August 20, 2018 — A first-ever “text-to-give” campaign launched by Gift for Life, the gift and home industries’ sole charitable organization, in collaboration with Progressive Business Media (PBM) generated nearly $7,000 in contributions. The fundraising campaign debuted at the 2018 Retailer Excellence Awards, an event at which Gift for Life also presented its 2018 Industry Achievement Award to Seth and Mitch Nash, founders of Blue Q.
“Text-to-Give” donations will directly benefit JBT Foundation (Just Been Tested), an organization using social media and innovative technology to promote HIV/AIDS testing and awareness. George Kacic, Gift for Life Chair, said, “We were delighted with the industry’s response to our first full-scale text-based fundraising effort. Not only were donations received during the Retailers Excellence Awards, but continued to roll-in during the final days of NY NOW: The Market for Home & Lifestyle and Shoppe Object. We’re looking forward to developing more new ideas like this in the future.”
During the REAs, Gift For Life presented its 2018 Industry Achievement Award to Mitch and Seth Nash, founders of Blue Q. The company, which was launched with just one product – The Flat Cat, a six dollar, life-sized pet –established the company’s niche: reinventing things with wit, design and high quality. Today the company sells everything from recycled bags to lip balm to kitchen accessories to socks. In accepting the award, which recognizes overall excellence and contribution to the gift and home industry founders, Mitch and Seth Nash, credited their team’s creativity and empathy for the company’s success over the last 30 years.
In connection with their award, Blue Q has signed on as the first sponsor of Gift for Life’s 2019 Party for Life with a $5,000 donation. The 27th Annual Party for Life will be held on Monday, February 4, at New York City’s Stage 48. Information about sponsorship packages, which range from $500 to $25,000, is available online at http://www.giftforlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2019-GFL-Sponsorship-Form.pdf and individual tickets are $185 per person.
Each year, Gift for Life hosts events throughout the U.S. benefitting DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. The primary mission of Gift for Life and DIFFA is to eradicate the AIDS pandemic in the U.S. With Gift for Life’s help, in 2017 DIFFA granted more than $331,000 to 31 organizations providing HIV/AIDS service and education programs nationwide. For additional information please visit www.giftforlife.org. Follow Gift for Life’s efforts via its free e-newsletter, available at http://www.giftforlife.org/about_gfl/press-releases-and-newsletters/.
ABOUT GIFT FOR LIFE and DIFFA: Gift for Life unites the gift and home industries against AIDS with more than $5 million raised since its inception in 1992. 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 U.S., as its main charity partner. Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide more than $40 million to hundreds of AIDS organizations nationwide. In 2017, DIFFA granted $331,000 to 31 organizations nationwide. More information is available at www.giftforlife.org and at www.diffa.org.
ABOUT JBT FOUNDATION: Since 2015, JBT’s mission has been to engage the community via innovative technology to become proactive participants in their preventive health. This is accomplished through a three-tier approach of 1) Education 2) Mobile Technology 3) Linkage and Referral to Services. JBT created the first online platform to register screened individuals while collecting sexual health and lifestyle assessments in under 5 minutes.
