What Lifeline Australia does

Lifeline Australia is a national non-profit charity founded in 1963 that provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services to the Australian public, operating through the widely recognised phone number 13 11 14 along with text, web chat, and face-to-face channels. The organisation is structured as a federation comprising a National Office in Sydney and 17 separately incorporated member organisations that own and operate over 43 accredited Lifeline Centres across every Australian state and territory, supported by more than 10,000 trained volunteer crisis supporters and over 1,000 employees. Its service portfolio includes the core 13 11 14 phone crisis line, text and chat services with automated triage, and a set of sub-brands serving specific populations: 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), MensLine Australia, Suicide Call Back Service, SuicideLine Victoria, Changing for Good (men's behaviour change), and 13HELP (disaster response). Supporting digital tools include the Beyond Now safety planning app, the Support Toolkit (369,000+ active users), Lifeline Service Finder directory, and SANE Australia-hosted discussion forums.

The organisation's revenue model is diversified across donations (individuals, corporations, philanthropy), government grants (federal and state, including funding tied to the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032), fee-based training programmes delivered through its Registered Training Organisation status (RTO 88036) including DV-alert, ASIST, safeTALK, and REDI, and retail operations through Lifeline Shops and Book Fairs. All crisis support services are free; donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on volunteer recruitment, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and brand-driven awareness of the 13 11 14 number. In FY2024-25, Lifeline responded to over 1.32 million help seeker contacts, developed 52,000+ safety plans, and answered 25,000+ 13YARN calls, with 23 million total calls answered since 1963. CEO Colin Seery leads the organisation, founded by Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker.

Name

Lifeline Australia

Legal name

Lifeline Australia

Website

https://lifeline.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lifeline Australia is a national non-profit charity founded in 1963 providing 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services via phone (13 11 14), text, chat, and 43 centres, serving the Australian public through 10,000+ volunteers and sub-brands targeting specific populations including Indigenous, men's, and veteran communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Lifeline receives donations from individuals, corporations, and philanthropic organisations. Donations $2 and over are tax-deductible in Australia (ABN: 84 081 031 263). The organisation operates charity shops and book fairs selling donated goods to fund suicide prevention services.
2. Government Grants and Funding: Lifeline receives government funding from federal and state/territory governments. DV-alert training is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.
3. Training Services: Lifeline delivers paid training programs including ASIST suicide intervention skills training, DV-alert domestic violence awareness, safeTALK, and REDI courses. The organisation is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 88036).
4. Lifeline Shops and Book Fairs: Member organisations operate Lifeline Shops and Book Fairs selling donated goods. Proceeds help fund suicide prevention services, crisis support, counselling, and local programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

No source material was provided in the input; therefore a description of Lifeline Australia's core offerings cannot be extracted.

Product overview

Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing a portfolio of interconnected crisis support, counselling, and self-led mental health services. Its core product is the 13 11 14 phone crisis line (24/7), supplemented by Text & Chat services and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific 13YARN service. These connect to a national network of 43 Lifeline Centres offering face-to-face counselling, bereavement groups, financial counselling, and the Lifeline Connect outreach programme. Supporting the core services are the Support Toolkit (self-led digital resource), the Beyond Now app (suicide safety planning), discussion forums, and the Service Finder directory. Adjacent phone counselling lines include MensLine Australia, Suicide Call Back Service, SuicideLine Victoria, and Changing for Good. Training programmes (DV-alert, ASIST, safeTALK, REDI) build community capacity. Postvention support is delivered through partnerships with StandBy, Thirrili, and Roses in the Ocean.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 13YARN: Australia's first national crisis support service co-designed, developed, led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The service is free and available over the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• MensLine Australia
• Suicide Call Back Service
• SuicideLine Victoria
• Changing for Good
• Beyond Now
• 13HELP

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.32 million+ help seeker contacts responded to in FY2024-25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• InfoxchangecoreTechnology or IntegrationInfoxchange provides and maintains the Lifeline Service Finder, an online directory of free or low-cost health and community services in Australia.
• SANE AustraliacoreTechnology or IntegrationSANE Australia hosts and moderates Lifeline's discussion forums, providing professional moderation by mental health professionals.
• TIS NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIS National provides free interpreting services enabling non-English speakers to access Lifeline crisis support through phone translation.
• National Relay Service (NRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Government initiative providing phone/internet solutions for deaf or hearing/speech impaired individuals to access Lifeline services.
• Uniting Church in AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Lifeline centres are operated by Uniting Church entities including Uniting Vic.Tas, UnitingCare Queensland, and Uniting Communities Adelaide.
• 13YARNmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner13YARN is Australia's first national crisis support service co-designed, developed, led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for Indigenous Australians.
• Lifeline Member NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor17 separately incorporated member organisations owning and operating 43 accredited Lifeline centres across Australia, delivering local services and supporting national crisis line operations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Black Dog Institute: Australian medical research institute focused on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mood disorders including depression and suicide. Comparable mission overlap with Lifeline's suicide prevention work, though Black Dog operates primarily as a research and clinical provider.
• Crisis Text Line: US-based 24/7 text-based crisis support service using volunteer crisis counselors and AI-assisted triage. Comparable in multi-channel (text/chat) crisis delivery and volunteer-staffed model; represents the digitally-native evolution of the crisis-line category Lifeline operates in.
• Open Arms (Australia): Australian Government-funded counselling and crisis support service for current and former ADF members and their families. Comparable specialised crisis support delivery model; operates as a partner/referral relationship with Lifeline rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• SANE Australia: National mental health charity providing information, referral, and moderated peer support forums for people affected by complex mental health issues. Comparable as a charity-funded mental health support organisation; already a direct technology partner of Lifeline via discussion forums.
• headspace: Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing mental health support to 12-25 year olds via a network of physical centres and digital services. Comparable in mission, multi-channel delivery, government partnership structure, and centre-based national footprint.
• Beyond Blue: Australia's largest mental health-focused charity, providing 24/7 phone, chat, and online support for anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention. Directly comparable in mission, funding model (donations/government grants), and national footprint; overlapping service lines in crisis support and the BeyondNow safety planning app.
• Kids Helpline: Australia's free 24/7 phone and online counselling service for children and young people (5-25), operated by yourtown. Directly comparable crisis-line model with similar volunteer/staff structure, government co-funding, and national reach.

Broad incumbents

• Suicide Prevention Australia: National peak body for the suicide prevention sector in Australia, representing member organisations and advancing policy. Comparable as a national coordinating and advocacy entity in the same mission space as Lifeline.

Regional players

• Samaritans (UK): UK-based charity providing 24/7 emotional support via phone, email, and letter for anyone in distress. Closest international comparable to Lifeline in operating model (volunteer-led crisis line, charity-funded, longstanding brand), though serving a different geography.

Others

• MensLine Australia: Free 24/7 phone and online counselling service for men—operated under the Lifeline network as a sub-brand rather than a separate entity. Listed separately here for comparability purposes given its distinct brand identity and audience focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lifeline Australia