M∙A∙C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) is a public charity established in 1994 to support people living with
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease through educational programs. The fund is financed entirely by the sale of
MAC Cosmetics' VIVA Glam products.
History
![Mac Cosmetics Creator Frank Angelo Was First Manager Of Michael Laucke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Mac_Cosmetics_Creator_Frank_Angelo_Was_First_Manager_Of_Michael_Laucke.jpg)
The M∙A∙C AIDS Fund was established in Toronto in 1994 by Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan. In 1985 they had co-founded
MAC Cosmetics, initially a manufacturer of make-up for models and professional make-up artists. The fund's income came primarily from the sales of its VIVA Glam product line and the sales of greeting cards designed by children with AIDS.
Among the other organizations with whom the fund partners is the
United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, ...
.
In 1994, Angelo and Toskan sold 51 percent of their business to
Estée Lauder Companies who then completed their acquisition of the company in 1998. In its board meeting of April 2004, the Mac AIDS Fund directors comprised Ian Ness, Charles Richards, Frank Doyle,
Michael Laucke
Michael Laucke (; 29 January 1947 – 2 December 2021) was a Canadian classical, new flamenco and flamenco guitarist and composer. Starting at the age of thirteen, Laucke gave professional snooker demonstrations and his winnings allowed him t ...
, Bruce Hunter and John Demsey served as Chairman. As of 2015, John Demsey, the Group President of Estee Lauder Companies, serves as Chairman of the Mac AIDS Fund's Board of Directors.
[Shea, Courtney (2 November 2014)]
"MAC co-founder Frank Toskan on why blue hair is good for business"
''The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
''. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
VIVA Glam
The M∙A∙C AIDS Fund is supported exclusively by the sales of the MAC Cosmetics VIVA Glam line which features lipsticks and lip glosses. MAC cosmetics donates 100% of the earnings to the fund which helps kids living with HIV around the globe .
In 2002, MAC Cosmetics also began to offer "Good Spirits"
makeover
A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery ...
s. The makeovers are free and designed to teach men and women, including transgender people, living with HIV/AIDS make-up skills that can make them look and feel better. Professional MAC make-up artists demonstrate techniques that can decrease the appearance of physical problems that may occur from medicine and treatment for HIV/AIDS.
Media campaigns
On World AIDS Day in November 2002, a showing of the film ''Pandemic: Facing AIDS'' by
Rory Kennedy
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker who is the eleventh and youngest child of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social ...
(sponsored in part by MAC cosmetics) took place at the
United Nations Headquarters
zh, 联合国总部大楼french: Siège des Nations uniesrussian: Штаб-квартира Организации Объединённых Наций es, Sede de las Naciones Unidas
, image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004.jpg
, im ...
in New York.
In 2009,
Fergie appeared on several magazine spreads for VIVA Glam. She also became the fund's spokesperson for the global youth prevention initiative.
The 2012 VIVA Glam spokespeople were
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
and
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
, who is the first Latin American man to be asked to be a part of VIVA Glam. They both created their own VIVA Glam cosmetics, Minaj's being a light pink lipstick while Martin's was a lip conditioner. Minaj's lipstick becoming the best selling VIVA Glam lipstick of all time, and she was invited back to front the 2013 campaign solo. The 2014 VIVA Glam spokesperson was
Rihanna, who raised 50 million for the MAC AIDS Fund.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip ho ...
became the 2015 VIVA Glam spokesperson,
going on to outsell Nicki Minaj's previous best of $350M by over $50M. Miley's 2015 campaign raised $400m.
Viva Glam Ambassadors
The very first Viva Glam ambassador was drag queen
RuPaul. A full list of Viva Glam ambassadors include:
k.d lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...
,
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
(three campaigns),
Lil' Kim,
Elton John (two campaigns),
Shirley Manson (two campaigns),
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
,
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997).
Anders ...
(two campaigns),
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
(two campaigns),
Fergie (two campaigns),
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
,
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
(two campaigns),
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
(two campaigns),
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip ho ...
(two campaigns),
Ariana Grande (two campaigns),
and
Sia
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
.
References
External links
MAC Cosmetics Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Aids Fund
HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in New York (state)