What World AIDS Museum does

The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural and educational institution founded on September 20, 2011 and opened to the public on May 15, 2014 at ArtServe Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It operates as the first museum in the United States dedicated specifically to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with a stated mission to promote dialogue that eliminates HIV/AIDS stigma through education, artistic expression, and cultural programming. The organization serves a diverse audience that includes Broward County Public Schools students, people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, the LGBTQ+ and arts communities, and the general public. Its geographic placement is strategically significant: South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties) has consistently registered the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses in the United States since 2015.

Name

World AIDS Museum

Legal name

World AIDS Museum And Educational Center

Website

https://worldaidsmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World AIDS Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the first U.S. museum dedicated to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, providing HIV prevention education in Broward County schools, exhibits, oral history preservation, support groups, and cultural programming from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Educational Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

History Museums (THAJADAB), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• HIV/AIDS education
• Museum exhibits
• Cultural programming
• Stigma elimination
• Oral history preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ribbon Society Monthly Memberships: Recurring monthly donation program introduced in 2014. Goal is to raise $10,000 in monthly support. Five tiers ranging from $15/month (White Ribbon) to $150/month (Red Ribbon). Members receive benefits including VIP access to events, exhibition preview invitations, and donor reception invitations.
2. Event Participation and Fundraising: Revenue generated through participation in Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival, special event ticket sales, and fundraising activities. The museum also receives support through event sponsorships.
3. One-time Donations and Memorial Gifts: Tax-deductible donations at various levels from individual donors, foundations, and organizations. Includes memorial gifts in honor of individuals who passed from HIV/AIDS. Founding members program and various recognition tiers for major donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The World AIDS Museum operates a physical museum and educational center in Fort Lauderdale that provides free docent-guided tours, multi-format exhibits on HIV/AIDS history, and school-based HIV/STI prevention education. It also runs the Oral History Project for video preservation of personal stories, the POZitive Attitudes weekly support group for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, and cultural programming including films, lectures, poetry, and book readings. The museum sustains its operations through donations, sponsorships, grants, and the five-tier Ribbon Society monthly membership program introduced in 2014.

Product overview

The World AIDS Museum & Educational Center is a single-location museum and educational organization offering a portfolio of exhibits, educational programs, support services, and cultural programming centered on HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma elimination. Core offerings include two principal exhibits—Chronology of AIDS (the signature historical exhibit) and The Colors of HIV (art-focused exhibit)—alongside educational programs such as InCtrl: Educated Choices (school-based STI prevention), the Building Healthy Futures Program, and Stigma Elimination programming. The museum also operates the Oral History Project (video story preservation), Virtual Tapestry of Stories (multimedia quilt counterpart), provides docent-led museum tours, hosts the POZitive Attitudes support group, and runs the Ribbon Society monthly membership program. Cultural programming includes community dialogues, films, lectures, and artistic events. The organization partners with Broward County Public Schools and operates from its Fort Lauderdale location at ArtServe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chronology of AIDS Exhibit
• The Colors of HIV Exhibit
• InCtrl: Educated Choices
• Building Healthy Futures Program
• Stigma Elimination Program
• Oral History Project
• Virtual Tapestry of Stories
• Docent-Guided Museum Tours
• POZitive Attitudes Support Group
• Ribbon Society Membership Program
• Cultural Programming
• Digital Archive

Quantifiable outcome

• Taught approximately 4,000 students since Fall 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• POZitive Attitudes Support GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginated from this topic-driven support group for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Museum founder Steve Stagon serves as the group's facilitator. Group meets weekly and provides content for museum programming and exhibits. The museum grew out of the group's activities.
• Community of LightssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on the Virtual Tapestry of Stories project, creating audiovisual version of the AIDS Memorial Quilt with personal experiences captured in video.
• ArtServe Fort LauderdalesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for the World AIDS Museum at 1350 East Sunrise Blvd. The museum operates within the ArtServe facility.
• Pride Center of South FloridasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly venue for historical HIV/AIDS exhibits created as topics for POZitive Attitudes group before museum was established.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Long-standing HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organization that combines direct services, education, and community programming — overlapping with WAM's HIV education, support group, and stigma-reduction mission.
• Pride Center at Equality Park: South Florida LGBTQ+ community center that hosted early WAM exhibits and serves overlapping audiences; comparable as a community-based cultural, educational, and support organization for the same constituents.
• GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): One of the oldest HIV/AIDS service organizations in the U.S., delivering HIV education, stigma-reduction programming, and community support comparable to WAM's educational and support-group offerings.
• National AIDS Memorial Grove: San Francisco-based memorial dedicated to preserving the history of the AIDS epidemic; directly comparable as a HIV/AIDS-specific cultural/heritage institution focused on remembrance and education.
• Stonewall National Museum & Archives: LGBTQ+ history museum located in Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale, the closest geographic and mission-aligned peer — both serve overlapping LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS-affected audiences in South Florida with exhibits, archives, and education programs.

Broad incumbents

• AIDS Healthcare Foundation: Global HIV/AIDS healthcare and advocacy organization and a major WAM funder; operates at vastly larger scale and overlaps in mission (HIV education, stigma reduction, testing) but does not run a museum.

Regional players

• HistoryMiami Museum: Regional history museum in South Florida; comparable as a community-focused historical institution preserving and interpreting regional history for public audiences.
• Museum of Discovery and Science: Fort Lauderdale's flagship science/education museum; relevant as a regional peer for school-group programming, visitor model, and educational outreach in the same geography.
• NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale: Nearby Fort Lauderdale art museum with comparable exhibit-driven visitor model; comparable in operating geography and museum category though broader in theme than HIV/AIDS.

Others

• The SMART Ride: Florida HIV/AIDS fundraising bike ride and a core WAM founding funder; comparable as an ecosystem participant in South Florida HIV/AIDS fundraising, awareness, and grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worldaidsmuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtT3y8XhtTFa3jWgkM-JPsQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldaidsmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldaidsmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-aids-museum-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World AIDS Museum