Marlin Communications

What Marlin Communications does

Marlin Communications is an Australian full-service creative agency founded in 1999/2000 by Karl Tischler and Dan Geaves that operates exclusively with charities, not-for-profits, and social enterprises. Headquartered in Redfern, NSW, the firm delivers branding, integrated fundraising appeals (EOFY, EOY, regular giving, gifts in wills, emergency appeals, community fundraising events), donor care communications, digital advertising (Google Ads, Google Ad Grants, Facebook), email automation, and video production. Its client base of 60+ Australian and New Zealand charities includes UNICEF Australia, Amnesty International Australia, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, RSPCA NSW, The Smith Family, Caritas Australia, World Vision, Bush Heritage Australia, Kidney Health Australia, and WWF Australia, with reported campaign outcomes ranging from a $11.8M integrated Christmas appeal to 113% mid-value income growth at Amnesty International.

The firm's core technology asset is the Marlin Web Platform, a WordPress-based managed website and fundraising platform built on 20+ years and 100+ charity site builds of experience. The platform provides best-practice donation flows, supporter-optimised templates, deep CRM integrations (Salesforce, Blackbaud Raiser\'s Edge NXT, eTapestry, ThankQ), payment gateway integrations (Stripe, PayPal, eWay, Bambora, Blackbaud Merchant Services), e-commerce/membership functionality, and WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance via the UserWay widget. Complementary custom application work is delivered on Laravel (e.g., the University of Sydney g-medss pharmacist medication management system). The agency's digital optimisation methodology, CORE (Comprehensive Optimisation Roadmap Engagement), was developed in partnership with NextAfter.

Marlin generates revenue through three streams: project-based creative and campaign services (multi-year contracts, quote-based pricing), digital fundraising execution (paid media management, email automation, A/B testing), and a recurring managed platform subscription for the Marlin Web Platform (monthly hosting, security monitoring, plugin updates, hourly support). The go-to-market combines direct sales to charity leadership, a self-serve "Book a Demo" motion for the platform, an educational webinar series (Marlin Masterclass Series), and a freelancer network for peak capacity. The agency is B Corp certified, 100% carbon neutral, and transitioning to sole ownership under Karl Tischler effective July 2026 after Dan Geaves' exit.

Name

Marlin Communications

Legal name

Marlin Communications

Website

https://marlincommunications.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marlin Communications is an Australian full-service creative agency dedicated exclusively to charities and not-for-profits, delivering branding, fundraising appeals, donor care, digital campaigns, and the WordPress-based Marlin Web Platform for charity websites across Australia and New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Creative and Fundraising Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Direct Mail Advertising (54186)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

Keywords

• Nonprofit creative agency
• Charity fundraising services
• Digital fundraising campaigns
• Charity website platform
• Donor acquisition marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Redfern

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Full-service creative agency providing branding, campaign development, creative strategy, and communication services to charities and not-for-profits. Revenue generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements for ongoing client relationships.
2. Digital Fundraising Services: Digital strategy, campaign management, execution services including Facebook advertising, Google Ads, Google Ad Grants, email marketing campaigns and automation, UX/UI design and web development.
3. Marlin Web Platform Subscription/Maintenance: Managed platform solution including hosting, security monitoring, plugin updates, and support services for charity websites built on the platform. Support services available as hourly or block-hour payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Marlin Communications is a full-service creative agency that exclusively serves charities and not-for-profit organisations across Australia and New Zealand, providing branding, integrated fundraising campaign development, digital fundraising strategy and execution, donor care communications, website design and development, and video production. The agency operates the proprietary Marlin Web Platform, a WordPress-based website and donation infrastructure purpose-built for nonprofits with CRM and payment gateway integrations, and applies the CORE digital fundraising optimisation methodology developed in partnership with US-based NextAfter.

Product overview

Marlin Communications is a full-service creative agency dedicated to charities and not-for-profits in Australia and New Zealand. The company operates as a service-based agency rather than a software product company, offering a portfolio of consulting and creative services organized around fundraising and nonprofit communications. The core product is the Marlin Web Platform, a WordPress-based website and fundraising platform built specifically for charities that provides templates, integrations with CRMs (Salesforce, Blackbaud products, ThankQ) and payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, eWay), and WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance. The service portfolio spans: Branding (brand identity, refresh, guidelines), Community Fundraising & Events (event development, peer-to-peer campaigns), Data & Optimisation (CORE methodology with NextAfter, A/B testing, analytics), Digital Fundraising (campaign management, paid ads, email automation), Donor Care (communications, newsletters, retention), Emergency Appeals (rapid crisis fundraising), Fundraising Appeals (integrated multi-channel campaigns), Gifts in Wills (legacy program strategy), Regular Giving (program design and optimization), Website Design & Development (WordPress, Laravel), TV & Film Creation (video production), and the Marlin Masterclass Series (educational webinars). The company does not offer AI-powered products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marlin Web Platform Affordable, WordPress-based web platform built specifically for charities and nonprofits, offering best-practice fundraising templates, supporter-optimised donation forms, CRM integrations (Salesforce, RENXT, eTapestry, ThankQ), payment gateway integrations (Stripe, eWay, PayPal, Blackbaud Merchant Services, Bambora), membership portals, e-commerce functionality, automatic receipting, and WCAG 2.1 accessibility via the UserWay widget. Includes managed hosting, security monitoring, plugin updates, and support services.
• Branding Services Full-service branding for charities and not-for-profits including brand identity development, brand refresh, brand book creation, brand archetype development, tone of voice guidelines, brand building, and visual direction.
• Community Fundraising & Events Development and strategy for community fundraising events including event concept development, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, campaign look and feel, supporter engagement, and platform integration with Raisely and Funraisin.
• Data & Optimisation (CORE) Digital fundraising optimisation services including the proprietary CORE (Comprehensive Optimisation Roadmap Engagement) methodology developed in partnership with NextAfter, digital attraction strategy, A/B testing, analytics, and conversion rate optimisation for online fundraising campaigns.
• Digital Fundraising End-to-end digital fundraising services including strategy and audit, campaign management, Facebook advertising, Google Ad Grants, email marketing automation, and custom web platform development using WordPress or Laravel.
• Donor Care Services Donor care communications including newsletters, magazines, thank you letters, impact reports, and strategic planning to retain donors and build long-term loyalty.
• Emergency Appeals Crisis and emergency fundraising appeal development including campaign materials, direct mail, eDMs, digital and social ads, video content, and rapid deployment of templated donation pages.
• Fundraising Appeals Integrated fundraising appeal campaigns combining direct mail, email marketing, social media strategy, creative development, and digital implementation to maximise donor engagement and revenue.
• Gifts in Wills Legacy and bequest fundraising programs including strategic planning, supporter journey development, digital tools for program management, and communication materials for Gift in Wills campaigns targeting baby boomers.
• Regular Giving Regular giving program development and optimisation including supporter experience design, acquisition strategy, retention communications, and multi-channel recruitment campaigns across TV, outdoor, press, telephone, and digital.
• Website Design & Development Website strategy, UX/UI design, WordPress CMS development, Laravel custom applications, accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA/AAA), e-commerce development, API integration, and ongoing hosting and maintenance services.
• TV & Film Creation Video production services for fundraising including campaign videos, testimonial content, social media video, and documentary-style storytelling for charity clients.
• Marlin Masterclass Series Educational webinar series sharing fundraising knowledge with best-practice learning and development sessions for nonprofit professionals, covering topics like digital fundraising, donor engagement, and sector-specific strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33% increase in donations (Greenpeace EOFY 2023)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NextAftercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Exclusive agency partnership bringing NextAfter's digital fundraising optimisation services, methodologies, skills and knowledge to Australia and New Zealand. NextAfter has run thousands of digital fundraising experiments and helped hundreds of clients acquire more donors and raise more money online. Marlin offers CORE (Comprehensive Optimisation Roadmap Engagement) process developed in partnership with NextAfter.
• RaiselycoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunity fundraising and event platform partnership. Marlin builds customised fundraising platforms on Raisely bringing charity events and fundraising campaigns to life.
• FunraisincoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunity fundraising and event platform partnership. Marlin builds customised fundraising platforms on Funraisin bringing charity events and fundraising campaigns to life.
• Google AdscoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified Google Ads partner offering Google Ads and Google Ad Grants management and execution services to support digital fundraising campaigns.
• Campaign MonitorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing and automation platform integrated with Marlin's digital fundraising builds. Marlin sets up branded email templates, communications, and journeys integrated with CRM.
• MailchimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing and automation platform integrated with Marlin's digital fundraising builds.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM integration partner. Marlin Web Platform integrates with Salesforce and other Blackbaud CRMs for seamless supporter data flow.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment gateway integration. Stripe integration available out-of-the-box on Marlin Web Platform.
• eWaysupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment gateway integration available on Marlin Web Platform.
• PayPalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment gateway integration available on Marlin Web Platform.
• BlackbaudcoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM integration (Raiser\'s Edge NXT, BBMS) and payment gateway (Blackbaud Merchant Services) available on Marlin Web Platform.
• ThankQsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCRM integration partner available on Marlin Web Platform.
• BamborasupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment gateway integration available on Marlin Web Platform.
• AutopilotsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMarketing automation platform integrated with Marlin's digital fundraising builds.
• UserWaysupportingTechnology or IntegrationAccessibility widget integrated with Marlin Web Platform for WCAG 2.1 compliance.
• Clever ContactscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelemarketing agency partner for 2-step acquisition campaigns. Conducts phone conversations with acquired leads to convert them to regular givers. Partnered on ActionAid Australia and UnitingCare Queensland Blue Care campaigns.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Raisely: Australian/NZ fundraising platform used by Marlin for community event builds; a technology partner that could expand upstream into campaign creative services, partially disintermediating agencies like Marlin.

Direct peers

• Pursuant: US-based full-service fundraising and creative agency serving nonprofits with direct mail, digital, and data-driven campaign services — direct analogue to Marlin's model in the much larger North American nonprofit market.
• Russ Reid (Newport One): Established US nonprofit fundraising and creative agency offering multichannel fundraising, branding, and media services to charities — comparable offering to Marlin across the same nonprofit buyer segment, but at significantly larger scale.
• imc agency: Australian creative and communications agency serving both commercial and purpose-led clients with branding, digital, and campaign work — competes for the same ANZ marketing talent pool and overlapping client briefs as Marlin.
• Manifesto Digital: Australian digital agency providing strategy, web, and digital marketing services — overlaps with Marlin's digital fundraising and web platform offerings for ANZ nonprofit and SME clients.
• Lindauer Global: US nonprofit management consulting and creative services firm serving charities with fundraising strategy, branding, and campaign execution — comparable model to Marlin's integrated strategy-plus-execution approach.
• Thinker Sherpa: Australian creative and digital agency serving purpose-driven and nonprofit clients with branding, web, and campaign work — comparable ANZ-based agency competing for similar nonprofit briefs.

Emerging players

• NextAfter: US digital fundraising research and optimisation firm; Marlin's exclusive ANZ partner and co-developer of the CORE methodology — overlapping service offering in data-driven fundraising optimisation, positioning it as both partner and adjacent competitor.
• For Purpose Co. Australian purpose-led marketing agency serving NFPs and ethical brands with strategy, campaigns, and creative services — partial overlap with Marlin's ANZ nonprofit focus from an emerging competitor perspective.

Regional players

• Halo Creative Agency: UK-based creative agency dedicated to charities and social enterprises offering branding, campaigns, and digital services — directly comparable niche positioning but serving UK/European nonprofits rather than ANZ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/marlincomms
• Facebookfacebook.com/marlincommunications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marlin-communications

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Marlin Communications