Rainbow Hub Waikato

What Rainbow Hub Waikato does

Rainbow Hub Waikato is a New Zealand-registered non-profit organization headquartered in Hamilton that supports rainbow, Takatāpui, and MVPFAFF+ communities in the Waikato and Hauraki regions. Founded in 2005 as Waikato Queer Youth (WaQuY) and restructured under its current name in May 2021, the organization delivers community support services including weekly drop-in groups for youth (13-24), adults (24+), and gender-diverse adults (18+), alongside referral pathways to counselling, gender-affirming medical care, and safe housing.

Its core products are service- and content-based rather than technology-based: a portfolio of free community groups, professional learning and development workshops priced from $200 to $2,000+GST for workplaces, three co-developed publications (Rainbow Pride Group Resource, Healthy Relationships & Consent, and Elder Voices), a free binder program funded by Te Korowai Whetū, and click-and-collect HIV self-test kits distributed in partnership with the Burnett Foundation. Underlying technology is limited to a WordPress website with Stripe-enabled checkout for a small merchandise store selling pride flags and pins.

Revenue mechanics center on diversified grant funding from government bodies (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Youth Development), local government (Hamilton City Council, COGS), and charitable trusts (Lottery Grants Board, Trust Waikato, Tindall Foundation, DV Bryant Trust, Frozen Funds Charitable Trust, SkyCity Hamilton Community Trust, WEL Energy Trust, Te Korowai Whetū). Secondary income is generated through fee-for-service workshops, merchandise sales, and individual donations via Givealittle. Marketing and distribution rely on organic social media, email, event platforms, and direct community engagement rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Rainbow Hub Waikato

Legal name

Rainbow Hub Waikato

Website

https://rainbowhubwaikato.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rainbow Hub Waikato is a Hamilton-based New Zealand non-profit founded in 2005 that runs weekly community drop-in groups, fee-for-service inclusive-practice workshops, co-authored publications, and health-resource distribution for rainbow, Takatāpui, and MVPFAFF+ people across the Waikato and Hauraki regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

• Rainbow community support
• LGBTQ+ education services
• Identity affirmation groups
• Inclusion training workshops
• Community drop-in services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funding: Primary funding from government bodies (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Youth Development), charitable trusts (Trust Waikato, Tindall Foundation, Lottery Grants Board, DV Bryant Trust, Frozen Funds Charitable Trust, SkyCity Hamilton Community Trust, WEL Energy Trust), local councils (Hamilton City Council), and community foundations. This is the predominant funding source for a nonprofit organization.
2. Professional Learning and Development Workshops: Fee-for-service educational workshops delivered to organizations including businesses, health services, education, community services, and government. Pricing tiers from $200 to $2000+GST depending on duration. Workshops are tailored to each organization's needs.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of pride flags ($15), pins ($7-$9), and other items through an e-commerce shop. Revenue supports the organization.
4. Donations: Individual and group donors contribute to the organization. Givealittle fundraising platform referenced.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rainbow Hub Waikato is a non-profit community organization that provides free drop-in support groups, referrals to counselling and gender-affirming care, and identity-affirming community programming for rainbow, Takatāpui, and MVPFAFF+ people of all ages in the Waikato region. It also delivers paid professional learning and development workshops for organizations on LGBTQIA+ inclusion, publishes educational resources, distributes free gender-affirming binders and HIV self-test kits, and sells pride merchandise through its online shop.

Product overview

Rainbow Hub Waikato is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of community support services, educational programs, publications, and resources for rainbow, Takatāpui, and MVPFAFF+ communities in the Waikato region. The core offerings include: Support Services with weekly drop-in groups (WaQuY for youth 13-24, Rainbow Adults for ages 24+, and Gender Diverse Adults 18+); Education Services delivering professional development workshops on LGBTQIA+ inclusion for organizations; publications including Healthy Relationships & Consent guide, Elder Voices report, and Rainbow Pride Group Resource for schools; and health resources including gender-affirming binders and HIV self-test kits. An online shop sells pride merchandise (flags and pins). The organization also maintains community resources and referrals for counselling, gender-affirming care, and safe housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Services Community support services for sex, gender, and sexually diverse people in the Waikato region, including drop-in groups, counselling referrals, gender-affirming medical care referrals, and safe housing referrals.
• Education Services (Professional Workshops) Tailored professional learning and development workshops on gender and sexual diversity for workplaces and community organizations, ranging from 30-minute Q&A sessions ($200+GST) to full-day workshops ($2,000+GST), delivered on-site or online across Aotearoa New Zealand.
• WaQuY (Waikato Queer Youth) Drop-in Weekly drop-in group for queer youth ages 13-24, held Wednesdays 3:00pm-4:30pm, offering snacks, board games, and community connection in a safe, affirming environment.
• Waikato Rainbow Adults Drop-in Weekly drop-in group for rainbow adults ages 24+, held Wednesdays 5:30pm-7:00pm, providing a safe space for strength-based, mana-enhancing conversations and authentic community engagement.
• Gender Diverse Adult Group 18+ Weekly facilitated group for gender diverse adults 18+, held Mondays 5:30pm-7:30pm, facilitated by Kaizenwolf Counselling for gender-diverse community members seeking facilitated peer support.
• Healthy Relationships & Consent Publication Educational publication addressing healthy relationships and consent through the lens of rainbow-identifying youth, co-developed with Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence.
• Elder Voices Publication Report and factsheets documenting the lived experiences of Takatāpui and Rainbow elders, based on 424 survey responses, focus groups, and interviews, accompanied by 16 associated podcasts.
• Rainbow Pride Group Resource Practical guide for starting and sustaining school pride groups, including tips on policies, supporting rainbow students, a glossary, and links to additional services and training.
• Gender-Affirming Binder Program Free gender-affirming binders available to Waikato region residents, funded by Te Korowai Whetū Social Cohesion Community Fund, distributed via click-and-collect or request form.
• HIV Self-Test Kit Distribution Click-and-collect HIV self-test kits in partnership with Burnett Foundation, available at RHW offices in Hamilton central, using oral swab tests with results in approximately 20 minutes.
• Pride Flags and Pins Shop Online shop selling pride merchandise including Rainbow Flags ($15), Bisexual Flags ($15), Transgender Flags ($15), Intersex Flags ($15), Rainbow Arch Pins ($7), and Rainbow Flag Pins ($9), with payment processed via Stripe.

Quantifiable outcome

• 424 Takatāpui and Rainbow elders engaged through Elder Voices project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence (HTRK-OV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on multiple research and publication projects including 'Healthy Relationships & Consent' resource and 'Elder Voices' project. Co-developed educational materials and research initiatives focused on rainbow community wellbeing.
• Burnett FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to distribute HIV self-test kits through click-and-collect service from Rainbow Hub offices. Ensures community access to testing without finger pricks or blood, with results in 20 minutes.
• Kaizenwolf CounsellingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal facilitator for the Gender Diverse Adult Group 18+ drop-in. Kaizenwolf Counselling provides professional facilitation for this weekly group.
• Youth Sector Rainbow CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collaborative of rainbow-serving organizations. Reference to 'Be There' national initiative for rangatahi support.
• Rainbow Organisations NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a resource partner for rainbow community support and information sharing.
• Inside OutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource partner providing information and support resources for rainbow communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Burnett Foundation Aotearoa: NZ's leading HIV-focused charity and a formal channel partner for Rainbow Hub Waikato's HIV self-test kit distribution. Comparable as a rainbow health and wellbeing organization operating nationally with overlapping community and partnership models.
• Rainbow Youth (Auckland): Auckland-based nonprofit supporting rainbow young people in Aotearoa, operating a parallel drop-in and community model. Highly comparable as a regional rainbow-youth organization serving overlapping demographics with similar support, education, and advocacy functions.
• Inside Out: National NZ organization supporting rainbow young people to thrive, particularly in schools. Listed as a resource partner alongside Rainbow Hub Waikato and serves a closely overlapping mission of supporting rainbow youth across Aotearoa.
• Gender Minorities Aotearoa: Aotearoa-wide nonprofit supporting transgender, intersex, and non-binary people. Directly comparable for the gender-diverse drop-in group, gender-affirming binder program, and referrals to gender-affirming care that Rainbow Hub Waikato delivers.
• Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence: Aotearoa rainbow community organization focused on preventing and responding to violence. Co-developed the Healthy Relationships & Consent resource with Rainbow Hub Waikato, evidencing a deeply aligned mission and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Outline NZ: Long-standing NZ organization supporting rainbow communities with a broader national footprint and longer history of advocacy. Comparable as a broader-incumbent rainbow organization whose mission, services, and resource production overlap materially with Rainbow Hub Waikato's portfolio.

Others

• Te Korowai Whetū: A funder and ecosystem organization supporting social cohesion initiatives in the Waikato. Rainbow Hub Waikato is a recipient of its Social Cohesion Community Fund, making it directly comparable as part of the same regional Māori-aligned rainbow funding and service ecosystem.
• Youth Sector Rainbow Collective: A national collaborative of rainbow-serving youth organizations in which Rainbow Hub Waikato participates. Comparable as a sector coordination body and ecosystem connector for the same target audience and providers.

Regional players

• Kaizenwolf Counselling: Waikato-region counselling practice that facilitates Rainbow Hub Waikato's Gender Diverse Adult Group 18+. Comparable as a regional partner providing professional rainbow-affirming clinical support within the same geographic catchment.

Emerging players

• Qtopia Sydney: Australian rainbow community organization with a community hub model combining drop-in support, education, and resources. Comparable as an emerging hub-format community organization serving similar demographics with similar service mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RainbowHubWaikato
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rainbow-hub-waikato
• Instagraminstagram.com/rainbowhubwaikato

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rainbow Hub Waikato