Twenty three rainbow initiatives funded through the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund
Twenty three initiatives focused on improving the mental health and wider wellbeing of rainbow communities have been funded in the fifth round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF).
The RWLF is administered by the Rule Foundation and was established by former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson in 2019 in recognition of the men who were convicted for consensual homosexual activities pre-1986. In 2021, a further endowment was made to the RWLF by the New Zealand Government.
The 2024 round had up to $400,000 in grants available, including a $200,000 contribution from the Rule Foundation’s partnership with Foundation North, the community trust for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau Northland.
The RWLF focuses on projects and initiatives related to the mental health and wellbeing of Aotearoa’s rainbow communities.
In 2024, the RWLF received a record 65 applications, seeking over $3.6 million in funding requests. This demand is triple the amount of applications since the first round of the RWLF in 2020.
Rule Foundation Co-chairpersons Joy Liddicoat and Toni Duder say that the high quality of applications and the amounts requested meant the Trustees faced difficult decisions when awarding funding.
“This year we’re excited to continue our support of Aotearoa’s takatāpui and rainbow communities through the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund. The amount of applications made our decisions challenging and their quality exemplifies the level of ingenuity and dedication that our community has to support one another, provide support, resources and a sense of whānau.
We are also happy to continue and build our partnership with Foundation North. Accessing funding for regional areas is something the Trustees want to focus on in our future work to ensure that other regions around Aotearoa have access to local funding for their work.”
The twenty three initiatives granted funding are:
Anamata Cafe - $15,000 towards Rainbow Youth Support Events
Auckland Womens Centre - $13,788.00 towards supporting rainbow women at risk of social isolation
Bald Angels Charitable Trust - $7,500 towards providing safe spaces for rainbow rangatahi in Kerikeri
Gender Minorities Aotearoa - $25,000 towards their Autistic Transgender Affirmation Programme
House of Dawn - $15,000 towards a series of weekly studio sessions to be used for community gatherings, vogue classes and workshops
House of Givenchy - $30,000 towards community workshops and Legends in Aotearoa celebrating unity
Mana Tīpua Trust - $20,000 towards enabling increased access to their services
Moana Vā - $30,000 towards their communications and engagement
Nevertheless - $20,000 towards storytelling for whānau about mental health, gender dysmorphia, social media and importance of acceptance
Ngā Uri o Whiti Te Rā Mai Le Moana Trust - $30,000 towards an MVPFAFF+/Takatāpui Lead
Number 10 Youth One Stop Shop - $7,500 towards support coordination rainbow rangtahi in Murihiku
OUT&about Wānaka - $5,000 towards operations
Paparoa Pride 2025 - $6,500 towards ongoing operations
Pride Whanganui - $5,000 towards operational costs
Q Youth - $15,000 towards their Kea Youth Drop-In programme
Rainbow Path - $25,000 towards a peer support training programme for volunteers to assist rainbow asylum seekers and refugees living in Aotearoa
Rainbow Violence Prevention Network - $25,000 towards ongoing operations
Rainbow Youth - Greymouth - $7,500 towards ongoing operations
Utu-Ā-Matimati – $20,000 towards a takatāpui arts collective and zine
Whangarei Proud - $6,500 towards operational costs
Wheke Fortress Gallery - $20,000 towards Revolution TV, a Twitch Channel and online broadcaster for Māori Pasifika rainbow viewers and streamers
Rule Foundation is also excited to announce that we will be partnering with Foundation North to deliver additional funds throughout the year to Tāmaki Maukrau and Te Tai Tokerau. Rainbow communities are a priority for Foundation North’s funding and this partnership will allow Rule Foundation and Foundation North to continue to support the vital work happening in our communities. Smaller grants (under $10,000) will be awarded 4 times a year and larger grants (up to $70,000) will be awarded twice a year, with the first allocation. You can find more information about this on our website.
