPACT will civically

engage, politically involve and economically empower young professionals to help bring about the

end of HIV/AIDS on our planet.

@TeamIMPACT

IMPACTYourWorld

TeamIMPACTWorld

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