Australian Red Cross

What Australian Red Cross does

Australian Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1914, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and operating as part of the global International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement under the Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. The organization provides disaster preparedness, response, and recovery services (281,923–324,000+ people supported annually across 33 emergency activations), migration support including Restoring Family Links (34,170 people from 129 countries), aged care and loneliness programs via Telecross and Telechat (139,168 volunteer hours), accredited first aid and mental health training as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO ID 3605, 70,000+ students), and community services including food security and homelessness support.

The technology stack is centered on a multi-channel digital ecosystem: the main redcross.org.au donation platform, a personalized My Red Cross donor portal for receipts and account management, the Act for Humanity peer-to-peer fundraising platform powered by third-party provider Funraisin, and the Red Cross Shops online retail storefront. Communication infrastructure integrates standard payment processors (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal) via PCI DSS-compliant gateway, social media channels across seven platforms, Google Analytics for web tracking, and Zendesk for customer support. The organization holds ACNC charity registration, the protected Red Cross emblem under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957, and operates 423 branches and groups nationwide.

The business model combines five primary revenue streams: donations and fundraising (one-time, regular giving every four weeks, bequests, memorial donations, emergency appeals), first aid training (accredited courses GST-exempt; non-accredited GST-bearing), retail sales of new and pre-loved clothing through Red Cross Shops, membership subscriptions, and corporate partnerships including workplace giving and philanthropic grants. Additional funding comes from government grants, notably $500,000 from DFAT for international earthquake response. Pricing is donation-tier based ($35–$350+ tied to specific humanitarian outcomes), with $2 minimum for tax deductibility. The organization serves primarily individual donors, disaster-affected communities, refugees and migrants, isolated elderly populations, and corporate partners, with a national staff of 1,639 supported by 18,450 members and volunteers.

Name

Australian Red Cross

Legal name

Australian Red Cross Society

Website

https://redcross.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Australian Red Cross, founded 1914 and headquartered in Melbourne, is a non-profit humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, migration support, aged care, and first aid training across Australia, funded by donations, retail, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI)

Keywords

• Humanitarian services
• Disaster relief
• Emergency response
• First aid training
• Migration support

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream from individual donors making one-time or regular tax-deductible donations. Includes appeals during emergencies, regular giving programs, and bequests.
2. First Aid Training: Revenue from accredited and non-accredited first aid and mental health training courses delivered by registered training organization (RTO ID 3605).
3. Retail Sales: Revenue from Red Cross Shops selling new and pre-loved clothing and accessories, both in physical stores and online.
4. Membership: Revenue from membership fees for individuals who join as members of Australian Red Cross.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Philanthropic giving and workplace giving programs where corporations partner with Australian Red Cross for employee giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Australian Red Cross is a humanitarian organization providing disaster preparedness and response services, emergency relief, migration support for refugees and asylum seekers, community programs for the elderly and isolated, and accredited first aid and mental health training. It operates a national network of 423 branches and groups, engages 18,450+ members and volunteers, and funds its work through individual donations, corporate partnerships, retail shops selling donated goods, and government grants.

Product overview

Australian Red Cross operates a multi-channel humanitarian services organization combining physical services with digital platforms. The core digital products include the main redcross.org.au website for donations and information, the My Red Cross personalized donor portal for managing donations and receipts, the Act for Humanity peer-to-peer fundraising platform powered by Funraisin, and the Red Cross Shops online store. Physical services span emergency disaster response, first aid training (RTO ID 3605), migration support programs, community services including aged care and food hubs, and the Telecross/Telechat wellbeing programs. The organization also participates in the broader Red Cross movement including International Humanitarian Law advocacy and global programs through partnerships with IFRC and ICRC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Cross Shops: Retail stores selling new and pre-loved clothing and accessories to fund humanitarian work
• Act for Humanity
• Humanitech
• Global Migration Lab

Products and services

• Red Cross Shops
• First Aid Training
• Emergency and Disaster Services
• Migration Support Programs
• Telecross and Telechat Programs
• Community Services
• My Red Cross Portal
• Act for Humanity Fundraising Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 281,923 people received disaster support (July 2024–June 2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate partnership for clothing drive events. Uber collaborated with Australian Red Cross to encourage donations of clothing and goods to Red Cross Shops.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023Australian Red Cross works with IFRC on international emergency responses and appeals. For the Morocco earthquake, funds were sent through the IFRC Emergency Appeal. IFRC coordinates global Red Cross disaster response efforts.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023Australian Red Cross collaborates with ICRC on humanitarian protection activities, international humanitarian law promotion, and family reunification services through Restoring Family Links program.
• Moroccan Red CrescentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023Australian Red Cross supported Moroccan Red Crescent's response to the September 2023 earthquake through $500,000 funding via IFRC Emergency Appeal and deployment of technical specialists from delegate register.
• Qatar Red CrescentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023Partnered with Moroccan Red Crescent in earthquake response, providing psychosocial support and relief supplies distribution to affected communities in mountain villages.
• Australian Red Cross LifebloodminorOthersSeparate entity operating blood donation services. Referenced on main website but operates independently with its own privacy policy and branding. Visit lifeblood.com.au.
• HumanitechminorOthersRelated organization mentioned in website footer. Visit humanitech.org.au for more information.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Red Cross Lifeblood: Wholly-owned subsidiary operating blood donation services under the same Red Cross movement. Most directly comparable entity given shared brand, governance, and humanitarian mission in Australia.
• Salvation Army Australia: Major Australian charity providing disaster relief, emergency accommodation, community services, and thrift retail. Directly competes with Australian Red Cross for donors, disaster response contracts, and op-shop customers.
• St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) Australia: Large Australian charity providing emergency relief, homelessness support, and operating extensive thrift retail network. Competes directly in disaster welfare assistance and op-shop revenue generation.
• St John Ambulance Australia: Australia's primary first aid training provider and volunteer-led emergency response organization. Directly competes with Australian Red Cross's RTO-accredited first aid training business and volunteer engagement.
• Oxfam Australia: Australian affiliate of Oxfam International focused on poverty alleviation, humanitarian response, and advocacy. Competes for individual donors and corporate partnerships in the international humanitarian space.
• World Vision Australia: Major Australian international humanitarian NGO running child sponsorship, disaster response, and community development programs. Competes directly for regular givers and child/family-focused donor segments.

Broad incumbents

• British Red Cross: Sister national society in the global Red Cross movement with comparable disaster response, refugee support, and community health programs. Useful comparable for scale, governance, and revenue model benchmarks.
• American Red Cross: Largest national society in the Red Cross movement with parallel programs in disaster response, blood services, training, and international aid. Useful benchmark for organizational scale and program mix.

Emerging players

• Médecins Sans Frontières Australia: International medical humanitarian organization active in Australia through fundraising and field worker recruitment. Competes for donor dollars in disaster and conflict-related appeals, though focused on medical rather than multi-sector humanitarian aid.
• Humanitech: Innovation and technology initiative associated with the Australian Red Cross movement focused on humanitarian technology solutions. Adjacent entity within the broader Red Cross ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RedCrossAU
• Facebookfacebook.com/AustralianRedCross
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-red-cross
• Instagraminstagram.com/redcrossau

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Australian Red Cross