Funders Concerned About AIDS Welcomes Masen Davis as Executive Director
Washington, D.C., October 31, 2022 — Social justice leader and human rights advocate Masen Davis joins Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) this week as the organization’s new Executive Director. In this role, Mr. Davis will focus on forging alliances, building community, and growing resources to support FCAA’s vision of a world without AIDS.
“We are at a crucial time in the HIV response, with COVID having exacted a devastating impact on programs just as many funders that have been long term supporters of HIV are significantly reducing their spending,” said FCAA Board Chair, Channing Wickham. “HIV-informed grantmaking is more important than ever and Masen’s experience working with both funders and grassroots organizations is precisely what is needed to meet this moment.”
Mr. Davis has spent more than 20 years advancing human rights and healthcare for vulnerable populations. Most recently, he served as interim Executive Director of Transgender Europe, a membership-based network representing 200 organizations across 48 countries in Europe and Central Asia. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Freedom for All Americans, founding Co-Chair of the International Trans Fund, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center, and interim Executive Director of Global Action for Trans Equity (GATE). He has also worked within philanthropy, including serving as Senior Director of Special Projects at the Gill Foundation and Community Investment Officer at United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
“Having worked in both grassroots advocacy and grant making environments throughout my entire career, I understand the importance of FCAA’s approach to HIV-informed funding,” said Davis. “To address the epidemic, we must also address the intersecting issues — such as poverty, inadequate education, stigma, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia — that fuel it. So much of the work FCAA does supports this and I am very proud to now be a part of these efforts.”
Over the past three decades, FCAA has evolved from a neutral information source to the leading voice on philanthropic resources allocated to fight the global HIV epidemic. Under Davis’ leadership, the organization will continue to inform, connect, and support the philanthropic community, facilitating bold actions in response to HIV and AIDS.
“We are happy to have Masen officially on board and also want to acknowledge Sarah Hamilton, who, in addition to her role as Operations Director, has served as interim Executive Director since June. Sarah continues to be a steadying hand and stalwart steward of FCAA’s mission,” said Wickham. “We have an exceptional team in place, and we are very excited about the next phase of FCAA’s evolution.”
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About FCAA
Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) is a philanthropy-serving organization (PSO) founded in 1987 to take bold actions and push philanthropy to respond to HIV and AIDS. FCAA informs, connects, and supports philanthropy to mobilize resources to end the global HIV pandemic and build the social, political and economic committments necessary to attain health, human rights, and justice for all.
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Juliet Glassroth
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