Membership

Page overview

​Elected member responsibilities

Each member is expected to:
  • Serve a term of two years; one subsequent term is allowed contingent upon reappointment.
  • Attend monthly meetings and serve on at least one standing committee.
  • Commit to 8 - 10 hours per month to MN Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention business, including attendance at full MN Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention meetings, committee meetings and preparation time.
  • Attend new member orientation before voting on issues under consideration by the MN Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention or its committees, and participate in other training opportunities as appropriate. This requirement applies to those newly elected to the MN Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention and those who are returning after sitting out the requisite year before reapplication/reappointment.
  • Participate fully in all responsibilities as mandated by federal legislation, including but not limited to the following: 
  1. Comprehensive planning and other planning processes
  2. Needs assessment activities
  3. Priority setting and completing the prioritization instrument
  4. Allocation and reallocation of resources
  5. Evaluation of the administrative mechanism

Orientation and training

New members are required to attend new member orientation before being allowed to vote on issues under consideration by the council or their committee and participate in other training opportunities as appropriate. 

Please see FY 26 New Member Orientation Binder here.

How to apply

Complete your Minnesota HIV Council membership application online through our secure form.
Apply here

​Additional information:

  • Applications for the Council are accepted on a rolling basis and are kept on file for one year.
  • New members are elected as needed.
  • The Council is a public body.
  • The names of Council members are public information.

Openings

Membership openings starting in September

Planning Councils are a key part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). These councils bring community members together in a public process to help improve access to HIV care. The work includes identifying needs, understanding available services, and deciding how to use program funds.

The Council helps our community by:
  • Lifting up community voices
  • Connecting consumers, service providers, and partners
  • Improving access to care and health outcomes

We are especially looking for:
  • Black community members
  • Latinx/a/o or Hispanic community members
  • People with HIV who use Ryan White services

If you are interested or know someone who might be, apply here or email [email protected] to learn more.

​Composition

The council shall have up to thirty-three (33) members. Membership on the council shall be consistent with that set forth in the Intergovernmental Collaborative Agreement, the Ryan White Legislation, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV Planning Guidance.

Reflectiveness

The overall council membership and consumer membership must reflect the demographics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Minnesota.

This includes men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, people who use drugs, heterosexual, and transgender persons shall be represented on the council.

​Membership shall be reflective of the HIV prevalence in Minnesota by race, ethnicity, gender, age, country of birth, and place of residence. 
​At least thirty-three percent of the members must be consumers who: 
  • Are receiving HIV-related services from Part A and/or Part B-funded providers.
  • Are not officers, employees, or consultants to any providers receiving or seeking Part A and/or Part B funds, and do not represent any such entity. 
  • Reflect the demographics of the population of individuals with HIV disease in Minnesota. 
​Membership shall include representation from the following groups:
  • Health care providers, including federally qualified health centers.
  • Community based organizations serving affected populations and AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs).
  • Social service providers, including providers of housing and homeless services.
  • Mental health and substance abuse providers (considered two separate categories).
  • City and county local public health agencies.
  • Hospital planning agencies or health care planning agencies.
  • Affected communities, including people with HIV/AIDS, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) communities, members of a federally recognized Indian tribe as represented in the population, individuals co-infected with hepatitis B or C and historically underserved groups and populations.
  • Non-elected community leaders.
  • Religious leaders or representatives from faith communities.
  • Representative from education.
  • Representative from the Department of Corrections.
  • Representative of individuals who formerly were federal, state or local prisoners, were released from the custody of the penal system during the preceding three years, and had HIV/AIDS as of the date on which the individuals were released.
  • State government (including the State Medicaid agency and the agency administering the program under Part B) (considered two separate categories).
  • Grantee under subpart II of Part C of the Ryan White Act.
  • Grantee under section 2671 (Part D of the Ryan White Act) or, if none are operating in the area, representatives of organizations with a history of serving children, youth, women and families living with HIV operating in the area.
  • Grantee under other federal HIV programs, including but not limited to providers of HIV prevention services. 

Alternatives to council membership

Community membership offers member participation solely on the committee level. Voting privileges are limited to the committee.​

​​See below the committee eligibility requirements for community membership.

Community Voices Committee: 
No attendance requirement.
​
Needs Assessment & Evaluation Committee
Attend three out of four meetings. Interested community members must state their intent to become a voting member of the committee before they will be granted voting rights.

Planning & Allocations Committee
Attend three out of four meetings. Interested community members must state their intent to become a voting member of the committee before they will be granted voting rights.

Membership & Training Committee 
Attend three out of four meetings. Interested community members must state their intent to become a voting member of the committee before they will be granted voting rights.

Disparities Elimination Committee
Attend three out of four meetings. Interested community members must state their intent to become a voting member of the committee before they will be granted voting rights.

Executive Committee
This committee is comprised of each of the committee co-chairs and Council co-chairs.

Member resources

​Forms

​​Planning Council Primer

​New Member Orientation and Training

If you have questions or require the information on this page in an alternative format, please contact us here.
Last updated 01/14/2026