DIFFA’s Reinvention Into a Bold New Era

Executive Director Dawn Robertson (right) at last year's Midnight Masque gala with Fern Mallis (left), this year's gala honoree

For more than four decades, DIFFA has been synonymous with the design industry’s most glamorous fundraising events. Formerly Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, and now simply known as Design Industries Foundation, DIFFA maintains its serious mission, beyond the creative black tie and theatrical installs. And that guiding vision is evolving.

We caught up with DIFFA executive director Dawn Roberson to talk about the organization's expanding focus, reinventing its legendary events, and why this year’s Angels & Demons–themed gala is pure “divine mischief.”

DIFFA began in 1984 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. What sparked the decision to expand the mission now?

When DIFFA was founded, it was designers responding to a crisis. Their friends were dying. People were being isolated and shunned. So they raised money to help get folks medical treatment and basic support.

Over time, treatments improved. The urgency shifted. And as new generations entered the industry, many hadn’t experienced the AIDS crisis firsthand. We were seeing a disconnect—not from compassion, but from lived experience.

So we asked ourselves: How do we stay relevant and still eradicate HIV/AIDS?

What our research showed was that new diagnoses correlate with housing insecurity, food insecurity, lack of healthcare access, and mental health challenges. If we want to stop HIV/AIDS, we have to address those risk factors .

This wasn’t turning our backs on our legacy. It was expanding it.

DIFFA's 40th Anniversary gala in 2024 featured installations by design students that illustrate a different decade in DIFFA history. Here, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) highlighted the 2010s to now.

How does the design industry uniquely show up for this cause?

DIFFA was born from the creative community, and that DNA is still there. Each chapter reflects its local flavor—interior design in New York and San Francisco, architecture in Chicago, fashion influences in Dallas. But across the board? Designers know how to create experiences.

Our events have always been spectacular. That’s the magic. People come for the creativity and connection—and yes, hopefully they open their purse strings while they’re at it.

Dining by Design was iconic. Why pivot away from that format?

Oh, it was iconic. But it was also incredibly expensive and labor-intensive—for us and for sponsors.

After COVID and the closure of the Architectural Digest show, we didn’t have a natural home for it anymore. And honestly? Production costs skyrocketed. Some sponsors were spending more on their installations than they were donating to the charity.

As a nonprofit, we have to ask: Are we spending $5 to make $1?

We also realized we never really had a captive audience to tell our story. Guests were inside elaborate dining rooms. Beautiful? Yes. But it became more about being a design showcase than a design foundation.

So we shifted. Now we focus on one major gala—high impact, tighter programming, stronger messaging—and we’re diversifying fundraising through initiatives like Specify with Care, [a program in which brands donate a percentage of sales from a particular collection to DIFFA].

DIFFA supports NYC Sewciety, which diverts textiles from landfills by upcycling. These products (above) were for sale at the 2025 Threads for Impact event.

Tell us about this year’s gala: Angels & Demons.

This is our second year at the incredible Cathedral of St. John the Divine—the largest Gothic cathedral in North America. The setting practically begs for drama.

Last year was masked midnight splendor. This year, we’re leaning into Angels & Demons with an operatic theme and the tagline “A Night of Divine Mischief.”

It’s "creative black tie"—so yes, people go for it. The design industry does not disappoint when you give them permission to be theatrical.

It’s dramatic, it’s immersive, it’s a little mischievous. And it’s still purposeful.

Five years from now, what do you hope DIFFA is known for?

I want DIFFA to be known for giving away a lot more money. We’ve revamped our website, refreshed our brand, and rebuilt Specify with Care so manufacturers can donate a percentage of specified products. That diversification allows us to spend less on production and more on grants.

Right now, many of our grantees are losing government funding. Organizations we once helped bridge gaps for are now facing deeper cuts. It’s heartbreaking to say, “We wish we could give you more.”

So the goal is simple: more impact, less overhead. Keep the gala fabulous. Keep the networking strong. But ultimately, increase the dollars going directly to the causes.

DIFFA also supports Alpha Workshops, an organization that provides arts training for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

After 42 years, DIFFA isn’t fading into nostalgia. It’s evolving—carefully, thoughtfully, and with a healthy dose of creative flair. As Dawn put it, “If we’re not continuing to make a difference, then there’s no point in us existing.”

And if Angels & Demons is any indication? The legacy is in very good—and very stylish—hands.

The Comm Sheet is a proud media sponsor of DIFFA"s Angels & Demons gala, March 19, The Cathedral at St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave., New York. Buy tickets here.

—Murrye Bernard