In the 1980s, very few United Way agencies accepted AIDS Service Organizations as members and therefore very little United Way funds were designated for AIDS services. Many AIDS organizations applied for funding from their local United Way agencies and were denied.

In Wisconsin, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee was the first United Way to fund AIDS services, and it did so by inviting ARCW to become a member agency in 1990. As a United Way member agency, ARCW was guaranteed funding for its services every year. Having gained United Way membership in Milwaukee, ARCW applied for United Way funding in many areas of Wisconsin where ARCW provided significant services, including prevention education and outreach programs, food pantry services, the dental clinic, the mental health clinic, and patient case management. Additionally, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee was the first United Way in the country to fund clean needle exchange programs.