SUBJECT:

Support the UCSD AIDS Research Institute

I am very pleased to let you know about two easy ways to support the UCSD AIDS Research Institute (ARI). The ARI serves as a bridge to integrate HIV/AIDS researchers and clinicians on campus. The ARI includes (but is not limited to) the following groups at UCSD: the Center for AIDS Research, the UCSD Antiviral Research Center, the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, the Owen Clinic, and the UCSD Mother, Child, & Adolescent Program.

There are two new easy ways to support the UCSD ARI painlessly (additional details are at the end of this message):

1. You may designate the UCSD ARI as the beneficiary of the Ralph's Community Contribution Program. Each time you use your Ralph's card, a percentage of your purchase will be donated to the ARI.

2. More than 650 stores participate in igive.com, including Brookstone, Amazon, Adobe, Ebay, Overstock.com, Dell and others. By joining igive.com, designating the UCSD AIDS Research Institute as beneficiary and shopping through their website, a portion of each purchase is donated to the ARI.

The UCSD AIDS Research Institute (ARI) implements and supports educational programs and activities that are sponsored by UCSD-based HIV/AIDS investigators. Examples of these programs and activities include educational updates from major HIV conferences; regularly-occurring seminars for people considering starting antiretrovirals for the first time; community forums of cutting-edge HIV related topics; and an annual Ride4AIDS - a fundraising and educational bicycling event. In the future, we plan to host even more lectures and community educational activities involving investigators across UCSD groups.

Your support will allow us to carry out these activities and to expand support for our researchers.

Below is additional information about how to join each of these two contribution programs:

Joining the Ralph's Community Contribution Program:

a. Please visit the Ralph's website, and go to the "Community Contribution" link: http://www.ralphs.com/ccprogram.htm

b. Select the Participant option to sign up

c. The first question on the application requests the NPO number. The UCSD ARI non-profit organization number is: 80479

d. After you have joined, each time you swipe your Ralph's card, the ARI will receive a percentage of your purchase

Joining igive.com:

a. Please visit the igive.com website: http://www.igive.com

b. Instructions for joining are included on the home page

c. A list of participating stores is included at http://www.igive.com/html/intro.cfm

d. Once you complete your purchase, you will be asked to designate a beneficiary organization. By selecting the UCSD AIDS Research Institute, the ARI will receive a percentage of your purchase.

e. Your donations through shopping at iGive.com may qualify as tax deductions. Please refer to the igive.com website for more information.

We hope that you will consider supporting the UCSD AIDS Research Institute. More than 40 million people in the world are currently HIV positive, and UCSD investigators are working hard at the local, national and international level to combat this pandemic. Your support will make a difference.

Please let us know if we can provide any additional information. You may reach us by phone at (858) 534-5545 or via email at cfar@ucsd.edu. Thank you for your consideration.

Douglas D. Richman, MD Director Center for AIDS Research