The AFC was established in the Fall of 1994 in response to a recommendation by the Citizens' Committee on HIV/AIDS to develop a "method of allocating and distributing community-based funding from local government, health departments, and the private sector." For its first ten years, the AFC was housed at United Way of Greater Cleveland (formerly United Way Services) and carried out its work with generous in-kind staff support from United Way and The Cleveland Foundation, through the volunteer efforts of its members, and using staff consultants. 

In 2004, the AFC began a strategic planning process to address questions about its future direction, structure, governance, management, and grantmaking. That process resulted in a decision to expand the AFC's role to include not only grantmaking, but also advocacy and community leadership activities.  In order to carry out this new level of programming, the AFC formed a new partnership with The Center for Community Solutions in September 2005 aimed at raising the visibility of HIV/AIDS in Greater Cleveland and attracting new forms of support to the cause of prevention, intervention, and service. In November 2005 the AFC hired director Laureen Tews Harbert as its first full-time staff person.  The AFC is located within The Center for Community Solutions, which provides fiscal and administrative oversight.  

The AFC is a Community Partnership of the National AIDS Fund. There are approximately 30 NAF Community Partnerships throughout the country.  The AFC was one of the original eight and Cleveland’s philanthropic community played a central role in the development of this national Community AIDS Partnership model.  An article in the December, 2008, issue of Planning & Action describes this history in more detail.