Pointing to Progress: Better evidence, stronger rainbow communities
What becomes possible when the people backing our communities have a clearer picture of what they need?
This question is why Rainbow Giving Australia is excited and proud to be supporting Pointing to Progress 2026, a biennial national report by Pride by Side on the strengths, needs and capacity of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community sector.
Drawing on participation from 117 LGBTQIA+ initiatives, the 2026 research offers a picture of a deeply committed sector working under considerable pressure. At a glance:
54% of LGBTQIA+ initiatives operate on an annual budget of less than $50,000
69% believe safety has deteriorated for LGBTQIA+ communities over the past 3 years
80% do not have secure resourcing beyond 12 months
74% have had an increase in demand in the past 12 months
0.1 is the median full-time-equivalent staff available to initiatives
Behind these figures, though, are people creating connection, providing support, advocating for change and making communities safer and more welcoming. The research also highlights the strengths they bring: lived experience, trusted relationships and an extraordinary commitment to their communities.
For Rainbow Giving Australia, the report reinforces why evidence matters. Our own 2022 report, Where are the Rainbow Resources?, helped expose the funding gaps facing rainbow communities. Pointing to Progress adds a complementary perspective: what organisations need to turn resources into lasting impact, and what gets in their way.
These types of research can help us make better decisions about where support goes and how it is offered. It gives funders and supporters a stronger basis for responding to priorities identified by the sector itself.
Rainbow Giving Australia’s relationship with Pride by Side spans years of collaboration, sharing knowledge and working towards a common goal: helping the LGBTQIA+ sector thrive. We share a belief that lasting community impact depends on the people, skills, resources and relationships behind it.
We’re proud to be working alongside Pride by Side on this next edition of Pointing to Progress, and excited to help share it with the world. There is enormous knowledge, commitment and possibility in our sector. This report is an invitation to help that possibility grow.
