It’s the rainbow’s favourite day of the year! GiveOUT Day, Thursday 19 October, is Australia’s annual day of giving to LGBTQIA+ charities, not-for-profits and community projects: a day of raising funds, raising awareness, and celebrating how far this country has come.
Over $1 million have been raised for vital services since GiveOUT Day began four years ago, and organisers expect this year, its fifth, to be the biggest yet. GiveOUT Day is no ordinary fundraising day. It’s an opportunity for the public to give back and to double their impact.
Every donation made to participating organisations through GiveOUT Day is matched dollar-for-dollar* by GiveOUT; match-funding magic that’s possible thanks to the support of heavy-weight philanthropic supporters such as Sidney Myer Fund, Fay Fuller Foundation, Slingsby Foundation, Reichstein Foundation, Tripple and The Wyatt Trust. Last year over $300,000 was raised for more than 80 not-for-profit organisations.
There are GiveOUT Day projects providing vital services to every location and intersection within LGBTQIA+ communities. Via giveoutday.org.au public donors can select a cause closest to their heart and then see their donation doubled.
Participants include health service providers, trans support groups, First Nations-led organisations, decarceration projects, suicide prevention services and support for vulnerable youth, to name just a handful. The majority of these organisations are volunteer-led, and operate on less than $10,000 a year.
A selection of Australia’s loudest and proudest LGBTQIA+ personalities are using their voices to amplify GiveOUT Day’s reach this year.
I’m a Celebrity winner, Richard Reid, globally-renowned leader Holly Ransom, drag-queen and internet sensation Carla From Bankstown, writer and podcaster Louis Hanson and trans trailblazers Nevo Zisin and Victoria Anthony are some of the rainbow icons calling for the public’s support.
Beloved recording artist and Australia’s Got Talent Runner-Up Greg Gould has released a new single, Save Me a Seat, as the Official Anthem for GiveOUT Day 2023 and in memory of his late friend Simon Dunn (who was a GiveOUT Day Ambassador himself). All proceeds from downloads of the track will be donated to GiveOUT Day participant, The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.
Australia has made leaps and bounds towards equality in the nearly six years since we decided that the right to marry would not be determined by sex or gender. But equality is not a reality experienced by all rainbow folk.
Due to ongoing stigma and discrimination LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia still experience disproportionate rates of homelessness and suicide. And despite at least 11% of Australians identifying as LGBTQIA+ the sector is acutely underfunded: just 5 cents in every 100 philanthropic dollars reaches LGBTQIA+ organisations.
Community organisations are the ones who are best placed to serve the needs of their own communities but lean operating environments mean these organisations don’t have resources dedicated to public fundraising nor the leverage to access funds from big philanthropy.
“The 80+ organisations participating in GiveOUT Day work tirelessly to improve health and economic outcomes for rainbow communities,” said GiveOUT CEO, Emily Scott.
“These frontline organisations know their communities best and know exactly where to use funds for the greatest impact; but they are critically under-funded.”
“If every LGBTQIA+ ally in Australia donated $30 this GiveOUT Day, our sector would have the resources to effectively stamp out the inequality caused by stigma and discrimination,” said Emily.
GiveOUT Day is on Thursday 19th October 2023. Every donation made by the public is matched by GiveOUT* – early donations are now open and can be made via www.giveoutday.org.au
Image: GiveOUT Day Logo
Note: *Terms & Conditions apply – see website for more details