AIDS Service Providers Association, 1987-1993

Summary

Creators:

AIDS Service Providers Association

Language:

English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], AIDS Service Providers Association, MSS 93-36, Archives & Special Collections, UCSF Library & CKM

Background

Scope and content:

Agency records suffer from the effects of several changes of administrators and office managers; subsequent inconsistencies are evident in the creation, arrangement and preservation of files. While some series are incomplete, they do possess research value. The files have been arranged by function, then by chronology.

Some ASPA records document significant trends in the service provider community, among these are files that record the development of public policy, initiation of workshops to confront problems common among service providing agencies, and joint lobbying efforts. The series of member surveys is also notable, particularly the swiftly conducted investigation of damage to AIDS organizations from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Among the correspondence is a letter dated Oct 14, 1992 from a Susan Penner which accompanies her report on a survey she conducted of 80 service agencies during 1991/92. Her results, including CEO's attitudes towards the consolidation of certain administrative functions among agencies, will be of interest to researchers studying administrative costs of providing AIDS-related services. In general, the correspondence files provide some information about the cultural and political interactions among administrators of AIDS agencies. Other notable contents include the three editions of the HIV Referral Directory (1990, 1992, 1993) as well as a survey of volunteers and a survey of 102 AIDS agencies and their positions on issues of public policy. A final file of interest is the remarkable "Housing Rights" document compiled by PWA Gary Harmon after he was denied federally subsidized housing in Oakland.

The records include planning and founding documents, minutes, correspondence, surveys, reports, workshop and training files, and publications.

Biographical / historical:

The AIDS Service Providers Association (ASPA) was a major conduit of information among service providers during its brief, five year existence. Its mission states that ASPA "promotes collaboration and coordination among AIDS service and community-based organizations in the eleven-county San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas, and promotes advocacy on behalf of the AIDS service community".

It was started (initially as BAYCARE) in 1988 by Bob Munk, then deputy director of the Names Project, to network and coordinate fundraising among AIDS organization in San Francisco. Nancy DeStefanis followed Munk as Executive Director from 1990-1992. Tim Wolfred stepped in as acting Director in March of 1992, remaining in that position until a declining membership and lack of funds forced its termination in June of 1993. A twelve member, elected Board of Directors served to formulate policy, appoint and supervise staff, and oversee operations. In addition to the Executive Director, staff generally consisted of one person, who acted as office manager and membership coordinator. ASPA's major contributions were publication of its newsletter and directory, coordination of public policy and advocacy, and the provision of technical assistance to AIDS agencies.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Physical description:

Volume: 2 cubic feet

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], AIDS Service Providers Association, MSS 93-36, Archives & Special Collections, UCSF Library & CKM

Location of this collection:

UC San Francisco, Special Collections

UCSF Library & CKM Archives and Special Collections, 530 Parnassus Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94143-0840, US

Contact:

(415) 476-8112

Website