Yourtown

What Yourtown does

Yourtown (formerly BoysTown) is an Australian nonprofit charity organization founded in 1961 and headquartered in Brisbane, with operations across Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. The organization delivers wraparound support services to children and young people aged 5-25 and their families, including mental health and crisis counselling (Kids Helpline, Parentline), youth employment and training (Transition to Work, jobactive, social enterprises), domestic and family violence refuges, and accommodation for vulnerable young parents (San Miguel). The organization rebranded from BoysTown to yourtown in recent years and is governed as a registered charity (ABN 11 102 379 386) under CEO Tracy Adams.

The core technology stack spans a multi-channel service delivery platform including 24/7 phone counselling via 1800 55 1800 (free even from mobile, regulated under Australian telecommunications rules), the world-first Kids Helpline WebChat service launched in 1999, video-calling delivery into classrooms under Kids Helpline @ School, the purpose-built My Circle peer-support chat room platform launched in 2020 with Bupa Health Foundation support, and the niggle consumer wellbeing tracking app launched in 2019. Identity is managed via Microsoft Azure AD B2C with OAuth 2.0 for the myplace account portal, and donations are processed through GoFundraise.

The revenue model is hybrid. Approximately 57% of funding comes from Art Union prize draws (luxury homes, prestige cars including Porsche, BMW, and Maserati, plus gold bullion in partnership with As Good As Gold Australia), with tickets sold online, by phone (1800 555 079), and through the recurring myplace subscription programme (entitling members to 70+ bonus draws). The remainder is sourced from federal and state government contracts (Transition to Work, jobactive, family violence services), tax-deductible donations across one-off, seasonal appeal, workplace giving, philanthropic giving, bequests, and corporate partnership streams, and Social Enterprises that provide paid work experience and training to disadvantaged youth, including the ARC/Griffith University-evaluated Yarrabilba construction-skills project with Lend Lease. Services to clients are provided free of charge.

Name

Yourtown

Legal name

yourtown

Website

https://yourtown.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Yourtown is an Australian nonprofit charity (formerly BoysTown) delivering 24/7 counselling (Kids Helpline), youth employment programs, family violence services, and accommodation for young parents across five states, funded primarily by Art Union prize draws and government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Community Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Youth counselling services
• Community welfare services
• Charity fundraising draws
• Youth employment programs
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Art Union Prize Draws: Lottery-style prize draws (Art Union) offering luxury homes, prestige cars, and gold bullion as prizes. Ticket sales form the primary revenue source, generating 57% of yourtown's total funding according to their own reporting. Multiple draws per year with homes in prestige locations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate partners, community supporters, and workplace giving programs. Christmas and seasonal appeals drive donation campaigns.
3. Government Funding: Federal and state government grants and contracts to deliver services including employment programs (Transition to Work, jobactive), Kids Helpline operations, and family violence services.
4. Social Enterprises: Yourtown Enterprises provides training and employment programs for disadvantaged youth, generating revenue through training services and providing work experience opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yourtown is an Australian nonprofit charity organization that delivers free community services to children, young people (aged 5-25) and families, including 24/7 counselling (Kids Helpline), youth employment and training programs, domestic and family violence support, and accommodation for vulnerable young parents. These services are primarily funded through Art Union prize home and prestige car lottery draws (57% of funding), with the balance from donations, government grants and social enterprise activities.

Product overview

Yourtown (formerly BoysTown) operates as a charity organization providing community services for children and young people, primarily funded through its Art Union prize home and car draw program. The core service portfolio includes Kids Helpline (24/7 counselling for ages 5-25), employment programs (Transition to Work, jobactive), family services (Parentline, Domestic and Family Violence Service, San Miguel young parent accommodation), and social enterprises for training disadvantaged youth. The Art Union and myplace subscription programs conduct regular prize draws as the primary fundraising mechanism, contributing 57% of organizational funding. Digital offerings include WebChat counselling, Kids Helpline @ School video program, My Circle peer support platform, and the niggle wellbeing tracking app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Helpline: Australia's only free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
• Parentline
• myplace
• Prize Homes
• My Circle
• niggle App
• Kids Helpline @ School

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% of young people obtain employment, re-engage with education, or continue training after completing Yarrabilba social enterprise project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Research CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partnership with Griffith University to evaluate BoysTown's social enterprise projects including the Yarrabilba initiative. The ARC-funded study found that 73% of young people achieved positive outcomes (employment, education, training) after completing programs.
• Griffith UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership evaluating social enterprise program effectiveness. Joint research published findings on youth employment outcomes and program efficacy.
• Lend LeasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Yarrabilba social enterprise project - a master planned community development where yourtown delivers employment and training programs for disadvantaged youth. Young people gain construction, landscaping and other skills through on-the-job training.
• OptusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelecommunications partner that set up no-charge mobile calls to Kids Helpline on their plans, enabling free access for young people on Optus networks before federal regulation required all telcos to follow.
• eSafety CommissionercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership in cyber safety education. Kids Helpline was among the first to flag increasing need for cyber safety education and collaborated to launch Cybersmart in 2009, later transitioning to eSafety Commissioner partnership.
• NRL (National Rugby League)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud partner of NRL State of Mind program which raises awareness of mental health issues. Kids Helpline promoted through NRL community and sporting events.
• Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold CoastminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHospitality partnership providing work experience opportunities for young people from yourtown's Logan facility. Two-day program gave insight into hotel operations and employment opportunities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ReachOut Australia: Australia's leading online youth mental-health service. Directly comparable to yourtown's Kids Helpline because both serve 12-25 year-olds through digital mental-health channels and rely on a hybrid of government contracts and donations.
• Headspace Australia: Federally funded youth mental-health organization operating physical centres across Australia. Comparable to yourtown because both deliver counselling and wellbeing services to the 12-25 age cohort under federal contracts and have national footprints.
• The Smith Family: Australian children's charity running education and family-support programs for disadvantaged youth. Comparable to yourtown because both serve vulnerable children/young people through education, employment, and family services, and rely on donations and lottery/Art Union-style fundraising.
• Berry Street: Victorian-based nonprofit providing family violence, out-of-home care, and youth services. Comparable to yourtown's Domestic and Family Violence Service and San Miguel Young Parent Service in target population and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Lifeline Australia: Australia's largest crisis-support phone line. Comparable to yourtown's Kids Helpline because both provide free, 24/7 telephone crisis support and rely on a mix of donations, government grants, and retail fundraising, but Lifeline serves all ages rather than specialising in 5-25.
• Beyond Blue: National mental-health nonprofit providing phone, webchat and clinical services. Comparable to yourtown because both are federally co-funded mental-health providers with similar digital service models, though Beyond Blue focuses on depression/anxiety rather than a youth-only cohort.
• Mission Australia: One of Australia's largest social-services nonprofits running housing, employment, and youth programs. Comparable to yourtown across employment services and youth housing but with a broader client base and service catalogue.
• Anglicare Australia: Federation of Anglican community-service organizations delivering counselling, housing, and family support nationally. Comparable to yourtown in service mix but serves the broader population rather than a youth-only niche.

Emerging players

• Black Dog Institute: Australian research-and-clinical organisation focused on mood disorders with strong digital programs for young people. Comparable to yourtown's digital wellbeing tools (niggle, My Circle) where both invest in evidence-based youth mental-health platforms.
• Orygen Youth Mental Health: Research-driven youth mental-health organization operating headspace centres and digital tools. Comparable to yourtown because both operate youth-focused mental-health services with research partnerships; Orygen has a more clinical/research orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/yourtown
• Facebookfacebook.com/yourtownAU
• Instagraminstagram.com/yourtownprizehomes

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Yourtown