Howard Brown appeal raises $750,000

Howard Brown Health Center officials said Feb. 18 that the LGBT health center has raised more than $750,000 since launching its Lifeline Appeal last November.

At the time HBHC CEO and President Jamal Edwards said HBHC needed to raise half a million dollars by year's end. The community response far surpassed that goal, with more than $660,000 raised by Christmas.

HBHC officials said last week that the organization closed 2010 without a deficit, with new federal funding to expand HIV services and new revenue coming in from its partnership program with Walgreen's.

"The community continues to overwhelm everyone at Howard Brown with its donations and words of support. Getting through the financial crisis we did during the 50-day campaign unified community members who believe in the important mission of Howard Brown," Edwards said. "It is now our responsibility to make good on the promises we made to our supporters and our patients by continuing to revitalize the operations and meeting community needs."

The fundraising appeal was necessitated by a financial shortfall caused, HBHC officials said, by its former top management. Money from a federal grant was allegedly used to pay operating expenses at HBHC; oversight of that grant, for administering the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, was consequently relinquished by HBHC, which had to turn over $539,000 in grant funds to Northwestern University last August.

HBHC has also implemented reforms, including transitioning to an entirely new board by July 1. Half of the board resigned and were replaced by new members at the end of December. The other half will resign and be replaced by new members by July.

HBHC officials said last week that the reforms, including the community volunteer committee to nominate new board members, are providing more transparency in HBHC's operations.

"The growing community support we are experiencing is deeply appreciated as we make these critical improvements at Howard Brown," said Karma Israelsen, who became board chair at HBHC Jan. 1. "The services Howard Brown Health Center provides are vital to our community and it is gratifying to see the community rally to ensure a healthy future for the organization."

In the wake of the good news on the fundraising front, HBHC officials also disclosed that a potential breach of security involving the email addresses and phone numbers of its donors is being investigated.

"Today, we have alerted donors, via email, that their personal information may have been unlawfully shared with a third party," HBHC said in a statement Feb. 19. "Howard Brown Health Center is alerting the appropriate authorities and conducting an internal investigation of this incident. All parties, including current and former staff members, who played a role in this unlawful and inappropriate activity will be held accountable, and we will pursue all available recourse to the fullest extent of the law."

HBHC became aware of the security breach when an anonymous email attacking the current management of the organization was sent to HBHC's donors and others. HBHC stressed that it has no reason to believe that donors' credit card information was compromised or that patients' records were accessed.