GV Pride Inc. is a not-for-profit charity (established in 2005) whose focus is on providing peer-led advocacy and social-support/resources to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer community members and their allies (LGBTIQA+) living in and around Greater Shepparton.

Registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, GV Pride is a public benevolent institution promoting and protecting human rights, promoting reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance between groups of individuals that are in Australia and advancing the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA people. (A public benevolent institution is a type of charitable institution whose main purpose is to relieve poverty or distress.)

GV Pride’s work and focus entitles us to DGR (deductible gift recipient) status with the Australian Tax Office which means tax deductible donations can be made to GV Pride. GV Pride regularly hosts free or subsidised events (that meet the following criteria) and can provide food packages, vouchers for goods/services and other resources where these funds are used to support our community.

Benevolent relief includes working for the relief of poverty or distress (such as sickness, disability, destitution, suffering, misfortune or helplessness). The degree (level) of distress is also important and our charity only meets the definition if its purposes try to meet a need that is:

• significant enough (and the circumstances difficult enough) to arouse compassion in people in the community (e.g. homophobia/discrimination/risk of homelessness and other disadvantage,
• beyond the suffering experienced as part of ordinary daily life, and
• concrete enough – aimed at helping people who are recognisably in need. The purpose does not have to be to relieve financial hardship or need caused by poverty, but can relieve other needs. For example, a charity that provides counselling services to people traumatised by a natural  disaster, or one that provides education and activities to disadvantaged young people to help them gain skills in life may be a public benevolent institution (e.g. providing access to events/activities/films that improve mental  health/wellbeing).

As long as a charity’s main purpose is benevolent, it can also have other non-benevolent purposes that are incidental.

If you would like to seek support to suggest an event/idea using the funds allocated for Charitable purposes, please complete the form below, and we’ll be in touch.