What The Sebastian Foundation does

The Sebastian Foundation is an Australian registered charity and not-for-profit organization founded in 2013 by musician Guy Sebastian and stylist/presenter Jules Sebastian, focused on early-intervention youth mental health. The foundation's flagship offering is funding schools to implement Open Parachute, a curriculum-based in-school wellbeing program developed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Hayley Watson that runs from Kindergarten through Year 12 and uses peer-to-peer storytelling to teach psychological skills around social media, bullying, body image, depression, anxiety, and grief. The program is priced at $30 per student per year but is jointly subsidized to $15 per student, with each $15 donation funding one student for a year.

The foundation runs an exceptionally lean operating model with one part-time staff member and no physical office, supported by pro-bono professional services such as website design from Vahst Studio. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable channels: individual donations via website and the Charitabl app, tiered giving levels ($15/$60/$350/$1,000), corporate partnerships, and circular-economy programs. Core partnerships include Ampol Foodary (annual national retail campaigns since 2022), e-THREAD (clothing recycling bins funding schools), ReWardrobe (10% of every purchase donated), TVSN (Charity of Choice Oct–Dec 2025), Adelaide Crows Foundation (SA school deployment), Sony Foundation and Telethon (WA expansion), Bella Boheme, Campbelltown City Council, and Hand in Hand Ballarat. The foundation is ACNC-registered with DGR (Item 1) tax-deductible status and is approved on the NSW Department of Education Student Wellbeing External Programs Catalogue.

The foundation currently supports 340 Australian schools and reports 240,678 students reached, with measurable outcomes including 97% of students feeling more equipped to handle challenging situations and 90% of teachers feeling better equipped to discuss mental health. Beyond Open Parachute, the foundation operates the Upbeat Project music studio at Blacktown PCYC (with NSW Police Force) and the e-THREAD circular-economy clothing program, positioning itself as a diversified youth mental-health and wellbeing platform rather than a single-program charity.

Name

The Sebastian Foundation

Legal name

The Sebastian Foundation Limited

Website

https://thesebastianfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sebastian Foundation is an Australian charity funding schools to deliver the Open Parachute K–12 mental-health curriculum and circular-economy programs, reaching 340 schools and 240,678 students through donations, corporate partnerships, and celebrity-founder-led fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Child and Youth Services (62411), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Youth mental health
• In-school wellbeing programs
• Charitable fundraising
• Circular economy recycling
• Community partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Paddington

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations at various levels ($15, $60, $350, $1,000). Donations are made through the website and the Charitabl app. The foundation has DGR (Item 1) tax deductible status.
2. Corporate Partnership Fundraising: Ampol Foodary conducts annual national retail campaigns donating a portion of sales. Bella Boheme donates $1 from every online purchase. Funds raised have supported over 21,000 Australian students through the Open Parachute program.
3. Clothing Recycling Program (e-THREAD): Partnership with e-THREAD for clothing recycling bins. Proceeds from each bin fund schools to use the Open Parachute program. On average, proceeds from each bin put over 100 students through the program each year.
4. ReWardrobe Partnership: 10% of every ReWardrobe purchase is donated directly to The Sebastian Foundation, funding Australian schools to access Open Parachute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sebastian Foundation is an Australian non-profit that funds and facilitates delivery of the Open Parachute in-school wellbeing program for students from Kindergarten through Year 12. It teaches psychological skills through peer-to-peer learning, addressing social media, bullying, body image, depression, anxiety, and grief. Schools access the program at a subsidised rate of $15 per student, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and circular economy initiatives.

Product overview

The Sebastian Foundation operates as a charitable organization offering a portfolio of youth mental health programs and fundraising mechanisms. The core offering is the Open Parachute in-school wellbeing program (Kindergarten through Year 12), which teaches psychological skills using peer-to-peer learning. Supporting programs include the e-THREAD clothing recycling initiative that funds schools through circular economy proceeds, and the Upbeat Project music studio at Blacktown PCYC. The foundation raises funds through merchandise (Sebastian Foundation T-shirts), an online donation portal with tiered giving options, and strategic partnerships including ReWardrobe (circular fashion) and TVSN (merchandise). The organization is lean with minimal overhead, channeling donations directly to youth mental health initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Parachute In-School Wellbeing Program A curriculum-based in-school mental health program tailored for each year from Kindergarten through Year 12. Uses real stories from peers to teach students psychological skills to cope with social media, bullying, body image, depression, anxiety, grief and more. Delivered online and in classrooms. Schools access the program at a subsidised cost of $15 per student (50% match from Open Parachute).
• e-THREAD Clothing Recycling Program A circular economy initiative placing clothing collection bins at council locations, retailers, schools, churches and clubs. Donated textiles are recycled or repurposed with proceeds funding schools' access to the Open Parachute program. On average, each bin puts over 100 students through the program each year.
• Upbeat Project A music studio initiative at Blacktown PCYC created in partnership with NSW Police Force. Provides aspiring young talents with a safe environment to develop musical skills, record and release music. Studios incorporated into the music curriculum for local schools.
• Online Donation Portal Online donation platform enabling individuals to contribute funds that directly support students through the Open Parachute program. Donation tiers include $15 for one student, $60 for four students, $350 for one class, and $1,000 for an entire school year. Integrated with the Charitabl app.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of students feel more equipped to deal with difficult situations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sony FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Sebastian Foundation partnered with Sony Foundation to bring mental health education to 10,000 young people across Western Australia through the Open Parachute program in 2025. Sony Foundation provides funding support to extend the program to regional and remote communities.
• Adelaide Crows FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support South Australian schools implement the Open Parachute in-school wellbeing program. Crows players visit classrooms sharing personal experiences with overcoming challenges. Currently supporting over 21,000 South Australian students from 53 schools.
• e-THREADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextiles recycling partnership providing circular economy solution. e-THREAD collects clothing, repurposes bins, and pays The Sebastian Foundation weekly per bin to fund schools' access to Open Parachute. Average proceeds from each bin put over 100 students through the program each year.
• Ampol (Ampol Foodary, Ampol Foundation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSince 2022, Ampol Foodary has conducted annual national retail campaigns donating a portion of sales to The Sebastian Foundation. To date, funds raised have supported over 21,000 Australian students. Ampol Foundation has also made separate donations. Employees contribute through workplace giving.
• Bella BohememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily business that donates $1 from every online purchase to support youth mental health. Partnership has helped support over 6,800 students through the Open Parachute mental health program.
• Vahst StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned and developed the foundation's website at no cost. The Sebastian Foundation runs very lean and is extremely grateful for Vahst Studio's donated creative and strategic expertise.
• Hand in Hand BallaratminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThree local Ballarat businesses partnered with The Sebastian Foundation to raise funds for youth mental health. They aim to raise $250,000 over three years and successfully raised $132,000 in 2023.
• Campbelltown City CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampbelltown City Council joined The Sebastian Foundation and e-THREAD in an innovative circular economy program. Around twenty clothing collection bins placed at prominent locations across Campbelltown. Proceeds help schools access Open Parachute for over 1,200 local students.
• TVSNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Sebastian Foundation is TVSN's Charity of Choice for October to December 2025. TVSN covers all production costs for limited edition T-shirts, with 100% of proceeds donated. Each T-shirt purchased funds one student through Open Parachute.
• ReWardrobeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralia's circular fashion platform. 10% of every ReWardrobe purchase is donated directly to The Sebastian Foundation to fund schools accessing Open Parachute. ReWardrobe is powered by e-THREAD.
• Open ParachutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe program developed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Hayley Watson is the foundation's primary focus. Open Parachute subsidizes the program by 50% for schools that The Sebastian Foundation supports, reducing cost to $15 per student.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Parachute: The clinical psychologist-developed K-12 in-school wellbeing program that is the foundation's core funded offering. Closest comparable because it is the actual product The Sebastian Foundation subsidizes and scales to schools.
• Headspace: Australia's national youth mental health foundation providing both clinical services and school-based education. Directly comparable as a large-scale non-profit addressing youth mental health in Australia, though it focuses on clinical service delivery rather than curriculum-based education.
• ReachOut Australia: Australia's leading online youth mental health services organization providing digital peer-support and education to young people. Comparable as another major non-profit delivering youth mental health education and early intervention at scale in Australia.
• batyr: Australian youth mental health non-profit that delivers in-school education programs to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking. Directly comparable as a charity running school-based preventative mental health programs for Australian youth.
• Kids Helpline (Boys Town): Australia's free 24/7 counseling service for young people aged 5-25. Comparable as a high-reach Australian youth mental health non-profit, though focused on crisis support rather than school-based curriculum delivery.
• Adelaide Crows Foundation: AFL club-aligned non-profit foundation that partners with The Sebastian Foundation to deliver Open Parachute in South Australian schools. Comparable as a sports-celebrity-aligned Australian community foundation co-funding youth-focused programs in schools.

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Blue: Major Australian mental health non-profit running the Youth Beyond Blue programme and school-targeted mental health awareness campaigns. Comparable as a larger, established player in Australian youth mental health, with broader scope than The Sebastian Foundation's focused curriculum approach.
• Black Dog Institute: Australian mental health research and clinical translation institute that develops school-based mental health programs (e.g., The Future Proofing Study). Comparable as a research-backed, broader-scope player also targeting youth mental health education in Australian schools.

Others

• HeartKids Australia: Australian non-profit supporting children affected by congenital heart disease, where The Sebastian Foundation's General Manager Fiona Glenn previously worked. Comparable as a similar-sized Australian health-focused charity operating with lean teams and donor-funded models.

Regional players

• Sony Foundation Australia: Corporate-aligned foundation funding youth-focused programs including its partnership with The Sebastian Foundation to extend Open Parachute to 10,000 young people in WA. Comparable as a similar sized corporate-philanthropy foundation supporting youth programs in Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thesebastianfdn
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesebastianfdn
• Xx.com/thesebastianfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sebastian-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Sebastian Foundation