Twelve initiatives focused on improving the mental health and wider wellbeing of rainbow communities have been funded in the 2021 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF).

The RWLF is administered by the Rule Foundation and was established by 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 RWLF focuses on projects and initiatives related to the mental health and wellbeing of Aotearoa’s rainbow communities. The second round of the fund opened on 1 June 2021 and closed on 31 July 2021, with a total of $200,000 in funding available.

In its second round, the RWLF received 48 applications totalling over $700,000 in funding requests.

Rule Foundation Chairperson Duncan Matthews says that, similarly to the inaugural 2020 round of the RWLF, the number of applications received showcased an incredible range of initiatives designed by and with rainbow communities, as well as the unmet need that there is currently.

“While reading and discussing the applications, it became clear to the Trustees that our decision would be a difficult one. There were many exciting and inspiring applications but ultimately we selected a range that best reflected the focus and intention of the fund. We also elected to fund three applications for two years, to help reduce the annual funding uncertainties many organisations and their staff experience.”

The twelve initiatives granted funding are:

• Adhikaar Aotearoa – towards their project Nurturing the Ethnic Queer and Trans Experience in Aotearoa.
• Body Positive Inc. – towards their online outreach programme.
• Faith Space – towards Restory, a faith based support programme for rainbow people in Palmerston North.
• Gender Minorities Aotearoa – towards their mental health and wellbeing transgender support service.
• Indian Origin Pride NZ – towards establishing their organisation to support rainbow people of Indian origin.
• Intersex Trust Aotearoa – towards projects to develop and support intersex community health and wellbeing.
• Ngā Uri o Whiti Te Rā Mai Le Moana Trust – towards their Wellington MVPFAFF wellness fono retreat.
• Perinatal Mental Health – towards the development of transgender support resources.
• Q-Topia – towards their Waitaha regional development work.
• Rainbow Path – towards Rainbow Path wellbeing and youth sector collaboration project.
• Taiohi Morehu – towards the takatāpui component of their kaupapa Māori youth leadership group.
• Tradespeople – towards a profile series sharing the stories of LGBTQI+ trades people more authentically.

“With the current national and global challenge of COVID-19, support for our communities is crucial to ensure that the inequities that already exist do not increase. Rainbow communities are highly intersectional and we’re excited to see the positive impacts these programmes and initiatives will have,” says Matthews.

The twelve successful applications of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund are set to run their programmes over the next two years.

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