Elizabeth Taylor with her granddaughter Naomi Wilding at a private dinner held in Taylor’s honor on March 18, 2003 at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation in Los Angeles, California. Taylor received the first-ever Diamond Icon Award for her courage and leadership in the fight against AIDS. © Dan Steinberg/Getty Images
The Hollywood legend founded AIDS organizations, inspired generations of people with HIV, and left behind a family tree of people who continue to work on our causes.
The Hollywood starlet turned film legend left another legacy of equal importance: She founded or benefited a number of AIDS organizations, inspired generations of people with HIV, moved policy and politicians, and left behind a family tree of people who continue to work on HIV and AIDS causes. Here’s what she begot.
Organizations Taylor Founded
National AIDS Research Foundation: In Los Angeles in 1985, Taylor and Dr. Michael Gottlieb cofounded the National AIDS Research Foundation to research, find a cure and help people living with AIDS. At the same, Dr. Mathilde Krim established the AIDS Medical Research Foundation. These two merged to become…amfAR, cofounded by Krim and Gottlieb with Taylor as its international founding chairperson. With the success of amfAR and people with HIV beginning to live longer, Taylor established the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991 to focus specifically on funding organizations that cared for individuals with HIV or AIDS. Taylor sold her wedding photos to People for $1 million and used the money in its entirety to open the doors of ETAF. To date, more than 650 organizations in 33 countries have been helped through ETAF’s funding efforts.