What Foundation for Young Australians does

The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is an Australian independent non-profit, structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee and headquartered in Melbourne, that operates nationwide to back young people (primarily 15-25, with civic engagement extending to 11-17 via Young Mayors and the South Australian Student Representative Council) in addressing social issues and creating change. FYA's core offering is a suite of free programs — Step Up!, Young Mayors, Media for Advocacy, Blakollective (a First Nations-only network of activists aged 18-35), Youth Media Centre, Seeding Strengths Grants, and Youth Action and Wellbeing Grants — delivered through online bi-monthly meetings, 1:1 coaching, group training, in-person retreats, and civic-partnership infrastructure. The technology stack supporting these programs is conventional and non-proprietary: a public-facing website (fya.org.au) with accessibility tooling, online application forms, anonymous feedback and whistleblower pathways, Zoom-based webinars, third-party payment gateways, Google Analytics, and transcription software for meetings; no developer API, SDK, or AI/ML capability is disclosed.

FYA's business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial. Programs are explicitly free to participants, "paid for by our funders and us," with disclosed grant inflows including a A$1.42M commitment from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (2021-12) and a A$75K grant from LaunchVic (2016-09-02), alongside an internally disclosed A$2.3M 2021-2023 commitment to dedicated First Nations work. Revenue mechanics consist of philanthropy (donations via the website, including anonymous gifts), competitive and relationship-based grants from foundations, and (for civic engagement programs) partner-delivered delivery through local council relationships. The organisation monetises its research output (the seven-report New Work Order series 2015-2020, plus recurring policy submissions) as reputational and policy-influence capital rather than as a saleable product. Distribution is direct to young people via fya.org.au applications, email newsletter, social media, and PR/earned media through an in-house journalist (Izzy Tolhurst) and Youth Media Lead (Heather McNab, ex-AAP/NewsCorp).

Name

Foundation for Young Australians

Legal name

The Foundation for Young Australians

Website

https://fya.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Foundation for Young Australians is an Australian non-profit that runs free programs — including Step Up!, Young Mayors, Blakollective, and the Youth Media Centre — to back young people nationwide with skills, advocacy training, media coaching, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Advocacy Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Youth advocacy programs
• Nonprofit grants
• Media training
• Civic engagement
• First Nations initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: FYA accepts donations via its website; donations may be made anonymously but tax-deductible receipts may not be issued for anonymous gifts.
2. Grants from funders: Programs are 'free, paid for by our funders and us'. Youth Action and Wellbeing Grants distribute from a pool of $100,000. FYA invested $2.3 million in dedicated First Nations work over 3 years (2021-2023).
3. Annual financial reports: FYA publishes annual financial reports (2019-2025) indicating nonprofit revenue structure governed by an elected Board of Directors as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is an independent Australian non-profit that delivers free programs, training, grants, and media advocacy support to young people aged 11–35. Its offerings include the Step Up!, Blakollective, Young Mayors, Youth Media Centre, Media for Advocacy programs, and the Youth Action and Wellbeing Grants (from a $100,000 pool) and Seeding Strengths Grants. Programs are funded by FYA and external funders and are designed to be youth-informed, with all participation free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Up!: A free program bringing young activists together to gain skills, tools, and challenge systemic injustice for real change.
• Blakollective
• Youth Media Centre
• Young Mayors

Products and services

• Step Up! Free program for young activists to gain skills, tools, and challenge systemic injustice for real change. Funded by FYA and its funders and delivered by the in-house team with 50+ years of combined expertise.
• Blakollective A network of young First Nations activists, organisers and community advocates under 35 (18-35) who are established in their work. Provides a Blak-only space for skillshare, networking, culture exchange and burnout prevention, delivered at no cost to participants.
• Young Mayors Democratically elected youth councils of 11-17 year olds across the country. Delivered as a civic engagement program operated through local council relationships.
• Youth Media Centre Free program for young people (15-25) with lived experience of injustice and grassroots activists, offering 1:1 coaching, group training, and pitch support to engage with media as a tool for advocacy.
• Media for Advocacy Free training to build the skills, knowledge and confidence for young people to engage with the media in a way that is safe, powerful and on their terms.
• Youth Action and Wellbeing Grants Grants distributed from a $100,000 pool, open to groups led by young people under 30 across the country campaigning to create change.
• Seeding Strengths Grants Grants program offered by FYA to seed and strengthen youth-led initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• FYA invested $2.3 million into dedicated First Nations work over 3 years (2021-2023)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• KPMGcoreOthersKPMG serves as FYA's auditor. Whistleblower disclosures can be made directly to FYA's auditors KPMG (+61 3 9288 5555). FYA's auditors engage with the whistleblower framework under the Corporations Act 2001.
• Your CallcoreOthersYour Call (https://whistleblowing.com.au/) is an independent whistleblower service provider engaged by FYA to receive whistleblowing disclosures confidentially. Reports can be made 24/7 via the Your Call website, with a message board enabling anonymous ongoing two-way communication between whistleblower and FYA's Whistleblowing Officers.
• Copyright AgencyminorOthersThe Copyright Agency processes permission requests on FYA's behalf for reproduction of FYA material. Can be contacted by telephone on 02 9394 7600 or 1800 066 844. Manages statutory education licences that allow schools, universities and TAFEs to reproduce FYA's materials under certain conditions.
• Tomorrow MovementmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFYA partnered with the Tomorrow Movement on joint policy submissions to Australian Government inquiries, including the Fair Work Amendment Bill (2021), Social Services Amendment Bill (March 2021), and Online Job Services inquiry (June 2021).
• Young Workers CentremoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFYA, the Tomorrow Movement and the Young Workers Centre raised joint concerns with the Australian Government's proposed changes to the Fair Work Act that would re-define casual employment and undermine the Better Off Overall Test.
• YLabmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFYA and YLab put forward joint mechanisms for the Victorian Government to meaningfully engage with young people in making policy in their new whole-of-government youth strategy (2020 submission). Natasha Swingler is identified as an FYA Ylab Associate.
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)minorOthersExternal regulator referenced in FYA's Privacy Policy as the body to which privacy complaints may be escalated if not resolved by FYA. OAIC contact: 1300 363 992, GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001.
• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)minorOthersExternal regulator referenced in FYA's Whistleblower Policy as a body to which whistleblowing disclosures may be made. ASIC receives reports of misconduct through its online misconduct reporting form.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC): Australia's largest youth-led climate advocacy organisation, structurally comparable to FYA: nonprofit, community-led, youth-informed campaigns, policy submissions and national movement-building aimed at systemic change.
• YLab: Designs and delivers youth-led social innovation and policy projects, including joint submissions with FYA to the Victorian Government on youth strategy — a direct operational partner with overlapping methodology.
• GetUp: Independent, grassroots Australian advocacy organisation cited alongside FYA in campaign contexts; comparable community-led, donation-funded, policy-submission-driven model.
• CREATE Foundation: National peak body for children and young people with lived experience of out-of-home care; close peer in youth-led participation methodology, advocacy tooling and program delivery to marginalised young Australians.

Broad incumbents

• Orygen: Australia's flagship youth mental-health research and advocacy organisation; broader scope than FYA but similar youth-informed program model, policy influence and Melbourne base.
• Mission Australia: Large Australian nonprofit serving young people through housing, employment and advocacy programs; far larger scale but overlapping beneficiary population and policy-submission activity.
• The Smith Family: Major Australian children's charity focused on education and disadvantage; comparable in operating a national programs portfolio, donor base and research output, though at substantially greater scale.
• Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation): Australia's primary youth mental-health service network and policy advocate; comparable youth-targeted, federally funded, multi-program nonprofit structure but specialised on mental health.
• Plan International Australia: International NGO operating in Australia focused on children's rights and gender equality; overlaps with FYA in youth-led advocacy, civic engagement programming and policy submissions.
• Amnesty International Australia: Human rights advocacy organisation running youth-facing campaigns and submissions; comparable in movement-building, media advocacy and policy engagement model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fya_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Young Australians