In 1992, horrified and angered at the magnitude of HIV/AIDS, and at how little was being done to help those affected by the virus, Elton John set up his own Foundation. He opened up offices in the USA and later in London, and set about raising money to help.

The mission of the Elton John AIDS Foundation is "to provide funding for educational programs targeted at HIV/AIDS prevention and/or the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected individuals, and for programs that provide services to people living with or at risk from HIV/AIDS."

The Foundation is a British registered, not-for-profit organisation with an international charitable remit.

In London the EJAF has two full-time and five part-time staff members, and is also helped by volunteers. These staff members arrange fund-raising events, including the glamorous and highly successful Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball, held in the grounds of Elton’s London home. Sponsorship for this and other events is a very important revenue source, usually arranged by members of the Foundation. Other annual events arranged by the EJAF UK include arts-related exhibitions or performances, charity clothing sales (often precipitated by Elton having a massive wardrobe clearance), and licensed merchandising. Elton is Chairman of the EJAF, and continues to personally donate to the Foundation via benefit concerts and donations of royalties from his record sales.

In the USA, the EJAF collaborates with the National AIDS Fund, an organisation based in Washington DC and with Community Partnerships across the country. This collaboration was established to best facilitate nationwide distribution of grants to communities and populations most affected by HIV/AIDS.

Funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation encompasses a broad spectrum of services supporting men, women, young adults, children, infants, minorities and entire families living with or at risk from HIV/AIDS.

Since its inception, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has given out more than $45,000,000 - funding HIV/AIDS projects in 55 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, South America and North America.

For information regarding EJAF fundraising events in the UK, please email admin@ejafuk.com For information on the activities of the EJAF in the UK, please visit www.ejafuk.com For information on the activities of the EJAF in the USA and Canada, please visit www.ejaf.org To make a donation to the EJAF in the USA please visit the EJAF site.

  In December 2001, eltonjohn.com received an Email suggesting an annual charity event to support EJAF. The message was from Nancy Case, and in March 2002 she hosted the first ever Lunch Around The World (LATW) event. Her concept was simple but splendid: get together with your friends around the time of Elton's birthday and raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The idea appealed to many of Elton's fans around the world, and since then LATW has grown and grown. eltonjohn.com and the EJAF thank everyone who has organised, attended or contributed to these events. We are especially grateful to Nancy for thinking up the idea, for hosting her own events and for maintaining an LATW overview, and to all the other LATW organisers from all around the world. So far the fantastic sum of over $140,000 has been raised through LATW events and given directly to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

If you would like to host an event in your country and raise money for the EJAF, please contact Editor@website.eltonjohn.com. We encourage you to start with a small event, have some fun and raise money for this important cause. Then if you and your friends enjoy it you can hold another event next year!

Here are the confirmed Lunch Around the World events that are set to happen later this year. If you can get to one of these events do contact the organisers - they would love to hear from you!

Saturday, October 11, 2008 
"Fifth Annual Lunch Around the World Manhattan Style"
An afternoon of LATW fun followed by a visit to see Billy Elliot The Musical on Broadway
For further information please contact Jim or Susan: LATWNYC2008@yahoo.com

Saturday, October 18, 2008 
"Sixth Annual Lunch Around The World Palm Beach County" at the Palm Beach Zoo
Please contact Nancy: shadechase@aol.com.

Report on the Sixth Annual Lunch Around the World in Mexico City 

Congratulations to Mexican Rocket member Patty Perrín, who has overseen her sixth fundraising theatrical Lunch around the World event to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. As in previous years, the Theater Production of La Dama de Negro (The Woman in Black), along with the production at Rafael Solana theater and the Elton John Mexico community, helped to raise money for the EJAF in Patty's now traditional event, Lunch Around the World in Mexico City. This year around US$1,182 has been raised.

Patty reports, "On Sunday, April 1, 2007, Alejandro Tommasi, Rafael Perrín and Benjamín Rivero (cast of the play), encouraged the audience at the end of the performance to donate funds for 'this very important Foundation created by Sir Elton John to support people affected with AIDS. The actors also donated their own money to the EJAF and the crowd of the Foro Shakespeare Theater gladly contributed to this cause. The total amount obtained with the support of La Dama de Negro was 9,148 Mexican pesos ( around 832 US dollars).

At the same time another Mexican theater company joined forces for this annual event. The well-known actresses Susana Alexander and Blanca Sánchez (from the Cómo Envejecer con Gracia production), also asked to their crowd in the Rafael Solana theater to collaborate. Thanks to them, another 2,512 Mexican pesos (around 228 more dollars) were added.

And besides that, the Elton John Mexico community donated another 1,340 Mexican pesos (around 122 more US dollars) to reach exactly the great total of: 13,000 Mexican pesos or approximately US$1,182.

That is why, I really want to say THANKS to the people who were really involved in this dream come true: Bruno Bichir and Itari Martha (Foro Shakespeare Theater), Antonio Calvo (La Dama de Negro producer), Rafael Perrín (La Dama de Negro director and actor), Alejandro Tommasi and Benjamín Rivero (La Dama de Negro cast), Juan Torres and Guillermo Wiechers (Cómo Envejecer con Gracia producers), Susana Alexander and Blanca Sánchez (Cómo Envejecer con Gracia cast), Pilar Colín (Rafael Solana Theater), Rodrigo Salazar and Mónica Galarza (producer asistents from La Dama de Negro and Cómo Envejecer con Gracia), Margarita Mtz. Tornel, Alma Yolanda, Lupita Carcaño and Nadya Muciño (money collectors in both productions), Emilio Morales (Public Relations from La Dama de Negro) and, at last, but not at least, very special thanks for the selfless support of the Ser Humano Foundation crew and to Graciela de la Rosa for her inspiration!

Finally there is more good news as La Dama de Negro Theater Company has informed me that they are completely sure they will give continued support to the EJAF."

Gus Dudgeon, who died on 21st July, 2002 aged 59, was an outstandingly talented record producer best known for his phenomenally successful collaboration with Elton John.

In 2002, following his untimely death, it was decided that Gus’s extraordinary standards in both music production and genuine loving helpfulness should live on in the form of The Gus Dudgeon Foundation For Recording Arts. Following this announcement, Elton John agreed to be its Patron.

The Gus Dudgeon Foundation has been formed to preserve and promote the techniques of recording and production exemplified in Gus’s outstanding career and to give students from all walks of life the opportunity to learn and pass on these skills for future generations.

To learn more about the Gus Dudgeon Foundation, please visit the Web site here.