Austin Sexual Health and Wellness, known as ASHwell, held a 24-hour emergency livestream fundraiser on April 15 after staff learned the Austin nonprofit was facing a financial crisis that could trigger layoffs affecting more than 50 employees.
ASHwell, which serves LGBTQ patients and others seeking low-cost sexual health and gender-affirming care, is based at 3100 Red River St., where it operates an onsite pharmacy that provides many patients free prescriptions for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, used to prevent HIV infection when taken regularly. The fundraiser—carried on through the day and overnight—also included in-person and livestream programming such as drag performances and ouija-board séances, staff said.
The nonprofit provides STI testing and treatment, HIV support groups, PrEP access, and hormone replacement therapy, and city and federal prevention listings also describe ASHwell as offering services including case management, HIV peer support, PEP, wellness exams, and free testing for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other STIs. The emergency appeal unfolded in a city with a sizable LGBTQ population; a 2021 estimate by the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission put the Austin-area LGBTQ community at between 100,000 and 118,000 people, about 5% of the region’s population.
ASHwell employees said the drive was aimed at stabilizing operations without immediate cuts to patient care, with staff working shifts through the night to keep the stream running and to maintain clinic operations. The financial strain raised concern among patients who rely on low- or no-cost sexual health services and affirming care, particularly queer and trans people who are uninsured or underinsured; ASHwell has previously raised money through targeted funds and monthly giving campaigns intended to cover care for uninsured patients and to provide direct assistance for LGBTQ youth facing financial distress.
"This is just a kind of a wake-up call for us and for the community about the situation that we’re in," said Abraham Resendez, ASHwell’s marketing and outreach specialist. Resendez said he hoped the livestream and outreach to partners and major donors would stabilize the organization.
"As it stands right now, none of our services are in danger," said Abraham Resendez, ASHwell’s marketing and outreach specialist. The nonprofit’s role in HIV prevention is formally recognized in Austin’s public-health infrastructure; the City of Austin’s Ending the HIV Epidemic campaign names ASHwell among local testing and treatment providers, and a QWELL Community Foundation wellbeing study that drew more than 8,000 local participants identified barriers to sexual health and gender care among other needs.
The crisis also prompted an emergency leadership change on Monday, with Sandra Chavez and Clarena Tobon taking over as interim co-executive directors, replacing former executive director Cynthia Herrera and former chief strategy officer Rockie Gonzalez; staff said the interim leadership was part of an effort to stabilize the organization.
"I’m really proud of our new leadership," said Stephanie Borges, a registered nurse and the nonprofit’s assistant director of clinical services. Borges added that she believed Chavez and Tobon would help save the organization.
"I really have a lot of hope and faith that they’re going to put us in the right direction and that things are hopefully going to get better from this moment out," said Stephanie Borges, a registered nurse and the nonprofit’s assistant director of clinical services.
As previously reported in /Jan-30, other Austin community institutions have turned to urgent fundraising to protect jobs and maintain continuity of service during financial strain. Staff members said the ASHwell livestream reflected that same rapid-response approach, with employees staying on air overnight while continuing to schedule and deliver care.
"We care about (ASHwell)," said Aracely Flores, an ASHwell employee. Flores said the effort extended beyond staff jobs to the people who rely on the clinic’s services.
"It’s not just caring about ourselves, it’s the communities we provide for. We’re the biggest advocates for them here, and we understand what they go through and I think it’s important that we stay here," said Aracely Flores, an ASHwell employee.
ASHwell’s funding pressures come after earlier operational warnings in its 2023 impact reporting about changes in medication assistance and added barriers for uninsured patients, alongside broader concerns about funding cuts affecting access to basic care in affirming settings. The organization said it continued collecting donations through its website, while staff emphasized keeping services stable as interim leadership and fundraising efforts moved forward; the city’s recent slate of cause-driven events, including fundraisers such as /relief, has underscored Austin’s reliance on community giving for public-good missions.
