The Diller Foundation (also known by the doing business as name Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation or DVFFF) is a private foundation funded by Barry Diller, a television and motion picture executive, and Diane Von Furstenberg, a prominent fashion industry figure. It supports left-of-center advocacy groups in a number of areas, including environmentalism, foreign policy, and LGBT interests.

History

The foundation was established in 1986 in California by Diller, the media mogul involved in the creation of the Fox television network. ¹ Diller also held the top jobs at Paramount Pictures and QVC. ² Diller married von Furstenberg in 2001. ³

Alex von Furstenberg, son of Diane by her first husband, European aristocrat Egon von Furstenberg, is the director and secretary of the foundation. ⁴

DVF Award

The organization began giving out the annual DVF Awards in 2010. The awards event honors five women on the political left annually with a $50,000 grant to further their work. ⁵

Recipients have included Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, feminist leader Gloria Steinem, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Katy Perry, and lawyer and activist Anita Hill. ^{6 7}

Philanthropy

The foundation primarily provides grants for community building, education, human rights, the arts, health care, and environmentalism. ⁸ The foundation supports various service organizations such as afterschool programs, salaries subsidies to allow social workers to reach more people, and educational endowments. ⁹

In 2014, the organization donated $113 million to a park in New York near the Hudson River, while the city of New York spent just $17 million. Up to that point, it was the largest private gift ever given to New York City. The 550-acre, four-mile long park has an island landscape. ¹⁰

In 2019, the foundation held an event at which Chelsea Clinton, Martha Stewart and Katie Couric paid homage to the organization’s achievements. ¹¹

1. The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Foundation Direct Online. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=DILL021
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3. CNN. “Barry Diller Fast Facts.” KZBK. January 21, 2019. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.kbzk.com/cnn-national/2019/02/05/barry-diller-fast-facts/
4. Alexander Von Furstenberg Philanthropy. Accessed May 10, 2020. http://www.alexvonfurstenberg.org/
5. Dishman, Lydia. “How Diane von Furstenberg Leveraged Her Brand to Give Voice to Women.” Fast Company. April 6, 2017. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.fastcompany.com/40402944/how-diane-von-furstenberg-leveraged-her-brand-to-give-voice-to-women
6. Edelson, Sharon. “DVF Awards Honor U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” WWD. February 3, 2020. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://wwd.com/eye/people/dvf-awards-to-honor-u-s-supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-1203458313/
7. Weinberg, Lindsay. “Katy Perry, Anita Hill to be Honored by Diane von Furstenberg.” The Hollywood Reporter. March 18, 2019. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/katy-perry-anita-hill-be-honored-by-dvf-awards-1195298
8. The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Dev-Ex. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.devex.com/organizations/the-diller-von-furstenberg-family-foundation-53748
9. Alexander Von Furstenberg Philanthropy. Accessed May 10, 2020. http://www.alexvonfurstenberg.org/
10. Foderaro, Lisa. “How Diller and von Furstenberg Got Their Island in Hudson River Park.” The New York times. April 3, 2015. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/nyregion/how-diller-and-von-furstenberg-got-their-island-in-hudson-river-park.html?emc=edit_ur_20150405&nl=nyregion&nlid=59213970&_r=2
11. Crist, Allison. “Chelsea Clinton, Martha Stewart Celebrate Diller von Furstenberg Family Foundation at High Line Benefit.” The Hollywood Reporter. May 22, 2019. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chelsea-clinton-martha-stewart-celebrate-diller-von-furstenberg-family-foundation-at-benefit-1212918