Frequently asked questions

The Foundation’s income is raised through fundraising events, corporate support, grants from institutions, contributions from individual donors and revenue from branded merchandise.

When you give to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, 89 cents of every dollar goes directly to our programs to support HIV prevention, treatment, and care for those who need it most. We’ve earned top ratings from Charity Navigator for our transparency and accountability, so you can trust that your generosity is being used effectively and responsibly.

Together, we’re working toward a world without AIDS. Your contribution makes that possible.

Our goal is to see an end to the AIDS epidemic. To do that we have to stop people becoming infected with HIV or getting sick and dying of AIDS. The more people who know their status and are healthy, the less less infection, sickness and death and so the less stigma associated with the disease.

For every grant we make, we track how many people are given an HIV test and how many people gain access to medical treatment. More than this, we support work that tackles the underlying causes of HIV spread: discrimination, bad laws and silence.

Our global organisation, which operates in the UK and USA, commits 89% of the funds we raise to our grant-making efforts to prioritise the people who need our support the most to end the AIDS epidemic through projects in the US, UK and around the world.

Another 7% is used to raise even more money for the important work that we do which includes monitoring and managing our grant awards. Just 4% of our funds support our administrative, governance and operating costs for the Foundation.

According to UNAIDS, 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2024. While effective antiretroviral treatment means people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives, and incredible advances in prevention medication (PrEP) prevent transmission, access to both remains drastically unequal.

Today,  9.2 million living with HIV are not accessing the medication they desperately need.

We fight for policy change and fund programs that dismantle the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, ensuring people can access services without fear or shame. Because everyone has the right to a healthy life.

Our board members are: David Furnish (Chair), Tani Austin (Co-Chair), Paul Buccieri, Chris Cooper, Jamie Cooper, Tobias Hestler (Treasurer), Emma Kane (Deputy Chair), Ilana Kloss, Sandra Lee, Kevin Martinez, Henry R Muñoz III, Tom Moore and Joshua Schulman.

We are unable to provide tax advice however the UK Government has a Gift Aid scheme for UK taxpayers making donations to charities. Please enquire with HM Revenue & Customs for more details in the UK.

In the USA, we (Elton John AIDS Foundation Inc) have tax exempt status with the IRS as 501©(3) public charities.

Yes – many supporters choose to include the Foundation in their estate plans, a meaningful way to extend their impact far into the future. Legacy gifts help us invest in transformative programs that will serve generations to come, funding breakthrough initiatives, expanding access to care, and bringing us closer to ending AIDS for good.

If you’re in the U.S., our partnership with FreeWill makes it simple: create your will online, completely free, in about 20 minutes.

Learn more here.

You can sign up to regular emails from the Elton John AIDS Foundation here.

Alternatively follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or TikTok for regular updates.

If you want to stop or limit mailings, please email us at admin@eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org or call us on +44 207 603 9996 in the UK or +1 212 219 0670 in the USA. Please note that it may take a few weeks for this change to take effect.

Unfortunately, we have limited volunteering opportunities although we do host a number of fundraising events each year where we look for volunteers. Please enquire with the Foundation.

Unfortunately, due to Elton’s significant commitments, he would be unable to attend a fundraising event but please let the Foundation know of your event and we will do what we can to support.

Yes. We would like to explore any partnership opportunities! Please get in touch with fundraising@eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org as there are several ways you and your company can get involved:

• Many companies match their employee’s charitable contributions
• Become a corporate partner
• Sponsor one of the Foundation’s annual events
• Consider hosting fundraising events at your company and advertise through internal communication channels
• Share information about the Elton John AIDS Foundation with your consumers, clients, customers and partners

The Elton John AIDS Foundation’s mission is to help end the AIDS epidemic. The Foundation harnesses local expertise across 4 continents to spread awareness, prevent infections, provide treatment and motivate governments to end AIDS. We use the influencing power of our Founder, Board and Patrons to push and persuade organisations, companies and world leaders to commit increased funding to global financing for AIDS.

For example, ahead of the most recent fundraising round for Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Elton John met with world leaders to highlight the critical importance of increasing their pledges in 2019. This helped motivate French President Emmanuel Macron to announce a 20% increase in France’s contribution and the UK Government to increase its contribution to £1.4bn – a 16% increase on previous funding.

Yes. Much of our work focuses on regions with the greatest need globally, this includes funding vital programs in the UK and US that address gaps in care, support marginalized communities, and combat stigma. These initiatives ensure that people living with or most vulnerable to HIV have access to the services they need. Learn more about our work in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Foundation does not give grants directly to individuals. Instead, the Elton John AIDS Foundation works in partnership with governments, organisations and communities to create lasting solutions. Please consult local organisations in your territory who can help individuals or view our resources page here.

In 2019, the Elton John AIDS Foundation merged operations into one global organisation working to end the AIDS epidemic. We are registered as separate entities in the USA and UK but operate as one global organisation with a combined mission and grant-making strategy under the leadership of CEO Anne Aslett.

The salaries and compensation for all staff, including the CEO, are benchmarked against prevailing norms within the non profit sector in both the US and UK on a biannual basis. Proposed remuneration and benchmarking material is shared with the Nominations and Remuneration Committee who determines the appropriate salary level.