EAA looks to broaden reach

Alliance to benefit Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/15/2008

FEB. 15 | Home entertainment industry charity Entertainment AIDS Alliance is exploring ways to attract new members from the broader entertainment community—and new sources of funds.

Founded in 1989 as the Video Industry AIDS Action Committee (VIAAC), EAA raised $300,000 for AIDS charities last year. But new board members believe the organization can do better, even as media and consumer interest in AIDS has dropped in recent years.

EAA has chosen the Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund, benefiting UCLA’s Clinical AIDS Research and Education Center (C.A.R.E.), as its designated charity. In the past, EAA split its donations among various AIDS-related organizations. EAA hopes to strengthen its fundraising by expressly aligning with Taylor, a popular Hollywood legend and long-established advocate for finding a cure for AIDS.

“There has been some burnout when it comes to AIDS—people are living longer in the U.S., and attention has gone [abroad],” said David Bowers, EAA’s new 2008 board president and VP of marketing at Showtime Home Entertainment. “So we are re-introducing ourselves to all the studios and reminding them of who we are. We want them to get enthusiastic about us once again.”

“As we are visiting the studios, we’ll try to reach out to new executives to join the organization,” said Bowers.

To boost donations, the EAA board is considering including a celebrity for the first time as an honored guest during its regular Wine and Wisdom fundraiser. Similarly, EAA’s annual Visionary Awards may also single out celebrities in addition to its regular recognition of DVD executives’ achievements.

Other group officers for 2008 are consultant Barbara Javitz as VP; secretary, Vicki Greenleaf, of Greenleaf & Associates; treasurer Jeff Jenest, of Playboy; and assistant treasurer Jeff Bechtloff, of Image.