FAQ on the (RED) Campaign

Do you want to donate your Gather points to help eliminate AIDS in Africa?

What is (RED)™ / (PRODUCT) RED?

(RED) is a brand created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT) RED branded products. A portion of profits from each (PRODUCT) RED product sold goes directly to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs, with a focus on women and children.

How does (RED) work?

Established brands partner with us and license the (PRODUCT) RED mark to create (PRODUCT) RED products and services. (PRODUCT) RED partners send a portion of the profits made on (PRODUCT) RED products directly to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The consumer does not pay extra for this. (RED) never handles this money – it is sent directly to the Global Fund.

What is the Global Fund?

The Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) funds, is the world's leading funder of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which kill over 6 million people each year. Created in 2002, the Global Fund has committed over $10 billion to life saving programs in 136 countries and accounts for a quarter of the world's funding for AIDS programs in the developing world (two-thirds of the world's funding for malaria and tuberculosis). The Global Fund was the first international financing body to fund a massive scale-up of anti-retroviral treatment in developing countries, starting in 2003.

The Global Fund has earmarked (RED) dollars to be used specifically for AIDS programs in Africa with a focus on women and children. 100% of the (RED) money is put to work on the ground in Africa; none is used for overhead. (RED) grants represent the best performing and neediest programs within the Global Fund's extensive portfolio of AIDS grants in Africa, thus ensuring that every dollar raised is effectively and immediately translated into lives saved, and that every life thus saved is accounted for.

The Global Fund is a public-private partnership, governed by representatives of governments, the private sector and civil society from all over the world. It enables countries to design and execute their own programs, but is performance based, so it provides funds only on the basis of proven results. It is a lean institution with operating costs of less than 3%, ensuring that resources go directly to where they are needed most. (While 3% is the overhead for all of the Global Fund, no overhead expenses are taken out of (RED) dollars.) The Global Fund needs additional resources from all sectors to continue scaling up the support for life-saving work around the world.

Do PRODUCT (RED) products cost more?

The point of (RED) is to make the partner company pay money to the Global Fund by sharing a portion of its profit to help people affected by AIDS in Africa. This is a key aspect of the consumer proposition. The company pays extra – the purchaser does not. Some partners have created product lines that are elevated in terms of the content or materials used (e.g. higher-end denim or handmade mudcloth from Mali), but that pricing is commensurate with the materials and production issues involved. The margin of profit that accrues to the Global Fund remains the same.

How does the (RED) money get to where it needs to go?

By combining the marketing power of the world's leading consumer brands with the accountability, scale and pace of Global Fund grant-making, (PRODUCT) RED has created a new business model to effectively raise and impactfully invest significant resources to combat AIDS in Africa. (RED) grants (i.e. Global Fund grants supported with (RED) funds) represent the best performing programs within the Global Fund's extensive portfolio of AIDS grants in Africa, thus ensuring that every dollar raised is effectively and immediately translated into lives saved, and that every life thus saved is accounted for. Current (RED) grants are Rwanda and Swaziland.

Funds raised by (RED) partners are contributed directly to the Global Fund, which then transfers those funds to (RED) grants in line with the achievement of their respective performance targets. Over $60 million has already been raised to date, and (RED) funds have already been disbursed to grant recipients in Rwanda, Swaziland and Ghana to save thousands of lives. As (RED) continues to grow and generate additional funding, so too will the portfolio of AIDS grants supported, while maintaining the strict performance standards of the Global Fund and ensuring the effective use of those funds.

The impact and progress of Global Fund-financed programs has been possible because of its unique approach. Through its small staff and efficient systems, the Global Fund has administrative costs of less than three percent of all the money contributed to it, ensuring that the vast majority goes directly to support life-saving work in poor countries. (100% of (RED) money is put to work on the ground in Africa; no overhead is taken from these funds.) In addition, the Global Fund's performance-based funding model holds its recipients to strict standards, only releasing money if programs prove that they are achieving strong results and shutting down those that do not spend money effectively. A key aspect of the performance-based model is the oversight of the transparent and effective use of funds. The Global Fund contracts Local Fund Agents, private accounting firms such as PWC or KPMG, in every country receiving funding, who conduct the initial due diligence on financial and management capacity of grant recipients and provide ongoing verification of program results. As in the case of the Global Fund's suspension of grants to Uganda in 2005 and Ukraine in 2004, any indication of misuse of funds leads to rapid corrective steps - decisive action was taken to replace the grant recipient, guarantee the recovery of funds and ensure the continuation of critical services. As a result, a donor to the Global Fund, whether a private citizen or a government, can be confident that their contribution will rapidly have an impact on the lives of people in need.

Are there any programs in particular that the money will be directed to?

All funds generated by sales of (PRODUCT) RED products (aka (RED) money) will support Global Fund-financed programs that positively impact the lives of women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. (RED) money provides access to education, nutrition, counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day they need to help stay alive. This includes programs in countries such as Rwanda, which has a proven track record and ambitious targets. For example, in the past two years, Rwanda has increased the number of people receiving treatments for HIV/AIDS ten-fold.

How is Hallmark involved in the (RED) campaign?

You know Hallmark cards as a way to connect with those near and dear. Now you can take that one step further with Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED™. Your friend gets a card or gift from you. And to help people living with AIDS in Africa, 8% of Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED™ net wholesale sales will go to the Global Fund.

How is Hallmark involved in the (RED) campaign on Gather?

Once you donate your first 150 Gather points directly to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa, Hallmark will grant you complimentary access to their (PRODUCT) RED premium e-cards (valued at $1.49 each) to send to family and friends."

Visit hallmarkred.gather.com to learn about the campaign on Gather.

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