This paper explores the differential development of Connecticut's voluntary Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) projects as they move from grass-roots organizations that are akin to social movements to street-level bureaucracies and finally to managed professionalized agencies. The federal government has identified an appropriate continuum of care for which it will take a narrowly defined responsibility. The literature describes a shift from an institutionalized approach to care to a greater emphasis on self-help, stimulating a need for grass-roots organizations to meet this demand. The AIDS epidemic illustrates how services have become the responsibility of families and an emerging social network of volunteers. Connecticut's AIDS projects are representative of this continuum of grass-roots community organizations that move to street-level bureaucracies and into professionalized agencies. The biggest and oldest project is AIDS Project New Haven that was organized as a grass-roots organization. There has been a tendency to formalize activities in these organizations. If AIDS projects remain flexible and innovative and are not forced to compete with one another for funding, they have an important role to play in providing service and advocating political change. (SM)