Gift for Life

Gift for Life was founded in 1992 by a small group of gift industry professionals who felt compelled to respond to the tragic loss of talented friends and colleagues to AIDS. Since then, the group has grown in numbers and gained significant visibility within the gift and home industries, while raising more than $4,000,000 for life-saving AIDS research and education.¹

In 2008, Gift For Life selected DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the United States, as its sole charity partner.² Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide more than $35 million to hundreds of AIDS organizations nationwide. The two organizations not only share a mission to eradicate the AIDS pandemic in the U.S. and abroad, but also have many of the same partners, supporters and friends.

Management

Gift For Life is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors, whose members donate their time, energy and resources to help unite the gift and home industries against AIDS. Makeup of the Board typically includes manufacturers; sales representatives; retailers; trade mart and trade show executives; editors, publisher and industry content providers; public relations and marketing professionals; and industry consultants. From within that group, standing sub-committees on Development, Marketing, and Special Events exist to continue the group’s forward momentum in reaching their respective industries and goals throughout the calendar year.

Fundraising Efforts

The primary fundraising vehicle for the organization is an annual industry event held in New York City each winter during the New York International Gift Fair(late January/early February). Beginning in 2008, a Casino Night theme was introduced, replacing the more traditional cocktail and dinner format, as a move toward creating a vibrant, entertaining environment necessary to engage today’s non-profit contributors.

Additional fundraising events are also held throughout the year on behalf of Gift for Life at other trade shows, conferences, and markets.

In addition to special events, Gift For Life activities include cause-related marketing, promotions, and solicitation of corporate and individual donations. All proceeds from Gift For Life activities go directly to DIFFA and donations are tax deductible (see tax deduction.

The Gift for Life Industry Achievement Award

Each year, Gift for Life selects an individual who has had significant, positive impact on the gift and home industries, then honors them with the prestigious GFL Industry Achievement Award. Honorees have included a number of industry luminaries, including Eugene Freedman,³ Andrea Grossman, Skip Ungrodt, Bert Tonkin, Will Little, Peer Baekgaard, and 2009 award winner Bobbie Gottlieb, co-founder and CEO of Two’s Company.

In 2009, presentation of the award was moved from the annual January fundraiser to the Retailer Excellence Awards dinner, held during the summer trade show season, at the New York International Gift Fair.

Additional Information

For additional information on Gift for Life, please visit GiftForLife.org or Facebook.com/GiftForLife.

References

(1) http://www.giftforlife.org

(2) http://www.diffa.org/giftforlife.asp

(3) http://www.giftsanddec.com/article/CA229681.html?q=gift+for+life