Us Helping Us Final Report

Us Helping Us
FINAL REPORT
Zainab Yusuff
Mikebeb Abera
Jemila Morrison
Dr. Benatti | Nonprofit Management-Team 2 | 11/22/2016

US HELPING US, PEOPLE INTO LIVING, INC.
Mission Statement
Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc. is committed to improving the health and well-being of Black gay men
through innovative programs and services and – through a vision of inclusiveness – to reducing the impact of
HIV/AIDS in the entire Black community.
Values Statement
Us Helping Us envisions a world in which health and wellness is within everyone’s reach; a world free from
stigma where the acquisition and transmission of HIV is eliminated.
UHU began as a self-help group for HIV-positive Black gay men. Under Dr. Simmons’ nearly quarter century of
leadership, UHU has become one of the largest Black AIDS organizations in the country serving gay and bisexual
men, heterosexual men and women, transgender persons, and youth. “From its days as a small neighborhood
self-help collective with a single employee/volunteer and a budget of $8,000, Dr. Simmons has overseen a
remarkable transformation into a $2.4 million-budget organization with 26 full-time employees serving more
than 3,000 clients annually..." UHU provides HIV prevention and support services in the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area. UHU is committed to improving the health and well-being of black gay men through
innovative programs and services and – through a vision of inclusiveness – to reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS
throughout the entire African- American community. Today, UHU offers an array of programs including:mental
health services; HIV testing; health screenings; case management; support groups; and HIV risk reduction
interventions. In 2001, UHU became the first Black gay organization in the nation to purchase a building for its
headquarters and service facility.
 Since we spoke, one of the items I noticed had been modified. This item was that the history of Us
Helping Us was overshadowing the mission and vision but now I see that it has been moved to the top of
the page in the About Us section of the website.

IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS
The next section is about those entities in immediate surroundings of Us Helping Us:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Us+Helping+Us/@38.9256105,-
77.0438489,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa6108e9dcbdb7503!8m2!3d38.9350866!4d-77.024435 (Location)
www.uhupil.org/
(Us Helping Us)
Address: 3636 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Phone: (202) 446-1100
Donations:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=SGFX9GqO8Qp8UnfCnho67WSy2_3W_LkB3ymiS7mR49wEclmvwpu9
GCdS8RtERhq5-Ibavm
PrEP:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTMDxl1SGsGQfEfs4FKzqEmBDEaxbpPtWU8P_oK8ypihV03w/vie
wform

THREATS
 “Recent scientific advances have given us powerful new strategies to stop HIV, including improved
testing techniques, early treatment with antiretroviral medications, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
But these advances aren’t yet reaching many people in need. Surveillance data show just 57 percent of
people diagnosed with HIV are receiving care for their infection, and only 55 percent have their virus
suppressed through treatment. PrEP is reaching only a small fraction of those who could benefit from it,
in part because many health care providers are unaware of its promise.” (CDC Report)
 Limitation on advocacy expanding into doing more women work like support groups and transitional
homes.
 Strength of recruiting;would like to be more of a one stop shop for all things including medical
 Alternate location in New Carrollton is underutilized and the walk from the metro is considered lengthy
to some clients and potential clients.
 Limitation on looking for a medical facility with doctors and physicians on staff due to lack of liability,
insurance and suitable building for such medical care to be readily available for the clients.
 Inability for organization’s dedicated to serving males to help women as much (but makes an effort)
because very little grants and fundraising support them doing such especially in cases where the
organization is solidified as black gay male nonprofit.
 Volunteer for agency-hard finding productive things for them to do which equals a potential waste in
volunteer resources.
OPPORTUNITIES
National reports show a continued support in the fight, research, and prevention of HIV/AIDS.Below is a snippet
of The National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020 that can be found (Federal Resources/ National Strategy):
“The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, every
person, regardless of age, gender,race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, genderidentity, or socio-economic
circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free fromstigma and
discrimination.
The Nation’s first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States (Strategy) was released in
2010, and in the subsequent five years, people and organizations have joined together around its vision and goals.
The Strategy has changed the way the American people talk about HIV, prioritize and organize prevention and
care services locally, and deliver clinical and non-clinical services that support people living with HIV to remain
engaged in care, and has helped achieve the following:
• Implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans can access preventive services like HIV
testing without a co-pay or deductible. People living with HIV can no longer be discriminated against because of
their HIV status, and thousands more people living with HIV have new coverage options through Medicaid
expansion or the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• Groundbreaking work by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the HIV Prevention Trials
Network (HPTN) 052 study, which Science magazine called the scientific breakthrough of 2011, and which
demonstrated that early treatment for HIV reduces the risk of onward transmission by 96 percent while
simultaneously improving health outcomes. NIH also supported the Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy
(START) trial, which demonstrated that those with HIV who received immediate treatment significantly reduced
their risk of serious, adverse health outcomes.

• The introduction of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis),a much-needed new biomedical prevention tool that
helps people reduce their risk of HIV infection by taking a daily pill. Based on evidence from multiple clinical
trials released from 2011 to 2013, the Food and Drug Administration approved PrEP in 2012, and in
2014 the U.S. Public Health Service issued clinical practice guidelines for PrEP.
• Vital work by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including key guidance for the adoption of
new testing technologies that enhance the ability to diagnose HIV soon after infection.
These technologies broaden the window of opportunity for effective interventions during the acute phase of
infection—a time when HIV is most likely to be transmitted to others.
• Critical funding increases for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) of the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), which ensured access to lifesaving treatment by helping to eliminate ADAP waiting lists,
and for additional services that support a system of care necessary for those with HIV to maintain health.
• Major strides in collaboration across the Federal government, establishing cross-agency partnerships,
formulating recommendations for the HIV Care Continuum Initiative, and developing and implementing a core
set of HIV program indicators to support data sharing and increased transparency in progress made.
For example:
• A Federal interagency workgroup was established to investigate the intersection of HIV and violence against
women and it resulted in more than 15 new initiatives within two years.
• The Department of Justice (DOJ) collaborated with CDC to publish a comprehensive examination of HIV-
specific criminal laws. As a result, DOJ issued a best practices guide to reform these laws that help states ensure
their policies do not place unnecessary burdens on individuals living with HIV/AIDS and that they reflect an
accurate understanding of HIV transmission routes and associated benefits of treatment.
• Demonstration projects funded through the Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF) have engaged
multiple HHS agencies—including CDC, HRSA, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA)—to foster coordination and collaboration across agencies and evaluate
agency policies that may act as barriers to coordinated planning, implementation, delivery,and evaluation of
HIV/AIDS services at the state and local levels.
These and other accomplishments have resulted in important gains toward targets for increasing the
percentage of persons living with HIV who know their status, are linked to care, and have achieved viral
suppression, as well as reducing death rates. Despite this progress, the level of infection is stable overall. While
declines in diagnoses have occurred for women, persons who inject drugs, and heterosexuals, the epidemic
among gay and bisexual men remains severe, with increases in new diagnoses. Achieving the goals of the
Strategy will require intensified efforts for this population in order to realize the greatest impact.
The Nation has the tools to slow, and eventually end, the epidemic in the United States. With ongoing
leadership, sustained funding commitments, strategic action, and emerging digital tools and technologies to help
inform and educate, the American people are closer than ever to the day when the Strategy’s vision will be
attained. Together, people living with HIV and those affected, state, Tribal, and local governments, health
providers, government and industry scientists, faith leaders, and community partners have fundamentally
transformed the response to HIV/AIDS in the United States. The Strategy has truly become the roadmap for
collective action and has brought new energy and commitment in States and local communities across the
country. This is the first update of the Strategy (Update), which is designed to look ahead to 2020. The Update
reflects the hard work accomplished and the lessons learned since 2010. Moreover, it incorporates the scientific
advances that could one day bring the United States, and the world, closer to virtually eliminating new HIV
infections, effectively supporting all people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives and eliminating the
disparities that persist among some populations. The Strategy remains a steady foundation on which to build
future efforts. As such, this Update retains its vision and four main goals through 2020. At the same time, the
Strategy is also a living document, designed to be updated. The Update includes the following changes:
• The Steps and Recommended Actions under each of the goals have been revised to reflect past progress and
activities to meet the Strategy goals (see “At-A-Glance” summaries on pages 8-11).
• The Update has 10 quantitative indicators—some of which are new additions, and some of which are revised—
to better monitor progress and ensure that the Nation is constantly moving in the right direction to achieve its

goals... In addition, three areas have been identified as priorities for developing indicators: PrEP, stigma, and HIV
among transgender persons.
• The objectives and recommendations of both the HIV Care Continuum Initiative and the Federal
Interagency Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and
Gender-Related Health Disparities have been fully integrated into the Steps and Recommended Actions...
As a guiding document, the Update is a National plan, not just a Federal plan. Federal efforts are vitally
important but the goals of the Strategy can only be achieved by engagement at the national, state, Tribal, and
local levels and across all sectors. It is especially important that people who work in communities play an active
role in implementing this Strategy. It is on the ground that the work is accomplished, and it is on the ground
where the Strategy’s implementation has improved the lives of Americans impacted by HIV.
The Update looks toward 2020 with the following statements in mind:
• There is still an HIV epidemic and it remains a major health issue for the United States.
• Most people can live long, healthy lives with HIV if they are diagnosed and get treatment.
• For a variety of reasons, certain populations bear a disproportionate burden of HIV.
• People across the Nation deserve access to tools and education to prevent HIV transmission.
• Every person diagnosed with HIV deserves immediate access to treatment and care that is non-stigmatizing,
competent, and responsive to the needs of the diverse populations impacted by HIV.
The Update allows for opportunities to refresh the ongoing work in HIV prevention, care, and research.
Advances in four key areas are of critical focus for the next five years:
• Widespread testing and linkage to care, enabling people living with HIV to access treatment early.
• Broad support for people living with HIV to remain engaged in comprehensive care, including support for
treatment adherence.
• Universal viral suppression among people living with HIV.
• Full access to comprehensive PrEP services for those whom it is appropriate and desired-with support for
medication adherence for those using PrEP.” (AIDS.Gov)
− Beloware opportunitiesspecificallyrelated toUsHelping Us:
Staff
August 23, 2016 – Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc. (UHU) announced today it is launching a national
search for an executive director to succeed its long-serving leader Ron Simmons, Ph.D.,who will retire at the end
of December 2016. This is an opportunity for UHU to bring in a leader that is a social entrepreneur capable of
bringing new insight and strategies to the organization; some strategies that would further the help UHU to
sustain in the society such as community defined strategy, cross-sector partnership, collaborate mechanism and
relationship building with stakeholders. 1. Advocate and serve 2. Making market work 3.Inspiring evangelists
4.Nurturing nonprofit networks 5. Mastering the art of adaption and 6. Sharing leadership are some
characteristics of high-impact nonprofits and the type of leader UHU can possibly attain.
− Volunteers
Many heads of organizations do not know how valuable including volunteer management into their strategic
planning could be a huge factor in the success of a nonprofit and how efficient one could become with the
volunteer management thoroughly thought through in regards to overall planning. Volunteers come in all forms
such as virtual, episodic and regular volunteers- this could be options for those who would like to volunteer but
do not based on their lack of knowledge on what options the organization gives of volunteer types. One of the
issues we spoke with our client about was the volunteer for the agency; after some consideration we saw that
volunteers could be put to work by pounding the pavement, telling shelters and housing programs about the
organization and its services and website with a personal touch as well as being the main ones in the field during
pride events and festivals. These volunteers can go to the surrounding hospitals (and related entities) and

possibly recruit doctors and physicians to provide volunteer services as regular once a week or more volunteers.
The volunteers could have a goal of getting two or more doctors or physicians to commit to a day or more as
regular volunteers. This puts the volunteers to use, spreads the word on Us Helping Us as well as attaining the
help needed in the facilities to aid in making Us Helping Us a one stop shop.
Funding
Grants from the CDC and other Health Agencies are sources whereby Us Helping Us gets their financial
assistance though a majority of their contributions come from private donations. This is a rather advantageous
balance as it diversifies the source of funding thus UHU is not dependent on any one source enabling it to
continuing making decisions based on what is best regarding the mission and vision of the organization. Another
possibility of funding could come from earned income stream that is directly related to UHU’s mission so as to
take advantage of the tax benefit of not being taxable income because would be able to use the organization’s tax
status.
2015 was a year of major change and progress for HIV prevention in the United States. CDC released an analysis
showing that HIV diagnoses fell by 19 percent over the past decade, driven by dramatic declines among
heterosexuals, people who inject drugs, and African American women and heterosexual men. CDC also reported
that, thanks to sustained testing efforts, the proportion of Americans with HIV who know their status has
reached an all-time high of 87 percent. Meanwhile, implementation of the Affordable Care Act continued to
increase access to critical HIV testing, prevention, and care services nationwide. Recent scientific advances have
given us powerful new strategies to stop HIV, including improved testing techniques,early treatment with
antiretroviral medications, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In FY 2015, CDC received $754.7 million for
HIV prevention, and additional funds of $19.2 million from HHS’s Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Funding.
89 percent of this funding was used for directly or indirectly supported programs focused on HIV prevention
(CDC Report). Future prediction due to the industry and national environment is the CDC’s contribution to
UHU will still be intact for the coming years; especially being UHU has PrEP as one of the products that is
offered through them especially since PrEP advances aren’t yet reaching many people in need, this put UHU in a
great position to help meet those needs.
Collaborations
Though UHU is already heavy into collaboration such as with: Aid Healthcare Foundation, Mary Center,
Whitman Walker who helps via case management, Wonder Austin for Homeless Youth, Women Collective who
sees mostly women of which are 90% black-causing their Rhode Island Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue
locations to see a slight increase-along with and Metro Health who refer clients; there are a vast amount of other
collaborative opportunities.
Collaboration with organizations such as Andromeda Transcultural Health:
http://www.andromedadc.org/about-us/mission-vision/ (Andromeda DC)
Mission: Andromeda’s mission is to provide access to quality healthcare under the premise that all humans are
inherently of equal worth but have cultural and linguistic differences that must be considered. This philosophy
reflects a high level of community health care that has been validated by over three decades of direct service to
minorities and underserved populations.
Vision: Andromeda will continue to serve the community with excellent healthcare targeting those most in
need. Our experience will be duplicated nationally, internationally, and our capital city will support and lend
stability to our and other community-based health centers as a line item in the city budget.

Andromeda will continue to serve the community with excellent healthcare targeting those most in need. Our
experience will be duplicated nationally, internationally, and our capital city will support and lend stability to
our and other community-based health centers as a line item in the city budget.
This mission is relevant to that of Us Helping Us and can find a way to collaborate effectively. The volunteers
could have a goal of getting two doctors or physicians to commit a day or more as regular volunteers. This puts
the volunteers to use, spreads the word on Us Helping Us as well as attaining the help needed in the facilities to
aid in making Us Helping Us a one stop shop. Being that UHU does not have the facility and staff, a
collaboration with Andromeda would allow for this goal without bearing the liability, suitable building and
insurance required if they were the ones to take on this agenda from scratch. This would be a great work around
so that such medical care to be readily available for the clients until UHU builds up to that capacity.
ManDate (A Project Healthy Living Imitative):
http://www.themandate-dc.com/ (ManDate)
In an effort to address and combat some of the psychosocial and environmental challenges that black
gay/bisexual men face, ManDate’s Project Healthy Living has adopted a holistic approach through the creation of
the “ManDate” initiative that aims to look at all aspects of black gay men. Project Healthy Living’s focal activities
are monthly ManDate sessions and annual Health & Wellness conference. The monthly sessions are social
networking and group discussion events held in a private home to ensure a safe space where participants can
openly dialogue about the issues that affect black gay men and impact our overall health and well-being
(physical, mental, spiritual, and financial, etc.). Health departments have had difficulty reaching black gay men.
PHL is reaching this population. After little over a year in operation-turnout at monthly sessions already average
50-60 black gay/bisexual men. To date, ManDate has over 300 non-duplicated black gay/bisexual men that have
attended at least one session. Their first Health & Wellness conference in November of 2012 drew over 180 black
gay/bisexual men. Reviews from conference surveys were overwhelmingly positive and sparked a near doubling
in attendance at the monthly meetings. Though UHU already has some collaborative efforts with ManDate, we
feel ManDate more collaborative efforts can be made because of the similarity in the clients focus and the fact
that ManDate tries to provide a different mental focus along with though process for these men. It would be
advantageous for UHU to build a stronger collaborative effort with ManDate so as to potentially screen and
prevent more incidents of HIV/AIDS among this community along with possible join group sessions, events and
more. This would also be beneficial in tackling the reach of treatment with antiretroviral medications, and pre-
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that is in the budget of the CDC to fund.
We spoke with our client about global opportunities for capacity building into international and a more
global reach to collaborate and share ideas; a couple of people, contacts and organizations came up such as JASL
(along with some others such as the three African fellows we spoke of). A great attribute of UHU is that many
similar nonprofits look to them as a benchmark being that they are the oldest nonprofit in the area of their kind.
UHU has a platform where they facilitate idea sharing, webinars, best practices general learning and more. This
is a benefit that separates UHU from those nonprofits that are just local focused in thinking and find it difficult
to expand, thus possibly limiting them from potential improvement techniques for the nonprofit-especially now
the world is becoming more global by the minute. Also, those being served locally travel abroad so it would be
advantageous to have this insight to possibly be able to assist wherever a client is in need.
Jamaica AIDS Support for Life:
http://www.jasforlife.org/who-we-are.aspx#mission (Jamaica AIDS Support for Life)
JASL is the oldest and largest AIDS-focused, human rights, non-governmental organization. It is dedicated to
preserving the dignity and rights of persons living with HIV and AIDS, and those vulnerable to HIV infection;

and to help in the fight against the spread of the epidemic in Jamaica. Similar to UHU, JASL’s services are offered
to persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, including key target groups: Men who have sex with men
(MSM), Sex workers (SW), Hearing impaired (HI) and deaf, Transgender persons, Orphan and vulnerable
children (OVC), Key groups of women affected by violence in the context of HIV; as well as the general
population. Treatment Care and Support is a core function of JASL). The organization provides a suite of
Treatment, Care and Support services through its three clinic sites in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.
Similar to UHU is the main objective of JASL’s clinics-which is to serve as a user-friendly healthcare facility for
the organization’s key populations. The services provided include: Clinical sessions with a medical doctor and a
nurse (at least two sessions per week), Adherence counseling (individual and group), General counseling
(individual and group), Screening for Gender-based violence (GBV), Sessions with a psychologist, Nutritional
Support , Phlebotomy for CD4 and viral load testing , Referrals for diagnostic tests, Support groups, Home and
hospital visits and much more.
− Other PotentialCollaborations
Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD):
http://www.gmad.org/community.htm
American Foundation for AIDS Research:
http://www.amfar.org/
Gay Men’s Health Crisis:
http://www.gmhc.org/
Out, Proud and Healthy:
http://www.outproudandhealthy.org/tag/hivaids/
National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS,
Inc.:
http://nblca.org/
The Black AIDS Institute:
https://www.blackaids.org/
Magic Johnson Foundation’s (MJF) HIV/AIDS
Community Grants Program:
http://magicjohnson.org/programs/hivaids-
initiatives/
Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service
Organizations:
http://www.eannaso.org/
African Council of AIDS Services Organization:
http://africaprosperity.com/index.php/region/west-
africa/senegal/region/items/view/African-Council-
of-AIDS-Service-Organizations
Global HIV/AIDS Organizations:
https://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/around-the-
world/global-hiv-aids-organizations/
DC Department of Health:
http://doh.dc.gov/service/hiv-aids-reports-and-
publications ( DOH DC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/bmsm.html

DEMOGRAPHIC
We are located in NW Washington DC. Just 1 block from Georgia Ave/ Petworth Metro Station UHU is able to be
accessed by those it serves. The following tables were acquired from
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/bmsm.html (CDCReport). HIV Surveillance Report 2015; 26. :

Final Report Analysis: Us Helping Us’ opportunities definitely outweigh its threats and with the outline
provided we feel UHU will continue to be a leading force within their industry environment. Now that UHU has
been made aware of its external threats and opportunities with our findings, we feel great strides can be made to
take advantage of those opportunities as well as mitigating the potential effects of the threats. Namely, putting
more effort in pushing PrEP being that in what is also in the national strategy plan; developing and
incorporating volunteer management into company planning; refrain from closing the New Carrollton location
because it can always be utilized for a great cause relevant to UHU’s mission (and maybe a more viable option
can be thought of to get clients to the that location), collaborating with similar organizations; looking into
potential earned income streams; selecting a social entrepreneur to lead the new era of UHU; and conducting
overall strategy planning more often to always be aware of the balance between threat and opportunities.
“Strategic managers must not only recognize the present state of the environment and their industry but also be
able to predict its future positions. It helps the managers to decide the future path of the organization. Scanning
must identify the threats and opportunities existing in the environment. While strategy formulation, an
organization must take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. A threat for one organization
may be an opportunity for another. As business becomes more competitive, and there are rapid changes in the
external environment, information from external environment adds crucial elements to the effectiveness of long-
term plans. As environment is dynamic, it becomes essential to identify competitors’ moves and actions.
Organizations have also to update the core competencies and internal environment as per external environment.
Environmental factors are infinite, hence, organization should be agile and vigil to accept and adjust to the
environmental changes.” (Management Study Guide)
APPENDIX
Us Help Us Supporting Documents.zip
REFERENCES
(n.d.). Retrieved from Management Study Guide: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategy-formulation-
process.htm
(n.d.). Retrieved from Andromeda DC: http://www.andromedadc.org/about-us/mission-vision/
(n.d.). Retrieved from ManDate: http://www.themandate-dc.com/
(n.d.). Retrieved from Us Helping Us: www.uhupil.org/
(n.d.). Retrieved from DOH DC: http://doh.dc.gov/service/hiv-aids-reports-and-publications
(n.d.). Retrieved from AIDS.Gov: https://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/national-hiv-aids-strategy/nhas-update.pdf
CDC Report. (n.d.). Retrieved from CDC.Gov: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/bmsm.html
Federal Resources/ National Strategy. (n.d.). Retrieved from AIDS. GOV : https://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/national-
hiv-aids-strategy/overview/:
Jamaica AIDS Support for Life. (n.d.). Retrieved from Jas For Life: http://www.jasforlife.org/who-we-are.aspx#mission
Location. (n.d.). Retrieved from Google: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Us+Helping+Us/@38.9256105,-
77.0438489,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa6108e9dcbdb7503!8m2!3d38.9350866!4d-77.024435

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