Australia’s leading LGBTQ+ health organisation, ACON, is launching a fundraising drive for community development to strengthen connection, resilience and wellbeing among sexuality and gender diverse people across NSW.
The initiative calls on supporters, partners and allies to help grow ACON’s community development work and its programs that bring people together, build confidence and improve health and wellbeing.
ACON CEO Michael Woodhouse said the new drive is about expanding that legacy and ensuring more LGBTQ+ people in NSW have the opportunity to live healthy, connected lives.
“For 40 years, ACON has been helping communities stay connected, informed and supported. From the early days of the HIV response to today’s wide range of health and inclusion programs, community building has always been at the heart of our work,” Woodhouse said.
“We have seen this for decades in our work with gay men and people living with HIV, and now we want to extend that same community strength across all parts of our LGBTQ+ communities and all the issues we experience.
“Strong communities are the bedrock of good health. When people are connected, they feel supported, resilient and able to live fuller, healthier lives.”
The fundraising drive supports ACON’s new Impact Strategy 2025–2030, which identifies community connection as a key driver of better health outcomes. The campaign aims to grow ACON’s capacity to deliver grassroots programs that help people find belonging, friendship and purpose.
Woodhouse said ACON has set an ambitious goal to raise $1,000,000 for ACON’s community development drive to support this vital work.
“This is a bold aspiration that reflects both the scale of the need and the strength of our communities,” Woodhouse said. “Reaching this milestone will allow us to invest in programs that build lasting connection and ensure people in our communities have access to the support they need, wherever they are.”
Woodhouse added: “This is the community’s work. It is about local people creating spaces and projects that make a difference, from peer education and social groups to initiatives like TransHub and the LOVE Project. These programs change lives because they are designed by and for our communities.”
While government support remains crucial to delivering health services, Woodhouse said philanthropy and community contributions are essential to sustaining the connection-based work that keeps people well.
“Government funding helps us deliver vital health programs, but it does not always cover the heart work, the programs that bring people together. That is where our supporters come in. When individuals, businesses and community partners contribute, they help fill the gaps and ensure that no one is left behind,” Woodhouse said.
The new fundraising drive will help ACON expand its community development initiatives, building leadership, resilience and social connection across NSW.
Woodhouse added: “Our vision is simple. We want LGBTQ+ people in every part of the state to feel connected, valued and supported. Together, we can create stronger, healthier communities where everyone has the chance to thrive.”
For more information and to contribute, visit fundraisewithacon.org.au.
ENDS
For more information please contact: David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications
E: dalexander@acon.org.au T: +61 (02) 9206 2044 M: +61 (0)428 477 042