The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced it will not renew its main five-year HIV prevention grant for community-based organizations (CBOs). This decision, reportedly directed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), marks a significant shift in the agency’s approach to HIV prevention.
Since the late 1980s, the CDC has directly funded CBOs, recognizing their key role in providing accessible and trusted HIV prevention services. These organizations have utilized the grants to conduct a range of activities, including HIV testing, linkage-to-care efforts, and PrEP navigation.
A History of Direct Funding
The CDC’s decision to end direct funding to CBOs comes after decades of support. From 2021 to 2025, the agency awarded $239.3 million in grants to 96 community organizations across 31 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants ranged from $2.2 million to $3.0 million, with an average annual allocation of $442,000 per organization.
The South, a region accounting for over half of HIV diagnoses in the U.S., received the largest share of funding, with 49% of all funds awarded to organizations in this region.
The Impact of Funding Cuts
The CDC’s new approach to HIV prevention funding has raised concerns among advocates and members of Congress. The agency has made supplemental funding available to state and local health departments, but this funding is not guaranteed to reach CBOs. Health departments are encouraged, but not required, to engage community-based partners.
For some CBOs, direct CDC funding represented a significant portion of their revenue. The Community Wellness Project in St. Louis, for example, received $441,625 per year, which accounted for 20% of its revenue in 2024 and 45% in 2021.
The new supplemental funding provided to health departments is unlikely to replace the resources previously allocated directly to CBOs. Even if health departments allocate the minimum recommended levels of funding to CBOs, local organizations would still face a decline in resources.
This reduction in funding could have a significant impact on HIV prevention efforts, particularly in communities that are already disproportionately affected by the virus. With fewer resources, CBOs may be less equipped to provide essential services, potentially leading to an increase in HIV cases.
The CDC’s decision to end direct funding to CBOs represents a marked change in the agency’s approach to HIV prevention. As the future of HIV prevention funding remains uncertain, advocates and community organizations are left to handle a current situation, one that may require them to adapt and find alternative sources of support to continue their vital work.
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The supplemental health department funding released by the CDC on September 3, 2026, totaled $91 million, 24% less than the anticipated $120 million.
Funding Disparities and Regional Impact
The distribution of the new supplemental funding has revealed significant disparities. While 30 health departments received the originally anticipated amounts, 14 faced reductions of 25% or more, with six experiencing cuts exceeding 40%.
To maintain previous funding levels, health departments would need to allocate 46% of the supplemental funding to CBOs. However, this requirement varies widely across departments, and five eligible health departments received no supplemental funding at all: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Arkansas and Tennessee are of particular concern, as they were home to CBOs previously funded under the PS21-2102 grant.
Financial Vulnerability of CBOs
Direct CDC funding constituted a substantial portion of revenue for many CBOs. For instance, NAESM Inc. in Fulton County, Georgia, received $441,625 annually, which accounted for 10% of its revenue in 2024 and 31% in 2021.
APNH: A Place to Nourish Your Health, Inc. in South Central Connecticut received the same annual amount, representing 18% of its revenue in 2024.
These organizations, along with others, now face financial uncertainty as they work through the new funding environment.
Future of HIV Prevention Efforts
As health departments make decisions on allocating the new supplemental funding, the sustainability of CBOs and the overall HIV prevention response remain in question.
The CDC’s new approach to HIV prevention funding, ending direct support to CBOs, marks a significant change in strategy. With over $230 million at stake, the future of HIV prevention efforts in the U.S. hangs in the balance, leaving advocates and community organizations to adapt and seek alternative sources of support.
