Big 2026 news: $610K funding + new directors + SWP returns plus a heartfelt farewell and GiveOUT Day's incredible impact
What to expect:
- Rainbow Giving News
- Other LGBTQIA+ Funding Opportunities
- Community
- News
- Events
- Resources
- Ways to Support
1. Rainbow Giving News
We're kicking off 2026 with extraordinary momentum, and community support made it possible.
Thanks to community, 16 organisations are receiving $610,000 in funding, 3 brilliant new directors are bringing fresh perspectives to our Board, and we're celebrating a founding director whose decade of leadership shaped everything we do.
Plus, GiveOUT Day's impact continues to grow, and Sweat with Pride is coming back this June!
Here's what's inside:
- Meet our new Board directors
- Discover the 16 organisations we're funding in 2026
- Celebrating Cat Fay's extraordinary decade of service
- GiveOUT Day impact by the numbers
- Save the date for Sweat with Pride 2026
- We're hiring: join our team!
- Community news, events & resources
WELCOMING | Our New Directors
David Cao (he/him), Duncan Armour (he/him), and Liz Yeo (she/her) bring expertise in diversity and inclusion, marketing and growth, and philanthropic partnerships to help us amplify our impact and reach more rainbow communities across Australia. We can't wait to see what we'll create together!
FUNDING | Community-led change, where it matters most
Donors' generosity helped us announce $610,000 in funding for 16 incredible LGBTQIA+ organisations across Australia.
These community-led groups are doing vital work — from trans-led advocacy to First Nations community connection to intersex peer support — keeping rainbow communities safe, connected, and thriving. This milestone is made possible by a significant commitment from Snow Foundation, with support from Pride Foundation Australia, alongside generous contributions from Spencer Maurice, Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, Jeremy Tang (Humanitix), Jonathan Marchbank, and community donors like you.
MARKING | A Decade of Transformative Leadership
After a decade of extraordinary service, we farewell Cat Fay as she steps off the Board of Rainbow Giving Australia.
A founding director since 2016, Cat has played a defining role in shaping who we are. As Managing Partner of Perpetual Private's Social Investment businesses, she brought deep philanthropic expertise and a fierce belief in resourcing marginalised communities.
Her legacy lives on in every grant we make and every community we support. While we'll miss her presence at the Board table, we're grateful she'll remain connected through our Fundraising Committee. Thank you, Cat, for everything you've given and for the legacy you continue to create.
SAVING | The Date: Sweat with Pride Returns | 1–30 June 2026
Get your workplace involved with Sweat with Pride!
Sweat with Pride is a fun, inclusive way for teams to move together, boost wellbeing, and make Pride Month count — all while raising funds that strengthen rainbow communities.
It’s simple to get involved:
- Form a workplace team and move for 21 minutes a day in June
- Walk, wheel, stretch, dance, box, clean — every way to move counts
- Access ready-to-use resources, leaderboards, and support to keep your team motivated
Whether you’re a small office or a large organisation, Sweat with Pride is a plug-and-play Pride Month activation that delivers impact for your people and our communities.
HIRING | Join Our Team: Digital Content and Marketing Coordinator | applications close Friday 20 February 2026
Want to be part of the team bringing GiveOUT Day and Sweat with Pride to life? We're looking for someone creative, organised, and passionate about LGBTQIA+ communities to join our small but mighty Marketing team.
Remote-first • Part-time to full-time
THANKING | Supporters
Since 2019 GiveOUT Day has raised over $2.5 million for LGBTQIA+ organisations across Australia.
Together, we've built skills and confidence within these organisations, helping them tell their stories, grow their supporter base, and continue their vital work with renewed energy.
2. Other LGBTQIA+ Funding Opportunities
- SYDNEY | City of Sydney Grants & Sponsorships: Funding for projects across community services, arts, events and more | Closes 4pm Tuesday 3 March 2026
- AUST | Fay Fuller Foundation Discovery Grant: Supports testing and developing preventative approaches to mental health and wellbeing | Expressions of Interest open 2 March and close 5pm Monday 13 April 2026
- AUST | Pride Foundation Australia Small Grants: Small-scale funding to benefit LGBTQIA+ communities, with priority to transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people and communities | Closes 11.59pm AEST Monday 13 April 2026
3. Community
News
- AUST | Rainbow Families Australia + QUT launches first national survey to capture voices of LGBTQ+ parents and carers. Take the survey.
- SYDNEY | New City Church is gearing up for Mardi Gras Fair Day and Parade, enabling six churches to publicly stand for queer love together.
- VIC | Historic intersex rights win in Victoria — an important step toward justice and bodily autonomy for people born with variations in sex characteristics. Learn more
Events
- GADIGAL/SYDNEY | International Women's Day: For and by Trans Women | Saturday 7 Mar 2026 | 10am-4pm AEDT, in Person & Online.
- GADIGAL/SYDNEY | Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival | 13 February–1 March 2026.
- GADIGAL/SYDNEY | Twenty10 Youth Drop In — Ages 12-25, 12th/19th/26th February 2026, 4-6pm, Inner West Pride Centre
- NAARM/MELBOURNE | Justice of the Peace Document Signing | 14 February 2026, 12-4pm, Victorian Pride Centre.
Resources
- Playing With Pride: LGBTQ+ Experiences in Women's Sport — New national research exploring how LGBTQ+ people experience participation in women's sport in Australia, and what genuinely helps people feel safe, seen and supported.
4. Ways To Support
- Make a Donation
- Leave a Legacy of Love By leaving a gift in will, you can help ensure LGBTQA+ communities continue to thrive for generations to come.
Rainbow Giving Australia: Working towards an empowered, sustainable and united rainbow community
Rainbow Giving Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work. We pay our respects to all Elders past and present. Rainbow Giving Australia is committed to working with First Nations LGBTQIA+ organisations and initiatives to mobilise the resources they need for their important work.
This always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.