This Is How We Weather the Storm—And Build Forward

In our movement, we’ve learned to recognize the storm.

The quiet erosion of funding. The tightening grip of political backlash. The compounding impact of serving more with less.

At San Francisco AIDS Foundation, we’ve weathered those storms before—through the height of the AIDS crisis, through COVID-19 and mpox, and now, through the ongoing dismantling of public health infrastructure under an increasingly hostile federal administration.

Today, I want to share openly with our community that we’ve taken a bold and necessary step to prepare for what’s ahead. In response to a projected $5.71 million shortfall in the coming fiscal year, SFAF has implemented a strategic restructure of our organization—which unfortunately includes a necessary reduction in workforce affecting both filled and vacant positions.

This was not an easy decision. It was, however, the right one. Because this is not just about survival—it’s about making sure we are still here in the years to come, still serving our communities with integrity, equity, and care.

Let me be clear: This is not a retreat from our mission. It’s a reaffirmation of it.

We preserved every fully-funded service area. Through this restructure, we protected our core programming including clinical care, behavioral health, harm reduction programs, community programs, and housing support services. We consolidated fragmented departments into more efficient, community-centered models and we elevated internal talent—people from our own communities—into new leadership roles.

We strove to avoid arbitrary cuts and instead restructured around our core strengths. We asked hard questions. We made values-based choices. And we acted not out of fear—but out of clarity and commitment.

I know that in moments like this, what people want most is transparency. And as someone who leads this organization as a Black, queer man living with HIV, I want our community to know: I don’t take that trust for granted. I never have. This moment matters to me not just professionally, but personally.

Because the stakes are high.

We are seeing a coordinated effort to erase transgender and non-binary people from public life. We’re watching funding dry up for the very harm reduction strategies that have saved thousands of lives. And we’re seeing a political environment where HIV prevention and LGBTQ+ care are under relentless attack.

So no—we’re not just trimming budgets. We are weatherproofing this agency. We are sharpening our focus. And we are building an infrastructure that will allow us to outlast these threats and continue to rise to this moment.

Our vision remains the same: a world free from HIV, where health justice belongs to all of us. And while the path there may shift, our commitment does not.

To the staff who are leaving us as part of this transition—thank you. Your contributions have left a mark on this movement, and your legacy is part of our foundation.

To our partners, donors, and allies—stay close. We need you more than ever.

And to our community—know that this organization is still yours. Still fighting. Still dreaming. Still building toward a future that centers care, dignity, and liberation for all of us.

We’ve faced worse storms. And every time, we’ve come through stronger.

This time will be no different.