Change comes in the colours of the rainbow

The union of GiveOUT and the Aurora Group offers an enlightening case study of change management in the service of a single stronger organisation that is better able to achieve the goals of its parents.

Rainbow Giving Australia is expected to distribute $1 million to LGBTQIA+ communities in the coming year: $500,000 raised in October’s GiveOUT Day and $500,000 from the Amplify Pride and Ignite Pride funds.

How the Rainbow Giving Australia merger happened

Soon after its 19 November launch, Rainbow Giving Australia rolled out an extensive communication campaign using emails, social media, and coverage in community and philanthropic media.

The carefully crafted messages answered key questions, explained the new mission, summarised the changes, and emphasised that iconic events would continue.

FAQs on its new website provided details of the merger, while supporters received updates with extra details and key messages.

The upbeat messaging employed striking professional photography, lively new branding and animated videos illustrating the merger.

Emails encouraged supporters to apply for grants, join the Rainbow Giving board or volunteer, and follow the new social media channels and the hashtag #itsRainbowGivingAU.

The new organisation also made a folder of media materials available:

• key messages
• a video animation visualising the merger
• the media release
• social-media-friendly supporter tiles.

Rainbow Giving Australia CEO Em Scott said the merger reflected both former organisations’ commitment to serving LGBTQIA+ communities.

“We are proud of this decision, and how it demonstrates our commitment to acting in the best interests of our rainbow communities and maximising the impact of our resources.”

On LinkedIn, she explained the decision in more detail:

• We hold a shared vision of an empowered, sustainable and united rainbow community sector
• We achieve great things when we work together (e.g. our successful collaboration on Rainbow Resources report and Amplify Pride Fund)
• We have complementary strengths, resources and programs that can have a greater impact when shared
• There is an urgent need from our communities, who are facing a rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and anti-trans disinformation.

The merger aimed to mobilise funding, create unity and empower the community, she said.

“By joining forces, we are amplifying our impact and setting a stronger foundation for the future of our community,” she said.

Long history of cooperation between two proud groups

Both GiveOUT and Aurora have been prominent in the sector for over 25 years.

Scott told Community Directors Intelligence that discussions about collaboration began four years ago between GiveOUT chair Georgia Mathews and Aurora chair Sam Turner.

That cooperation culminated in the report Where are the Rainbow Resources? and created the Amplify Pride Fund.

“This collaboration was so successful that the next logical step was to merge organisations, so that we could create even more synergies and impact for our communities,” Scott said.

Before taking the plunge, the organisations conducted a due diligence process to ensure the merger’s value for each organisation and to the sector.

Flaship events such as GiveOUT Day and the Aurora Ball will continue under the new organisation.

Getting the merger right

Scott said the merger needed to honour the history of both organisations and focus on the needs and views of LGBTQIA+ communities. It also needed to strengthen the trust of funders and other stakeholders.

The organisations spent a year “working behind the scenes on the merger while also still delivering the strategic initiatives of each organisation”.

A merger working group, comprising board members and staff, met regularly and was divided into eight streams, including marketing, legal, fundraising, operations and community, to implement the vision.

Scott estimated board members worked for 300 hours on the project.

Branding, communications, community and board in sync

Communicating the change was done carefully, Scott said.

“To ensure the new brand and strategy resonated with the community, while honouring the history of both organisations, we conducted three market research sessions with internal and external stakeholders and broader LGBTQIA+ community members,” Scott said.

The organisations deliberately avoided the use of generic stock images and instead commissioned “unique brand photos that captured the joy and strength of our community and the brand essence of Rainbow Giving Australia”.

She said that effort was enabled by partners who donated time and expertise, such as For Good Digital, Ogilvy, Mia McDonald, Photoplay Photography and others.

To enable buy-in for the merger, the organisations worked closely with external stakeholders, including grantees, funders and partners, to explain the rationale and benefits of the merger well before the public launch.

“We were met on every occasion with overwhelming support and excitement, and an appreciation for the transparency and regular communication”.

Scott said board buy-in was essential.

“Each of GiveOUT and Aurora's board members were 100% committed to seeing the merger succeed, and always placing "what is best for the community" at the forefront of every decision,” she said.

The new board consists of three directors from each of the parent organisations, plus three new and independent directors to add a fresh perspective.

The chair and deputy chair of both parent organisations sit on the new RBA board, former Aurora chair Sam Turner is the new RBA chair, while GiveOUT’s former chair Georgia Matthews will be Sam’s deputy.

Two new directors to be selected following an objective assessment of the board’s skills, Scott said.

Merger wins backing from the wider LGBTQIA+ sector

The move has received strong backing from leaders in the LGBTQIA+ and philanthropy sectors.

“Rainbow Giving Australia … will supercharge the impact of hardworking frontline organisations and create exciting opportunities for innovation and knowledge sharing,” Philanthropy Australia CEO Maree Sidey said.

Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown credited Aurora and GiveOUT for leading the way with change.

“The generosity of these two organisations has helped Equality Australia achieve a raft of legal and social reforms for people in NSW and across Australia,” Brown said.

Jo Taylor of the Siddle Family Foundation, a leading philanthropic thinker, said the merger would optimise resources, create sector-wide impact and future-proof help for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“By combining operations, they're maximising resources that go directly to rainbow communities on the ground. This isn't just about short-term gains – it's about creating a financially sound and sustainable foundation for generations to come,” she said on LinkedIn.

"When vision-aligned organisations come together thoughtfully, everyone wins – especially the communities we serve. Rainbow Giving Australia exemplifies this. The key is being brave enough to ask: How can we best serve our communities today? Sometimes that means exploring new organisational structures – and the results can be transformative."