Uniting the Gift and Home Industries Against AIDS

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, this group has grown in numbers and gained significant visibility within the gift and home industries, while raising more than $4 mission for life-saving AIDS research and education.

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. 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.

Gift For Life is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors, who donate their time, energy and resources to help unite the gift and home industries against AIDS. Current members include manufacturers, sales representatives, retailers, trade mart and tradeshow executives, editors, publisher and industry content providers, public relations and marketing professionals and industry consultants. There are standing sub-committees on Development, Marketing and Special Events.

Gift For Life holds its annual industry fundraising event each winter in New York City in connection with the New York International Gift Fair, and is active throughout the year at other markets nationwide.

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.