Additional $99,999 available in the 2022 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund

The 2022 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF) will see $299,999 in grants being distributed to programmes with a focus on mental health in rainbow communities thanks to a partnership with Foundation North.

Foundation North, the community trust for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau Northland, has made a contribution of $99,999 to the 2022 round of the RWLF. Administered by the Rule Foundation, the RWLF was established in 2019 in recognition of the men who were convicted for consensual homosexual activities pre-1986.

The Rule Foundation approached Foundation North to increase the funding available to a long under-resourced community.

“Our rainbow communities continue to be over represented in negative health and wellbeing statistics. The most recent HES (Household Economic Survey) from Stats NZ showed LGBT+ people as 1.6x more likely to experience anxiety and depression, rising to two to three times for those aged 18-29,” says Duncan Matthews, Chair of the Rule Foundation.

Grants will be allocated to activities that support Rainbow mental health and wellbeing, such as resource development, community events, digital or online initiatives, information sharing initiatives and campaigns, and training. Projects that respond to the impacts of COVID-19 on rainbow communities are encouraged, as well as projects that acknowledge and support those within the Rainbow community that experience multiple forms of oppression. 

“We’re really excited to be partnering with Foundation North to fund projects that make a difference in the lives of rainbow communities and their whānau” says Matthews.

“With the Rule Foundation’s focus being entirely on funding rainbow communities, this top-up is set to support more grass roots community initiatives, particularly those that don’t have such established networks and organisations. A huge thank you to Foundation North for enabling our community in this way!”

“We are pleased to contribute towards the Rainbow Wellness Legacy Fund,” says Audry McLaren, Funding Manager at Foundation North. “This co-funding partnership will extend the reach of our support for LGBTQI+ communities in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau.”

Applications for the 2022 round of the RWLF closed on 1 August 2022. More information can be found here.