Grants
The Rainbow NZ Charitable Trust empowers and supports the development of education, health, welfare, cultural and support services for the benefit of the LGBTTQIA+ community of New Zealand.
The Trust donates money where it is most needed, and where it will have the greatest impact, including rainbow lead organisations that provide a broad range of services to the community, through to lesser known, but equally vital, organisations and projects that support and empower the wider LGBTTQIA+ communities.
The Rainbow NZ Charitable Trust supports all Rainbow Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Funding criteria for support includes:
· being a rainbow oriented organisation or individual
· alignment with the Trust's purpose and objectives
· applications that benefit wider NZ Rainbow communities rather than any particular individual
· the ability of the applicant to deliver the proposed project based on their submitted scope and budget
Small or 1-off Grants
Grants are only available to LGBTTQIA+ run or managed not-for-profit organisations. This includes Registered Charities, Incorporated Societies, and other entities with the resources and capability to deliver successfully on their proposal. Grant funding must deliver measurable benefit to the rainbow community and be rainbow-affirming. Grants are available for projects, support services, resources and events including PRIDE parades & festivals.
Applicants requiring larger or continuous annual funding are encouraged to participate in our alternative funding opportunity, GiveOUT Day. Grants recipients are generally not eligible for additional GiveOUT Day funding within the same 12 month period. Refer to the Application document download button below.
Large or continuous annual funding opportunity – GiveOUT Day
GiveOUT Day is a National Day of Awareness raising and giving to LGBTTQIA+ projects, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations.
All LGBTTQIA+ Registered Charities and Incorporated Societies delivering continuous rainbow-affirming projects, support services, resources and events are encouraged to participate in the Trust’s annual GiveOUT Day. This initiative is our primary fundraising event for our rainbow communities. The Trust’s Grants Programme is now only available to small community groups or those delivering 1-off events, projects, limited services or resources.
Learn about GiveOUT Day's success on our Events page.
For general enquiries or if you believe you can demonstrate a good fit with GiveOUT day please contact [email protected] to register your interest.
Community Participation Grants contribute to LGBTTQIA+ projects and initiatives that may be held from time to time that are run by the Rainbow community, for the benefit of our community, encompassing educational, cultural, sporting and other events including those held during Pride Parades and/or Festivals and other rainbow events around the country.
Applications for Community Participation Grants may be submitted at any time. Please apply a minimum of two months before the funds are required.
To complete the Community Participation Application Form, click below.
Community Support Grants contribute to permanent LGBTTQIA+ services and resources that provide education, cultural benefit, health, welfare and support, to ensure their sustainability. This can include funding of some overhead or operational costs.
Applications for Community Participation Grants may be submitted at any time. Please apply a minimum of two months before the funds are required.
To complete the Community Support Application Form, click below.
Previous Grants
Tauranga Moana Pride - $2000 towards Pride Picnic Day
Wellington Pride Festival Inc - $2000 towards Opening Gala and Pride Youth Ball
Nelson Pride Inc - $1000 towards Community planning for Pride
Pride Whanganui Trust - $2000 towards Pride Whanganui's 5th annual Pride week
OUT & PROUD Taranaki Charitable Trust - $2000 towards Pride events
Rainbow Parade Auckland - $2000 towards putting on the Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade 2023
Qtopia - $2000 towards Pride month activities
Hobsonville Point Secondary School – $2,000 – To support the Little Gay Out event
InsideOUT Kōaro – $2,000 – Event Sponsorship for Schools Pride Week and Out of the Shelves
Chrissy Witoko Memorial Trust – $2,500 – To support a memorial service for Georgina Beyer held in Wellington
Out and About Wānaka - $2000 - To support the creation of a new pride event in Wānaka
Same Same but Different festival – $2,000 – Event Sponsorship
Overcommunicate Magazine – $1,000 – To support the seventh issue of the magazine in February 2022
Ahakoa Te aha he tangata he tangata – $2,000 – To support the purchase of the costumes Puipui for the members of the team
Hobsonville Point Secondary School – $2,000 – To support the Little Gay Out event
Tauranga Moana Pride – $2,000 – Event Sponsorship
Nelson Pride Inc – $1,000 – Event Sponsorship
Queer Arts Festival – $2,800 – Event Sponsorship
InsideOUT Kōaro – $2,000 – Event Sponsorship for Schools Pride Week and Out of the Shelves
Pride of the South – $740 – Event Sponsorship
Indian Origin Pride New Zealand (IOPNZ) – $1,500 – Support establishment of organisation
The Alphabet Mafia - $1500 - Towards production costs for event
Introspect Theatre – $500 – Event Sponsorship
Rainbow Pride Auckland – $5,000 – Parade Sponsorship
TAPAC / Night of the Queer – $2,360 – Event Sponsorship
OUTLine – $2,500 – Purchase of Computer
Ace and Isaac – $1,000 – Event/Theatre Sponsorship
Wellington Pride Festival – $3,000 – Event Sponsorship
Charlotte Museum – $3,000 – Video/Archive Sponsorship
Wellington Indian Pride – $1,500 – Event Participation Sponsorship
Inside Out – $2,500 – Education Resource Sponsorship
UniQ Victoria University – $1,000 – Funding for GALA Ball and a range of events during Victoria Uni PRIDE week
Rainbow Eastern BOP – $1,000 – Funding to develop first ever PRIDE event in Whakatane
Dust Palace Charitable Trust – $2,000 – Circus theatre all–LGBTIQ+ cast production’ Into The Bush’
Finding the Lighthouse Film – $2,000 – Video Sponsorship
CHROMA: The LGBTQI+ Initiative for Southland – $2,000 – Event Sponsorship
The Ara Collective – $1,000 – The LGBTQI+ initiative to support internet safety education for queer kids
Lincoln University Student Association – $1,000 – The LGBTQI+ initiative for Lincoln – Event Sponsorship
Rainbow Pride Auckland – $7,500 – Parade Sponsorship
Manawatu Lesbian & Gay Rights Assn Inc – $1,000 – Record the LGBTQI+ History of the Manawatu – Event Sponsorship
Rainbow Pasefika at Wellington Museum - $2,000. Event sponsorship
Auckland Pride Festival 'Our Gala' event - $3,000. Event sponsorship
Orchestra Wellington - $1,250. Wellington International Pride Parade participation sponsorship
Wellington Pride Festival - Out in the Park - $4,000. Main stage construction costs
Rainbow Pride Auckland Parade- $4,000. Event sponsorship
TAPAC/Night of the Queer - $2,360. Event sponsorship
Auckland Pride Festival Tennis Tournament - $800. Event Sponsorship
Wellington International Pride Parade - $3,000. Event sponsorship
Dunedin Pride - $1,657. Event sponsorship
Charlotte Museum - $2,350. Policy reviews & museum status recertification
Inside Out, Wellington - $4,000. Development of Pride week event framework for High Schools nationwide
Rainbow Wellington - $1,500. Event sound system
Falcons Gay Rugby Team - $2,850. Player jerseys
Charlotte Museum - $1,640 to set up an audio description system of the collection for visitors
Chroma Queens Go South - Invercargill Performance
RainbowYOUTH - Mental health professional resource
Dance Therapy NZ - Dance Movement Therapy drop in for LGBTQI+ youth
Rainbow Pride Auckland - $2,000. New organisation establishment seed
Auckland Community Participation Grants
Body Positive Big Gay Out stand
Doc Edge Pride 2019 Film Screenings
Legacy Project 6
Night of the Queer
Pride Tennis Tournament
Same Same But Different Literary Festival
Woof! The Auckland Rainbow Dog Show
Wellington International Pride Parade
Orchestra Wellington
Festival Production Grants
Dykes on Mikes
EquAsian
Impostar: Who Does He Think He Is?
The New Normal
We Don’t Have To Be The Building
Whati Te Waka
Woof!
Theta Project
Ze: Queer as F*ck!
Parade Participation Grants
Body Positive
Brass Bandits
CarribeaNZ Southern Stars Steel Band
EquAsian
Marching Boys
NZ Prostitutes Collective
OUTLine NZ
Rainbow Families
Whanau Uenuku
Whati Te Waka
YouthLine
Hamilton Pride
Festival Production Grants
Artspace – The Bill
Legacy Project
Pride Tennis Tournament
Proud To Play
RainbowYOUTH
Same Same But Different
Woof! The Auckland Pride Dog Show
Parade Participation Grants
Body Positive
CaribbeaNZ Southern Stars Steel Band
OUTLine NZ
Rainbow Family Te Whanau Uenuku
RainbowYOUTH
Gifting of $10,000 to community groups was celebrated on Wednesday 6 April, 2016 at Marcello’s Café in College Hill.
Auckland Women’s Centre received $1,000 to assist in the buying of books for two additional library units – Trans Women of colour and LGBTQI+ Youth. Prominent lesbian community member Cissy Rock accepted the gift on behalf of the organisation.
LowDown’s Cissy Rock, accepted a gifting of $500 for important replacements for sound gear for the lesbians out west and will also be available for other events throughout the community.
The Charlotte Museum Trust, receiving $2,000 from the trust to invest in a badge maker, a digital photo frame, and an LP to CD converter. These items will help to transplant the vast history of lesbian culture onto modern platforms and increase accessibility to these resources.
The Legacy Project received $2,000 to continue to support and co-ordinate community theatre projects from within the LGBTQI+ community to develop and stage eighteen short, theatrical works from the queer community.
Queer Aesthetic workshops of community group Breaking Boundaries were also supported this month by the trust with $1,000. “It is a really excited year for us at Breaking Boundaries”, says Joni Nelson, “we are stepping away from just being an online support service to actually being able to give back, start working with the community to create our own histories.”
OUTLine NZ was gifted the largest sum at $3,600 to fund clinical supervision and risk management training for the OUTLine team who work tirelessly with volunteers on the front line.
Festival Production Grants
Alternative Bindings, literature programme
Breaking Boundaries, discussion programme
PulseArt, A Space for a Story exhibition
Rainbow Community Church, Worthy! musical
Rainbow Youth, Masquerade Ball
TAPAC, Night of the Queer cabaret
Parade Participation Grants
Aotea Drag Kings float
Aztec Gods float
Body Positive float
Brass Bandits float
Charlotte Museum float
Mika Haka Foundation float
OUTLine NZ float
Pasefika LGBTQI Youth float
Rainbow Families float
Rotorua Chamber of Pride float
UniQ float
Scholarships
These are available annually through the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust to assist students who identify as LGBTTQIA+. Successful applicants would be able to demonstrate leadership qualities and a positive role model influence for Rainbow-affirming peer and community support, and have a good academic record.
Tertiary Scholarships are open to any LGBTTQIA+ high school student enrolling in a full-time degree course of at least three years duration, at any tertiary level institution recognised by the NZQA. See below to read our Conditions.
Conditions
Overview:
Scholarships are offered annually to students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex (LGBTTQIA+); seen as good role models by peers and teachers; and who have excelled in effort and achievement in their secondary education.
Candidates will apply by completing all parts of the application form. Applications close 31 October. A shortlist will be finalised in November, and interviews with those candidates will be scheduled for early December. Interviews are held in Auckland but can be facilitated by video conference for out-of-town candidates. Successful recipients should be available to accept the award in person at a nominated time and place in Auckland.
Recipients will be asked to report to the Trust during and at the end of their Scholarship and to provide the Trust with updates on their progress in future years.
Tertiary Scholarship Conditions:
The Award is open to any LGBTTQIA+ student who is enrolling in a full time degree course, of at least three years duration, at any tertiary level institution recognised as such by the NZQA. The degree must be on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. The recipient must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and have lived in New Zealand for at least the previous two years.
The recipients will be entering the first semester of year one, having successfully completed secondary school and having achieved university entrance in either of the previous two academic years prior to the year of intended tertiary study. (This allows for students taking a gap year.)
The recipient will have shown a good level of academic achievement during their secondary studies. Involvement in extra-curricular/co-curricular activities will be of particular interest. The recipient's personal history, financial needs, academic record (particularly in terms of effort and achievement), and plans will be taken into account.
The Scholarship will be paid upon proof of registration and payment of course fees. Recipients who hold other grants or awards may be awarded a sum up to the value stipulated by the regulations (if any) relating to those grants or awards.
For further information, please contact
The purpose of the Scholarship programme is to support, encourage and nurture our rainbow community leaders of the future.
Every year the Trust receives applications from dozens of outstanding LGBTTQIA+ school leavers who have demonstrated the most extraordinary achievements including community contribution beyond their years.
We welcome interest from tertiary institutions, corporates and benefactors in a position to contribute to this important programme to co-brand or fully fund additional LGBTTQIA+ scholarships.

Rainbow NZ Trust General Tertiary Scholarships
The Trust offers two scholarships of $4,000 for study at any University, Polytechnic or Wānanga in New Zealand.

AUT University/Rainbow NZ Trust Tertiary Scholarships
In 2014, GABA formed an alliance with AUT University, and now jointly offer two $4,000 scholarships for study at AUT, under the same conditions as our standard scholarships.

Countdown/Rainbow NZ Trust Tertiary Scholarship
Countdown offers two scholarships of $4,000 for study at any University, Polytechnic or Wānanga in New Zealand.

Aurecon Scholarships
Aurecon is offering two scholarships of $4,000 for study at any University, Polytechnic or Wānanga in New Zealand.

Southern Cross Health Society Scholarship
Southern Cross Health Society is offering a scholarship of $4,000 for study at any University, Polytechnic or Wānanga in New Zealand.

ISS Scholarship
The Rainbow NZ Trust offers 1xTertiary scholarship of $4,000, sponsored by ISS. This is open to any LGBTTQIA+ high school student aged 16-18 years old.