Australians are being urged make a donation to support a local LGBTIQ group as part of GiveOUT Day today.
GiveOUT Day, started last year, is a national coordinated day of fundraising for LGBTIQ+ projects, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations nationwide.
Despite as many as a tenth of Australians identifying as queer, LGBTIQ-specific projects get only a small fraction of funding grants in Australia.
According to GiveOUT Australia research, less than 1% of annual philanthropic funding in Australia went directly to rainbow causes from 2013 to 2018.
Managing director Neil Pharaoh said they want to help to LGBTIQ+ communities fundraise and build their profiles.
He said LGBTIQ+ people still suffer greater inequality in healthcare, housing, and social justice issues than the broader community.
“Despite the desperate need for funding support, rainbow communities and organisations typically receive only a fraction of annual funding from governments and philanthropic sources as compared to other sectors and communities,” he said.
As a result GiveOUT Day is on today (October 16). All Australians can donate what they can to support the dozens of registered LGBTIQ groups across the country.
Find the full list of groups and their fundraising goals on the GiveOUT Day website here.
So far, total donations are almost three quarters toward GiveOUT’s goal of $100,000. Sponsors pledged to match the first $27,000 in donations received on Friday.
Queensland groups join GiveOUT Day to fundraise
Queensland organisations involved in GiveOUT Day include Diverse Voices, Wendybird, the LGBTI Legal Service, Rainbow Families Queensland and the Sunshine Coast LGBTI Community Ageing Network.
Diverse Voices has been providing phone and web support to Queensland’s LGBTIQ community for over 25 years. Donations to Diverse Voices will support their vital work.
Rainbow Families Queensland (pictured) are also raising money on GiveOUT Day to pay for a new website for the group.
Coordinator Holly Zwalf said the COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the group’s social events this year.
“Our website is an essential way for us to reach and interact with our families,” she said.
“We also have some amazing resources we want to make available to families across the state.”
Meanwhile, Victoria’s Thorne Harbour Health are seeking donations for people with HIV experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
Victoria’s Rainbow Families group is also fundraising for furniture for the family lounge and activity room at the Victorian Pride Centre.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
