Twenty-four initiatives funded through the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund
Twenty-four initiatives focused on improving the mental health and wider wellbeing of rainbow communities have been funded in the 2023 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF).
The RWLF is administered by the Rule Foundation and was established 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 fund is aimed at improving and sustaining the mental health and wellbeing of Rainbow communities in Aotearoa and celebrating the legacy of our communities for future generations.
The 2023 round saw up to $500,000 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 and a $100,000 contribution from the Rule Foundation’s partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) - Te Manatū Whakahiato Taiohi.
The RWLF focuses on projects and initiatives related to the mental health and wellbeing of Aotearoa’s rainbow communities.
In its fourth round, the RWLF received 48 applications, totalling over $2 million in funding requests. Rule Foundation Co-chairpersons Duncan Matthews and Toni Duder say that the fourth round of the fund is its biggest yet.
'This year, we successfully expanded our partnerships, increasing the funds available for rainbow initiatives in Aotearoa. Witnessing the impactful work happening nationwide, we are eager to further enhance our support for rainbow communities in upcoming rounds of the RWLF.’
The twenty-four initiatives granted funding are:
InsideOUT and RainbowYOUTH | Piloting the first evidence-based violence prevention program for rainbow rangatahi in Aotearoa, including online and physical sessions in Taranaki for program evaluation | Nationwide | $80,000
People First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tahi | Easy Read materials for LGBTQIA+ individuals with learning disabilities and their allies | Nationwide | $18,125
Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand | To help strengthen their internal capacity for peer support services | Nationwide | $25,000
Zeal Education Trust | Guest speakers and mentoring for Rainbow Hangs youth groups | Wellington | $30,000
Mana Tipua, Mana Ora | "Kia Hīnātore" - weekly drop-in sessions for rangatahi, emphasizing cultural learning, community connections, and identity support, alongside periodic wānanga led by experts | Christchurch | $50,000
Youthline Central South Island | To provide local Rainbow Youth Leaders with Mental Health First Aid training and peer mentoring for better support within the Rainbow community | Christchurch | $28,000
Utu-Ā-Matimati: Five Finger Discount Zine | A nationwide, decolonial, artist-infused magazine by and for tangata takatāpui, embodying takatāpuitanga within Māoritanga | Nationwide | $50,000
Manawatu Lesbian & Gay Rights Association | Dedicated professional supervision for professionals working with rainbow communities and families, provided by rainbow individuals, to enhance the skills of those working with these communities | Palmerston North | $25,000
Coral - It's Not Just a Stage (Film) | Documentary on Coral Trimmer, a 93-year-old lesbian harmonica virtuoso, to cover archival research, editing, sound design, music clearances, and post-production | Nationwide | $25,000
PATHA | Scholarship funding for people from Aotearoa to attend the AusPath/PATHA Conference | Nationwide | $10,000
Gender Minorities Aotearoa | Healthcare database upgrade | Nationwide | $22,000
OutLine | Peer support phone line and webchat services | Nationwide | $25,000
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington | Activities related to supporting the resilience and mental health of rainbow students | Wellington | $4,500
NZ Human Rights Commission Te Kahui Tika Tangata | Rainbow Rights are Human Rights Hui (the Hui) Scholarship Fund | Nationwide | $10,000
Ma'ine Kweenz | 'Ma'ine Kweenz: Creative Wānanga' series featuring Pacific dance, crafts, makeup, apparel, and contemporary expression like Vogue, held during three community days | Auckland | $15,180
Invisibility to Pride, the Legacy | support funding for publishing a book about the history of rainbow people in Aotearoa | Nationwide | $15,000 (Publisher TBC)
Anamata CAFE | Youth-led community events/projects, fostering collaboration and networking among local rainbow young people | Tāupō / Turangi | $20,000
Te Ngākau Kahukura O Te Awa Kairangi | Rainbow rangatahi workshops and hui | Lower Hutt | $10,000
Bald Angels | Rangatahi Rainbow club | Kerikeri | $6,000
InsideOUT | Attending the national Shift Hui | Te Tai Tokerau | $4,000
Whangārei PROUD | Monthly community events | Whangārei | $11,000
Paparoa Pride | Community engagement | Paparoa | $7,000
RainbowYOUTH | Northland Rainbow Coalition | Te Tai Tokerau | $7,000
Circus Kumarani | Building a Rainbow network | Dargaville | $2,000
