Join the first 100 Founding Members
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Your contribution will be matched
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Join the first 100 Founding Members * Your contribution will be matched *
Welcome to a new generation of giving
We’ve launched a fresh way to give and we want you to be a Founding Member. Rainbow Giving Circle is designed to make it easier for a new generation to show up for LGBTQIA+ communities.
The Circle is a group of 100 early pioneers, donating $1,000 each annually, to have collective impact for LGBTQIA+ communities. As a Founding Member you’ll help shape the program, back community-led work, and connect with others who also want to give with intention.
We are delighted to have now welcomed 57 Founding Members, with a goal to reach 100 by the end of 2026.
Thanks to the generosity of Jonathan Marchbank, Founding Member contributions of $1,000 will be matched in this first year. This means your $1,000 becomes $2,000. With 100 members, that’s $200,000.
It’s a powerful moment to join from the beginning, alongside others who are helping shape a new model of giving.
The need is urgent and the opportunity is huge
Our communities have always led with strength and care. Today, many LGBTQIA+ organisations continue this legacy, by delivering vital, community-led services and advocacy across Australia.
Yet many aren’t able to meet increasing demand, or respond to emerging threats.
53% have insufficient resources to achieve their goals
94% need support to build capacity
52% operate on an annual budget of less than $25,000
The Circle makes it easier for more people to give together, show up, and create collective impact.
Source: Pointing To Progress 2024 \ Image credit: Pride Cup
Your contribution is combined with others to fund more, reach further, and create a much greater impact than giving alone.
Together, we can do more.
“Collective giving circles offer community, friendship, volunteering, joint decision making, and an opportunity to have an impact on the issues that are important to you and your peers. They are the best combination of serious and fun, and one of the most exciting and fastest growing parts of the giving sector in Australia. So choose your passion and get involved today!”
Maree Sidey (she/her) - CEO, Philanthropy Australia
What to expect as a Founding Member
With a minimum annual contribution of $1,000, you’ll join a pilot cohort of 100 early pioneers who will define the Circle ahead of its public launch. Help shape the experience, take part in a guided grant-making process, contribute to both immediate and long-term community impact, and connect with others through curated moments across the year.
Thanks to the generosity of Jonathan Marchbank, every Founding Member contribution of $1,000 will be matched, doubling your impact in this pilot year.
Along the way, you’ll:
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Join the founding cohort and help refine how the Circle works through feedback and participation ahead of its public launch in 2027.
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Pool contributions to fund more, reach further, and create a greater impact beyond individual giving.
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With 50% of your contribution funding an annual grant, you’ll take part in a supported, accessible grant-making process.
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Be part of a welcoming entry point to philanthropy for people who want to give but aren’t sure where to start.
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With your permission, you'll become a permanent part of our origin story; permanently featured on our website and celebrated in person at our Aurora Nights events.
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Network with other Founding Members, LGBTQIA+ leaders, and experts in progressive philanthropy and grant-making. You’ll also get to connect with the original founders of Aurora, as well as the Rainbow Giving Australia board and team.
We’re proud to welcome Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal (US), to the Circle
For over four decades, Kevin’s trailblazing leadership has shaped the global LGBTQIA+ movement.
Kevin shared: “What Rainbow Giving is doing in Australia is one of the most exciting philanthropic initiatives I have ever seen. So exciting, in fact, that I was moved to become a member of the Rainbow Giving Circle myself (and I don’t even live here!).”
As an early supporter of GiveOUT in Australia, Kevin helped provide the seed funding for what would later become Rainbow Giving. We’re beyond thrilled to now call him a Founding Member of the Circle as well.
The Circle builds on the legacy of Aurora Ball and the GiveOUT Patrons programs
For decades, these initiatives inspired people to come together and give generously for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Now with Rainbow Giving Australia, a new generation can make an even greater collective impact that’s nationwide and year-round.
Image credit: C Moore - Original Aurora Founders
“This is an elevation of Aurora’s spirit, with more ways to connect and learn, and a more sustainable model for long-term LGBTQIA+ impact.”
Jane Marsden (she/her) - Original Aurora Founder and Rainbow Giving Australia Member
Rainbow Giving Australia backs community-led work
Here’s just some of the year-round impact your contribution can help continue to grow:
“I’m proud to back Rainbow Giving Australia because it invests in community-led solutions and long-term change. I myself came out as gay in my forties, after raising my children.
Later one of my children began her transition and is now my daughter.... It’s been very personal, and the Rainbow Giving Circle is part of my journey.”
Jonathan Marchbank (he/him) - Matched Funder
As a Founding Member, you’ll be invited to special events throughout the year.
Aurora Nights
Our curated moments of connection and learning include an annual gathering and smaller opportunities to come together.
Join now
Option 1 · Pay online
Make your tax-deductible contribution now. We can’t wait to get you started on your Founding Member journey.
Don’t forget: Your $1,000 becomes $2,000 thanks to the leadership and generosity of Jonathan Marchbank.
Look out for your payment receipt and next steps as a Founding Member in your inbox.
You are welcome to pay your annual contribution in instalments up to December 2026. Click Monthly below, or reach out to the team at info@rainbowgiving.org.au to get started.
Option 2 · Pay by bank transfer
Name: Rainbow Giving Australia Community Charity Trust
BSB: 032067
Account number: 849494
Please share your confirmation of payment via bank transfer to info@rainbowgiving.org.au and we’ll send your receipt and next steps once the payment has landed with us.
Option 3 · Confirm now and pay later
Confirm your membership to info@rainbowgiving.org.au and we’ll share your next steps to get your Circle journey started now. We ask that your contribution is finalised by the end of December 2026.
Contributions are made to the Rainbow Giving Australia Community Charity Trust (ABN 20 825 145 112), a DGR-1 endorsed charity that receives and manages tax-deductible donations to support this work. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Together, we’re building a connected community of people giving together, where individual contributions create greater collective impact.
Join a new generation of giving and play your part for LGBTQIA+ communities.
FAQs
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50% funds an annual grant for LGBTQIA+ community-led work today. This grant is decided by Circle Members through a guided process led by Rainbow Giving Australia.
50% invests in Rainbow Giving Australia to build long term funding, infrastructure, and support that strengthens impact for tomorrow. -
Through the generosity and leadership of Jonathan Marchbank, all Founding Member contributions of $1,000 will be doubled.
Double the funding = double the impact during this pilot year.
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Rainbow Giving Circle is an evolution of Aurora Ball’s original spirit of collective giving.
It creates more connection and impact across the year, alongside key moments of celebration that continue to bring the community together.
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This direction was shaped by a review of Rainbow Giving Australia’s programs, our strategic planning process, and feedback from community members about what would create deeper, more accessible impact.
The aim is to grow what Aurora Ball and GiveOUT’s Patrons did best, with a model designed for year-round connection and long-term sustainability.
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The heart of Aurora Ball stays the same: community, visibility, celebration, and collective generosity.
We will always bring people together to back LGBTQIA+ community-led work.
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It creates multiple curated moments for connection and learning across the year (not just one night), and gives Founding Members a clear, supported way to participate in collective giving and a guided grant-making process.
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No. Rainbow Giving Circle is designed to build connection across Australia, so people can take part even if they cannot travel to a single major event.