Achieving equity for LGBTQIA+ Australians through systemic change and local community action.
To benefit LGBTQIA+ people and allied communities in Australia by advancing equity for the most disadvantaged LGBTQIA+ Australians and support for creative arts and cuture.
In January 2019 GALFA changed its name to Pride Foundation Australia to more accurately reflect our focus on all lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual and other (LGBTQIA+) communities.
This decision was carefully considered and was in response to repeated feedback in recent years that ‘Gay and Lesbian’ does not represent all LGBTQIA+ communities.
Our community is growing and diversifying rapidly, with emerging sexual, sex and gender identities. We noted other LGBTQIA+ organisations changed their name to reflect these changes, and it was time for us to do the same.
The term ‘Pride’ has long been associated with LGBTQIA+ causes, going back to the Stonewall riot in USA in 1969. LGBT Pride month in USA commemorates this turning point for gay liberation. Pride signifies dignity, human rights, social inclusion and visibility, and continues to be associated with many international LGBT organisations, foundations and events. We consider that this word will continue to represent these issues for LGBTQIA+ Australians into the future.
We have retained ‘Australia’ within the name to indicate our national agenda.
We are a philanthropic foundation, which is reflected in our company Constitution, the deeds of the public and the charitable Trusts and Government endorsement of our public fund as a tax-deductible charity. We are established to operate in perpetuity, be a sound and stable organisation, with one of our roles being to promote knowledge of philanthropy and philanthropic giving in Australia’s LGBTIQA+ communities.
Pride is associated with a few other LGBTIQA+ causes in Australia, including Pride marches, and the Victorian Pride Centre (VPC) and their Pride Fund. Consultation with various Victorian LGBTIQA+ organisations indicates that the name of VPC differs enough from PFA and so we do not expect it will cause any confusion.
Internationally, there is a Pride Foundation in Seattle for LGBT issues, Rainbow Pride in Fiji, and Pride Foundation Malaysia for breast cancer fundraising. However, we believe that signifying Australia in our name prevents any confusion with these and other international organisations.
Pride Foundation Australia (PFA) is regulated by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), to which we report annually.
The Australian Taxation Office has endorsed PFA as a charity with income tax exemption (ITE) and deductible gift recipient status (DGR1), meaning gifts to Pride Foundation Australia (ABN: 85 116 997 427) are income-tax-deductible.
Pride Foundation Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate, in so-called Australia. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that it always was, and always will be Aboriginal land. We pay our respects to the Elders past and present.
Pride Foundation Australia pays respect to the traditional custodians of the land and sea on which we live, work and play, we pay our respects to Elders past and present, acknowledging that sovereignty was never ceded.
Pride Foundation Australia commits through the resources we have available to us, to work with, for, and alongside Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy peoples and communities to embed a self-determined future.
We further commit the contribution of a significant proportion of grant funding received to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy led initiatives to improve social outcomes.
Australia was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.