Support Our Mission

Get Involved

Until there is a cure, we need friends like you in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Learn how easy it is to get involved.

Donate

Gift monetary donations, memorials and honorariums.

Your generosity through donations helps us to fulfill our mission of positively changing lives in the fight against HIV/AIDS through prevention, housing and care.

There are many ways to give:

Give the gift of Caracole.

 You can honor your friends and families with a donation to Caracole—it’s a great way to give something meaningful (that doesn’t need to be wrapped!) You can either donate online, make your donation over the phone at (513) 761-1480 or mail your check to our office with a note informing us of your honoree. We will be happy to send a letter informing the lucky recipient of your generous donation!

Your impact

How your donation helps

HIV Test

$25

helps us purchase HIV and Hepatitis C kits

Bill paper

$50

helps us cover utility bills for formerly homeless, HIV+ people living in our housing programs

Two people communicating

$75

helps us offer translation services for non-English speaking clients

Prescription bottle

$125

helps us cover the costs of medication for clients unable to afford them

Matching gifts

Double your impact!

 Your gift to Caracole could be matched dollar-for-dollar by your employer. Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions or volunteer hours made by their employees, retirees and/or employees’ spouses. Find out if your employer has a matching gift program today!

Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Seal

Caracole is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity

Legacy Giving

How you can help provide equitable care for generations to come.

We live in a country where healthcare is not evenly accessible—and there is no overnight fix. HIV care is a clear example of the inequality that exists. Caracole works every day to counter this by acting as a relentless force for health equity. We are here and will continue to be here for those who need us. And you can too. Learn more about different legacy gift options available that can help you preserve the future of Caracole’s mission and long-term stability.

A person making a heart with their hands.

Why give to Caracole?

The pillars of our mission—prevention, housing and care—are all-encompassing in the fight against HIV. For nearly four decades, Caracole has grown not only in mission, reach, and service, but also in strategy; doing our best to establish best practices as we learn new ways of supporting those living with and at risk for HIV. As an organization, Caracole is committed to the growth and change necessary to stay relevant for those we serve and be the expanding, safe space that our name implies.

By making an estate gift to Caracole,
you can help us continue this legacy.

Ways to Give

Gifts that cost you nothing now.

If you want to make a significant gift but don’t want to part with funds today or have assets you no longer need, we have several simple solutions.

Wills or Trusts
Make a bequest by naming Caracole in your will or trust. If your documents are already in place you can add an addendum to a trust or a codicil to your will.

Beneficiary Designations
You can name Caracole as the beneficiary of a retirement plan, life insurance policy, bank or investment accounts and real estate. Giving retirement plan assets to charity and other assets to your loved ones may mean your loved ones get more.

How to make your gift:
To name Caracole as a beneficiary, contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form and include this information: Caracole, Cincinnati, Ohio Taxpayer Identification Number: 31-1210524.

Then notify us so we can thank you for your gift!

Please note: gifts can be for general purposes or may be restricted. If restricted, describe any restrictions and include the following: “The Board of Directors of Caracole, in its sole discretion, may modify the purposes of this gift if those purposes become obsolete, impractical or inconsistent with the mission of Caracole.”

Have you already included caracole in your estate plan? Let us know!

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If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact
Ellie Singleton, Chief Development Officer, at (513) 619-1482 or [email protected]
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Seal

Caracole is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity

Volunteer

Help us in the fight against HIV/AIDS—our mission would not be possible without you!
Our volunteers are essential to our many services and events. By donating your time and resources as a volunteer, you can make a difference in the lives of our clients.

There are so many ways you can help us:

  • Assist with fundraising events – from selling Christmas trees to selling raffle tickets at drag shows – there always seems to be something fulfilling (and fun!) to do at one of our events!
  • Help with special projects. From time to time, we have need for volunteers to help put together safer sex kits, create condom flowers, make red ribbon pins – you never know what we have cooking!
  • Help direct traffic at our front desk. During lunchtime, we LOVE it when we have the help of volunteers to help greet our clients as them come in for appointments.
  • Join in general volunteer merriment – if you have an idea of a way to help Caracole as a volunteer or a group of volunteers – we’re all ears! Let us know what you are thinking! We can do so much more with your help!

Ready to Volunteer?

We ask all of our volunteers to participate in our Volunteer Orientation where you will:

  • Learn a brief history of Caracole and about our current programs
  • Get a tour our office and meet staff
  • Review our confidentiality policies/procedures
  • Review current volunteer opportunities.

To schedule a Volunteer Orientation session, please email David White, Development and Events Manager, at [email protected] or call (513) 619-1483.

Advocate

Take action for positive outcomes in our communities!

Our vision for health equity requires action for change. We champion causes to eliminate negative impact and stigma around HIV and to find new solutions to improve lives in our community and beyond.

Caracole employees being awarded after service work.
A group of diverse women and men wearing colorful hardhats and holding gold shovels with rainbow ribbons. They are throwing dirt from a dirt hill decorated with rainbow chalk onto a pile of gray rocks in front of them.

How We Do the Work

Ending HIV requires structural change as well as direct service. Our advocacy plan outlines what types of issues we follow and whether we lead or support.

  • Caracole Advocacy Committee:  A stakeholder group of staff, board, volunteers and clients meets monthly to discuss our policy agenda and to communicate with decision makers on issues of interest. To join the meetings, contact us at [email protected]
  • Local collaboration: Caracole participates in the Human Services Chamber of Hamilton County, which represents over 80 health and human services agencies in the Cincinnati region.
  • Community participation: Caracole staff serve on multiple community planning and action groups, including Strategies to End Homelessness, Affordable Housing Advocates, and Regional Harm Reduction Coalition. We also support staff engagement through paid time off for civic engagement.
  • Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote:  Encouraging voting and civic engagement is a key part of social work standards, individual empowerment and advocacy strategy. Caracole encourages all clients, staff, volunteers and supporters to make sure their voter registration is current and that they know where and how to vote in Ohio and have the required documentation.
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee:  A joint board/staff committee holds the agency responsible for strategic plan diversity goals. In 2024, the committee also creates strategies and action steps for these goals:
    • Caracole staff exhibit cultural competency and cultural humility.
    • Caracole attracts and retains employees representative of the people we serve.
    • Caracole builds community partnerships that are strategic and intersectional with people who are impacted by HIV.
    • Caracole is a welcoming place to work for all.

Collect

Help stock our personal care item pantry!

Having access to proper hygiene and cleaning products is essential to overall healthy living. For people living with HIV, maintaining overall health is imperative.

Personal care items like toothpaste or toilet paper cannot be purchased with EBT cards/SNAP Benefits. With the majority of our clients living with less than $15K a year, we collect donations of the items listed to distribute to our clients in need.

At Caracole, we are committed to preserving dignity for everyone we serve. As simple as it may sound, your donation of these items is an important contribution in making this happen. Thank you!

Have items shipped direct to us by shopping our Amazon Wishlist!

Remember to add your name and email address in the notes field so we can send you a thank-you. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, your donation is tax-deductible. Save your Amazon receipt for your records.

Right now, our pantry needs:

  • Toothpaste
  • Toilet paper *
  • Deodorant*
  • Tissues
  • Shampoo (for all hair types)*
  • Lotion*
  • Body wash*
  • Menstrual products
  • Laundry detergent
  • Household cleaning supplies
  • Paper towels
  • Razors
  • Shaving Cream

*denotes high need items

12 Month of Caracole 2024 Donation drive with 12 teal-colored boxes for each month. January contains "EssilorLuxottica" Logo, February contains "Lakeview" Logo, March contains, "CCN Pharmacy," Logo. April contains, "Morsel & Nosh, Sidewinder Coffee, Schaeper's Pharmacy" May contains “Adam Reilly.” June contains "J Mayerson JJC of Cincinnati," Logo. August contains “Christie-Lee Griffin, MSW.” November contains “UC Health Marketing and Communications.” December contains "Tri-State Prime Timers." All other months read "Your Logo Here."

12 Months of Caracole Donation Drive

Choose a month in 2024 to hold a company drive to help our clients!

Keeping our pantry stocked with essential basics throughout the year remains a challenge. Help out by signing up your company, house of worship, book club, sorority—any group—to help with our inaugural “12 Months of Caracole” project. We hope to connect with one organization each month of 2024 for donation drives to stock our pantry.

If you’re interested in hosting a drive, please reach out to David White, Development and Events Manager, at [email protected] or call (513) 619-1483.

Shop

Help support Caracole when you shop at Kroger or Amazon!

Your everyday shopping can make a significant impact on the lives of Caracole clients. By purchasing items through our Amazon Wishlist or participating in the Kroger Community Rewards program, you help us further our mission!

A Black woman and a Light-skinned baby putting a green tote bag into a trunk of a car.

Amazon Wishlist

You can make a real difference in the lives of Caracole clients by purchasing items from our Amazon Wishlist. Your donations help us provide essential personal care, hygiene and household-cleaning products to our clients in need.

How to:

  1. Go to our curated Amazon Wishlist.
  2. Browse the list to find items that you’d like to donate then add the items to your cart.
  3. Proceed to checkout and complete your purchase. Remember to add your name and email address in the notes field so we can send you a thank-you.
  4. Ensure the shipping address is set to Caracole (it will be automatically selected if you follow the link from our website).
  5. Receive a confirmation email from Amazon with your purchase details; Caracole will be notified of your generous donation once the items are shipped.

Every item you purchase goes directly to Caracole clients. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, your donation is tax-deductible. Save your Amazon receipt for your records.

Kroger Logo

Kroger Rewards

The kind folks at Kroger give back to the community through their Kroger Community Rewards Program—and Caracole is one of the recipients! We are calling on all of our friends with Kroger Plus Cards to go Krogering and help raise funds for Caracole’s mission. It’s simple to do and will benefit Caracole all year long.

How to:

1. Go to kroger.com
2. Click “Kroger Community Rewards” at the bottom of the page under “Community”
3. If you have an account, log in using your information
4. If you do not have an account, click register your Kroger Plus Card
5. Search for “Caracole” or use our NPO # BR471
6. Then, get shopping!

Every time you swipe your Kroger Plus Card when making a purchase, Caracole will receive a percentage of the total—up to $50,000 per quarter!

There is NO cost to you and it doesn’t affect any other Kroger Rewards perks you may be enjoying.

NOTICE: Kroger Rewards registrations must be renewed on the Kroger Community Rewards website. If you have previously signed up, please update your Kroger Plus Card to help raise funds for Caracole!

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