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(RED)

FAQ

If you've ever wondered, here are some frequently asked questions and answers about (RED).

• What is (RED)™/ (PRODUCT)^RED™?

  (RED) is a simple idea that transforms our collective power as shoppers into a financial force that helps those affected by AIDS in Africa. (RED) has teamed up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT)^RED branded products. A portion of profits from each (PRODUCT)^RED item sold goes directly to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs.To date, $150 million has been generated and 5 million people have been helped through Global Fund programs that (RED) supports. While the programs address the broad needs of communities affected by HIV/AIDS, (RED) programs focus on women and children because of the disproportionate contraction rate of the disease and the ability to prevent transmission to unborn children if mothers are treated.

• Is (RED) a charity?

  (RED) is not a charity. It's a business model designed to create awareness and a sustainable flow of money from the private sector into the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Consumers buy (PRODUCT)^RED items, and at no cost to them, a portion of the profits is sent directly to the Global Fund.

• What is the Global Fund?

  The Global Fund is the organization that (RED) works with to put the money generated from (PRODUCT)^RED products and events, directly on the ground in Africa. The Global Fund is the world's leading financer of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The Global Fund invests 100% of (RED) dollars in AIDS programs in Africa with a focus on women and children. Programs supported by (RED) and the Global Fund have reached over 5 million people to date.

• Why have you created (RED)?

  To engage the private sector, its marketing prowess and funds in the fight against AIDS in Africa.

  There are 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS across the globe, and 22 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. This is why 100% of (RED) money is going directly to the Global Fund, to finance programs fighting AIDS in Africa.

  Before (RED) launched, businesses had contributed just $5 million to the Global Fund in four years while the public sector had given more than $5 billion. (RED) was designed to kick-start a steady flow of corporate money into the Global Fund and it has. Since its launch in spring 2006, (RED) has generated $150 million for the Global Fund –more than any other business initiative has contributed to the Global Fund. 

• Who is (RED)? Which brands are involved so far?

  Bono and Bobby Shriver created (RED) to engage the private sector in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Our Proud Partners include: American Express (UK only), Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Dell, Emporio Armani, Gap, Hallmark (US only), Nike and Starbucks. Our (PRODUCT)^RED Special Editions include: Beats By Dr. Dre, Channel Islands Surfboards, diptyque, Girl Skateboards, Shazam, Solange Azagury-Partridge, and Timbuk2. Discussions are ongoing with other potential partners.

• What is the relevance of the name (RED)?

  (RED) is the color of emergency. 3,800 people die every day from AIDS, and many others are fighting for their lives.

• What is Bono's involvement?

  Bono and Bobby Shriver created (RED) to engage the private sector in the fight against AIDS in Africa. After they set up DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) together in 2002, it became apparent that while DATA leveraged investment from the public sector to the Global Fund, a need remained for greater private sector funding. (RED) was born to generate a sustainable flow of money from the private sector to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. In 2008, DATA merged with ONE, (RED)’s sister organization.

• 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 agree to give up to 50% of the profits from (PRODUCT)^RED items directly to the Global Fund, to fight AIDS in Africa. The consumer does not pay extra for this. (RED) never handles this money – it is sent directly to the Global Fund with no overhead taken out. That means that 100% of the money from the sale of (PRODUCT)^RED items goes directly to the Global Fund, with no overhead taken out.

  A licensing fee for use of the (PRODUCT)^RED mark is charged to manage and market the (RED) brand. This fee is paid by (PRODUCT)^RED partners, and does not infringe on the amount of money they send to the Global Fund via sales of (PRODUCT)^RED items, nor does it affect the cost of the (PRODUCT)^RED items.

• Do (PRODUCT)^RED items cost more?

  No, they do not. The point of (RED) is for the partner company to contribute money to the Global Fund by sharing a portion of its profit to help people affected by AIDS in Africa. 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. finer cotton 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.

• Do (RED) partners pay a licensing fee?

  Yes, this is how (RED) makes the money needed to stay in business and generate awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Established brands partner with us and license the (PRODUCT)^RED mark to create and market (PRODUCT)^RED items and services. This licensing fee does not infringe on the amount of money our partners send to the Global Fund via sales of (PRODUCT)^RED items,nor does it affect the cost of the (PRODUCT)^RED items. 

• Are products with the (PRODUCT)^RED mark always the color red? How will consumers know what is (RED) and what isn't?

  Making the products the color red is not a requirement. However, some products are red in color. All will bear the (PRODUCT)^RED logo lockup. While the intent of the mark is to educate the consumer about (RED) and the impact that can be made in Africa, all products are made to reflect the highest standards of each brand which consumers naturally search out. Consumers get a product they want and those living with HIV in Africa get the medicine they need.

• How does (RED) support its program?

  When brands partner with us, they license the (PRODUCT)^RED mark to create and market items and services. Each brand pays a licensing fee that funds the management and marketing of the (RED) brand. This licensing fee does not infringe on the amount of money our partners send to the Global Fund via sales of (PRODUCT)^RED items, nor does it affect the cost of the (PRODUCT)^RED items.

• How does a company partner with (RED)?

  There is no one way we go about this. When (RED) partners with a company, that company has category exclusivity and we seek partners that can maximize return for the Global Fund from that given category. If you have an idea for a partnership, feel free to send an email to hello@joinred.com. Due to the large influx of responses, we will only respond to proposals that are right for (RED).

• Where does (RED) money go?

  Funds generated through (PRODUCT)^RED products and events are sent directly to the Global Fund to be invested in (RED) grants — pre-selected Global Fund-financed HIV and AIDS grantsthat positively impact the lives of people affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa. Currently (RED) money provides a wealth of needed services in six grant countries: Rwanda, Lesotho, Swaziland, Ghana, Zambia and South Africa. The money is used for awareness building, education and life-skills, nutrition, HIV testing and counseling, ARV Treatment, and the prevention of mother to child transmission. Each country determines the exact needs of their country and how the money will be used. All programs are reviewed and measured for success.

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

  Funds generated by (RED) partners are contributed directly to the Global Fund. The Global Fund then transfers those funds to (RED) grants in line with the achievement of their respective performance targets. $150 million has been generated to date, and (RED) funds have already been disbursed to grant recipients in Rwanda, Lesotho, Swaziland, Ghana, Zambia and South Africa. 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.

• Why Africa?

  Of the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS across the globe, 22 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the worst affected region in the world because the epidemic began there much earlier than anywhere else and fewer people have access to the medicine they need to stay alive. It costs around 40 cents a day for the 2 pills that are needed to help keep someone living with HIV alive. Yet more than 70% of the people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $2 a day. Increasing numbers are becoming infected every day, as the virus flourishes in conditions of poverty, especially among women. Every day, 3,800 people in Africa die from this preventable, treatable disease.

  With the shopping power of the world behind (RED), there is incredible hope and opportunity for improving the lives of millions of people living with HIV and helping prevent the future spread of the disease across Africa. This is why 100% of (RED) money is going directly to the Global Fund, to finance programs fighting AIDS in Africa.

• What is The Lazarus Effect?

  In as little as 90 days, two pills which cost roughly 40 cents a day can bring someone with HIV from sick and frail, to healthy and vibrant. The pills are called antiretrovirals, or ARVs, and this transformation is called the “The Lazarus Effect”. The results are nothing short of miraculous. Take a look for yourself here.

• How can a foundation apply to be a beneficiary of (RED) funds?

  All requests for Global Fund financing are coordinated and made through a national body in each country known as the Country Coordinating Mechanism or CCM. The Global Fund supports the plans, projects and interventions which countries themselves have selected as their national priorities. These strategies and priorities are determined by a wide range of stakeholders and are coordinated by the Country Coordination Mechanism, or CCM, which is comprised of representatives from all relevant sectors, including Government, Civil Society, the Private Sector, and Communities affected by the diseases. This nationally owned and inclusive mechanism ensures that the country's strategies and priorities are determined in an integrated and effective manner and that funds are channeled in the most impactful way. 

  The CCM submits a country's final proposal for funding to the Global Fund. The Global Fund does not accept proposals directly from individuals, groups or organizations, and all proposals for funding must be channeled through the CCM in the country. The contact information for every CCM can be found on the Global Fund's website http://www.theglobalfund.org/. Click on the drop-down menu named "Or Choose A Country" on the left-hand side of the home page and select a country; this will lead directly to the information page for that country containing contact information for CCM members.

  Additional information about the proposal process can be found at: http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/rounds/applicationprocess. The proposal forms and guidelines for CCMs can also be found there. The allocation of funding to specific projects occurs upon the approval of a new grant proposal; the timing and availability of funding will vary by country.

  Funds generated through (PRODUCT)^RED products and events are sent to (RED) grants — pre-selected Global Fund-financed HIV and AIDS grants in Africa. At present, the (RED) grant portfolio includes Rwanda, Lesotho, Swaziland, Ghana, Zambia and South Africa. Updates to the (RED) grant portfolio can be found at:http://www.joinred.com/static/impact/impact_red_contributions_to_date. As with all Global Fund grants, the projects supported by (RED) are selected by the CCM in that country, as described above. This ensures that (RED) funds are invested in programs that are not only effective but also aligned with the national AIDS strategies and priorities. The process for applying for funding also remains unchanged, as described above, ensuring that there is no duplication of effort or unnecessary administrative burden placed on the CCM and grant recipients.

• How can I donate money?

  You don't have to be a corporation or a governing body to donate to the Global Fund inspired by (RED). Anyone can do it. There are already millions of dollars at work on the ground in Africa thanks to individuals who made donations large and small – a true testament to the power of collective action. Click here to find out how you can donate (please note that you will be taken to the United Nations Foundation website that accepts donations on behalf of the Global Fund).

• How does (RED) finance all of the big marketing campaigns behind (RED) products?

  Actually, (RED) doesn’t pay for those campaigns. As part of our relationship with our partner brands, (RED) works with these companies to direct some of their overall marketing budget to market not only the (RED) products but also the issues — i.e., that 3,800 Africans are dying unnecessarily every day from AIDS, a preventable and treatable disease. These are funds from their existing marketing budgets that if not used to market (RED), would be spent to market other products that do not contribute at all to the fight against AIDS in Africa.

• How are (RED) and ONE related?

  (RED) and ONE work together to fight the AIDS pandemic and the extreme poverty in which it thrives. (RED) empowers you, the consumer, to choose products that generate money for the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. ONE harnesses the voices of over 2 million members to advocate for justice for the world's poor, targets G-8 nations to campaign on debt, HIV and AIDS, and trade in Africa. Between (RED) and ONE, there is a way for every individual to get involved in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. For more information about ONE go to http://www.one.org.

• What is FLOWE(RED)™?

  FLOWE(RED) is an on online flower service from (RED), available only in the UK.  FLOWE(RED) offers all types of flowers from petite arrangements to indulgent bouquets, with prices ranging from £20 - £65 with delivery included. All arrangements are composed of ethically-sourced flowers and all profits go to helping those living with HIV in Africa. Please visit www.flowered.com.

• What is (RED)NIGHTS?

  (RED)NIGHTS is a concert series designed to save lives. Artists turn their shows (RED) by contributing a portion of ticket sales from each concert to the Global Fund to support AIDS programs in Africa and by using the venue to help raise awareness of the issue. Please visit www.joinred.com/rednights.

• I have a question that's not listed here. Who can I ask?

  I have a question that’s not listed here. Who can I ask? Please email us at hello@joinred.com. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can (it may take a few days).