Good Shepherd

What Good Shepherd does

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (GSANZ) is a registered not-for-profit charity and Australia's oldest organisation specifically dedicated to supporting women, girls, and families experiencing disadvantage. Founded in 1863 when four Irish Good Shepherd Sisters arrived in Melbourne (with the global congregation tracing back to 1835 in France), the organisation operates across all Australian states and territories plus Aotearoa New Zealand, delivering services through 130+ community service provider partners across 500+ locations, supplemented by physical Good Money stores in Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia, and phone/online channels.

The core product portfolio includes: the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILs) offering interest-free, fee-free loans of up to $2,000 for essential goods, $3,000 for rental bonds or disaster recovery, and $5,000 for vehicle purchases; the Financial Independence Hub (FIH) providing free financial abuse recovery coaching; free financial counselling services; Rainbow Tick-accredited family violence crisis, housing, and recovery services; youth services including homelessness support and School Focused Youth Service; family counselling and parent support programs; in-school education programs (including Robots In-Residence, Future Pathways, and Life Starts wellbeing curricula); LaunchMe free business coaching in South Australia; and the Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP) ecosystem program for member organisations. In FY25, the organisation supported 62,413 women, children and families, issued $58.5 million in No Interest Loans, and waived $3.1 million in debt through financial counselling.

The business model is a hybrid charity funding structure: government grants (federal and state) fund the majority of social service delivery including family violence, youth, and NILs programs; tax-deductible donations from individuals, bequests, and corporate partners provide supplementary funding; and services are delivered free of charge to eligible end users. The organisation has 101-250 employees, is governed by a voluntary Board chaired by Anthony Healy (former BNZ CEO and NAB Chief Customer Officer), with Stella Avramopoulos as CEO, and is part of a global Good Shepherd network spanning 73+ countries. Recent strategic emphasis has been placed on ecosystem enablement, research and policy influence via the Good Shepherd Institute, and national footprint consolidation including Northern Territory operations.

Name

Good Shepherd

Legal name

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand

Website

https://goodshep.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand is a 160-year-old registered not-for-profit charity supporting women, girls, and families experiencing disadvantage across Australia and New Zealand through interest-free loans, financial counselling, family violence services, youth programs, and education initiatives delivered via 130+ partner organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Good Shepherd operates as a registered charity relying on donations from individuals, corporations, and philanthropists. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia. The organisation also receives bequests through Wills.
2. Government Funding: Good Shepherd receives government grants and funding to deliver social services including family violence support, youth services, financial counselling, and No Interest Loans programs across Australian states and territories.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners and sponsors provide funding and support for specific projects and programs. The organisation has partnerships with companies like The Good Guys for employee discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Good Shepherd provides interest-free microfinance loans (No Interest Loans of up to $2,000–$5,000), free financial counselling, family violence crisis and recovery services, youth homelessness support, education programs, and small business coaching. All services are delivered free of charge or interest-free to women, girls, and families experiencing disadvantage across Australia and New Zealand.

Product overview

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand is a not-for-profit charity offering a portfolio of social services for women, girls, and families. The core product portfolio includes No Interest Loans (NILs) providing interest-free microfinance for essential goods and services, the Financial Independence Hub delivering free financial coaching for abuse survivors, and Financial Counselling services for debt management. Family Violence Services provide specialist crisis, recovery, and housing support (Rainbow Tick accredited), alongside Family Counselling and Parent Support programs. Youth Services address homelessness, school disengagement, and specialist counselling. Education Programs offer in-school STEM, arts, and career pathway initiatives, while LaunchMe provides free small business coaching in South Australia. These services are delivered through a network of Good Money Stores, Community Houses, and 130+ community partner organisations nationwide. The organisation also provides Training and Advisory consulting services to build sector capability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• No Interest Loans (NILs): Safe and affordable credit with 0% interest and no fees or charges for essential goods and services. Borrow up to $2,000 for essentials including whitegoods, educational expenses, car repairs, medical expenses, and up to $3,000 for bond on rental property or natural disaster costs.
• Good Money
• Financial Independence Hub (FIH)
• Waranara School

Products and services

• No Interest Loans (NILs) Interest-free, fee-free loans of up to $2,000 for essential goods and services (household items, education, medical costs, car repairs) and up to $3,000 for rental bond or natural disaster recovery, delivered through a network of 130+ community service providers across Australia.
• No Interest Loans for Vehicles (N4V) No Interest Loans of up to $5,000 for the purchase of vehicles for essential daily use including cars, scooters, motorcycles, or mobility scooters.
• Financial Independence Hub (FIH) Free and confidential recovery service for people who have experienced financial abuse, providing one-on-one financial coaching to help clients regain confidence with money management and plan for long-term financial independence.
• Financial Counselling Free and confidential financial counselling service assisting people to gain control over debt and financial pressures through negotiation with creditors, establishing stability plans, and referrals to other support services.
• Family Violence Services Specialist domestic and family violence recovery, crisis, and housing services including case management, legal services connections, counselling, support groups, and housing referrals. Rainbow Tick accredited.
• Good Money Stores Not-for-profit community finance stores offering safe, affordable financial services including No Interest Loans (NILs) and access to financial capability workers and counsellors. Located in Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.
• Good Shepherd Education Programs School-based specialised education programs including In-Residence Programs (Artists, Writers, Robots in Residence), Future Pathways Programs (Industry Visits, You-Niversity, Project Magnify), and Life Starts wellbeing and resilience program for Year 6/7 students.
• LaunchMe Small Business Coaching Free business coaching program for aspiring or existing small business owners in South Australia, delivered in partnership with the South Australian Government. Includes programs for multicultural women in northern Adelaide and business recovery support.
• Parent Support Programs Programs for parents and carers to help raise children in safe, healthy environments. Includes Integrated Family Services, Building Blocks supported playgroup for young mums, and community house programs.
• Family Counselling Services Specialised counselling services including Building Blocks playgroup, Young Parents Program, Integrated Family Services, and specialist youth counselling for ages 12-24 covering sexual violence, trauma, and mental health.
• Youth Services Support for young people aged 16-25 facing barriers including mental health, family violence, homelessness, and disengagement from education. Includes Youth Homelessness Service, School Focused Youth Service, and specialist counselling.
• Former Resident Support Heritage Engagement Program supporting former residents of Good Shepherd institutions to access records and understand their past. Includes access to the Good Shepherd Archive, National Redress Scheme support, and memorial site programs.
• Community House Wallaroo Community hub providing parenting, educational, recreational programs and activities. Offers room hire facilities and serves as a co-location venue for support services including Community Kinder Plus and Maternal Child Health Nurse services.
• Training and Advisory Services Executive consulting services supporting organisations to increase capability in responding to financial hardship, family violence, and trauma-informed practice. Includes co-design expertise, strategic research, and inclusive program design.
• Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP) Program supporting member organisations to develop Financial Inclusion Action Plans focused on improving financial wellbeing. Facilitates learning across a 40+ member network with Foundation, Build, and Elevate progression levels.
• Queensland Financial Resilience Program Free, non-judgmental confidential service helping Queenslanders achieve financial freedom through understanding finances, becoming more financially secure, and better money management.
• Firmer Foundations NSW Free coaching program for women and community workers in NSW to develop money management skills, knowledge, and confidence in financial wellbeing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62,413 women, children and families supported in FY25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Good GuysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership providing employees with discounted rates on whitegoods. Part of Good Shepherd's employee benefits program and corporate partnership initiatives.
• LaunchpadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Good Shepherd in delivering the Sydney Young Parents Program for young parents aged 15-25, including case management and weekly playgroup in Dulwich Hill.
• YWCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Good Shepherd in delivering the Sydney Young Parents Program, providing support services for young parents aged 15-25 in Sydney.
• National Australia Bank (NAB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNAB refers customers to Good Shepherd's Good Money stores for No Interest Loans support. Example: First Nations customer Eunice Bartlett was referred to Good Money Salisbury by NAB.
• The Orange Door FrankstoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment-funded integrated service for adults, children and young people experiencing family violence, as well as families needing support with child care. Referral pathway to Good Shepherd services.
• GenWestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily violence first response service that helps put safety plans in place and provides referrals. Partner organisation for family violence support services.
• Salvation Army Crisis SupportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organisation providing crisis support and homelessness services. NilS community provider referring clients to Good Shepherd services.
• EYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with EY in developing the Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP) framework, which includes Quality Assurance, Evaluation, and public reporting of results.
• Centre for Social Impact (CSI) at UNSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Centre for Social Impact at UNSW in developing the FIAP framework for the Financial Inclusion Action Plan program.
• Good Shepherd New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate but connected organisation addressing critical contemporary issues affecting women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand. Part of the global Good Shepherd network.
• St Clare's SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation program for girls who struggled to engage in mainstream education, operating within the framework of Catholic Education, Western Australia. Part of the Good Shepherd network in Australia.
• Good Shepherd InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal institute focused on elevating voices of lived experience to influence systemic change through policy, advocacy, research, innovation, education and strengthening sector capability. Established to support leading-edge research and policy outcomes.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Smith Family: Large Australian charity focused on children, young people and families experiencing disadvantage, delivering education, financial and family support programmes nationwide. Highly comparable as a national scale NFP serving similar disadvantaged cohorts through partner networks and government contracts.
• Mission Australia: Major Australian NFP delivering homelessness, family, youth and financial wellbeing services with national reach and significant government funding. Direct competitor for the same family violence, youth and community services contracts Good Shepherd targets.
• YWCA Australia: National women's federation delivering housing, family violence response and women's empowerment programmes in Australia. Closely aligned with Good Shepherd's women-and-girls mandate, including frontline refuge and crisis services.
• Berry Street Victoria: Victorian NFP specialist in family violence, child and family services, including Take Two and therapeutic care. Operates in the same Melbourne family violence ecosystem and competes for the same Orange Door and government referrals.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: Melbourne-based research and service NFP tackling poverty and disadvantage through family, education and aged-care programmes. Comparable mission-driven Catholic-heritage organisation with strong policy and research function analogous to the Good Shepherd Institute.
• Wesley Mission / Wesley Community Services: Faith-based NFP delivering financial counselling, family support, crisis accommodation and community programmes in NSW and beyond. Directly comparable financial capability and family services portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army Australia: One of Australia's largest charitable operators running crisis accommodation, financial counselling (Moneycare) and family support programmes with national footprint. Comparable scale and breadth of social services with religious-heritage origins similar to Good Shepherd.
• St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) Australia: Large national Catholic charity providing emergency relief, financial assistance and family support across Australia. Comparable heritage, scale and donor-funded operating model with overlapping client base of low-income families.
• Uniting (UnitingCare Australia): National network of community services delivering family violence, youth, homelessness and financial inclusion programmes across Australian states. Comparable breadth, government funding base and faith-derived operating model.

Emerging players

• Good Shepherd Microfinance (legacy entity merged into GSANZ) and StepChange Debt Charity: StepChange is the UK's largest debt advice charity offering free, confidential counselling and debt solutions. Functionally analogous to Good Shepherd's Financial Counselling and Financial Independence Hub offerings and to the merged-in Good Shepherd Microfinance capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodshepanz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyvr38mzrRPsclvPbT9_iog
• Facebookfacebook.com/goodshepherdausnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodshepherdanz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/good-shepherd-australia-new-zealand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Good Shepherd