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This study presents a history of the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), which began as an informal network of 16 local AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in 1986 and grew to 120 member organizations by the time of the renewal of Phase III of the National AIDS Strategy in late 1998. There are two main objectives of the study: (1) to look at why the organizational forms of the collection of groups evolved as they did; (2) to examine the outcomes and effectiveness of these organizational forms for CAS and its member organizations. / Interviews were conducted with founding members of CAS and later staff and activists. Members of a subsection of local General Service Organizations (GSOs) were interviewed regarding group relationships to CAS and involvement with other organizations in their communities. Documentary research on materials produced by CAS (now publicly available in the AIDS Committee of Toronto library) was carried out. Some documentation was also available for local organizations. The Globe and Mail index was used to research CAS national level work. / This dissertation uses the concepts network, coalition and umbrella organization to develop an understanding of why CAS formalized and the positive and negative outcomes of this for member groups and the organization itself. The issues of insider/outsider organization, motivation, identity, framing and ideology are discussed in relation to their impact on both CAS and a subsection of member organizations. / CAS developed as a network, coalition, and umbrella organization. This evolution was in response to the purpose and goals of CAS at a national level, Ottawa based representative of member organizations interacting with the government and gathering and producing information useful to local work. CAS became increasingly formalized over the period under study, seeking and gaining access to government and other elites, as at least a semi-insider organization.