Most Americans blame lack of money for not supporting AIDS organizations

A national survey commissioned by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian group, shows that most Americans say they are interested in supporting international HIV/AIDS service organizations but that financial constraints keep them from doing so, PRNewsire reports. Nearly half of the 1,000 people surveyed said financial limitations keep them from supporting AIDS groups, a 56% increase over the number of those who claimed the same reason in the survey conducted two years ago. "Given such a dramatic increase in less than two years, it seems many are truly feeling the pinch of a stalled economy and a soft market," said David Kinnaman, vice president of the Barna Research group, which conducted the survey. "Still, other research shows that people often play the 'finance' card to cop out of the less socially desirable response: 'I'm just not interested in that cause.' The other common responses indicate that lack of interest may be the more accurate reason." The survey also showed that people ages 18 to 37 are the most responsive to HIV/AIDS causes, with 47% responding that they were "supportive" or "mildly supportive" of HIV/AIDS initiatives. Among baby boomers, those identified as between ages 38 to 56, only 30% characterized themselves as "supportive" or "mildly supportive." African-Americans and Latinos also were nearly twice as likely to identify as supportive of HIV/AIDS efforts as whites--52% of blacks and Latinos said they were "supportive" or "mildly supportive," compared with just 27% of whites.