What Northside Community Service does

Northside Community Service is an Australian Capital Territory registered charity (ABN/charity number 81090394261) and not-for-profit community organisation founded in 1976 to support communities in North Canberra. The organisation delivers an integrated portfolio of human services across five service lines: early childhood education through five Early Childhood Centres (Harrison, Majura, Treehouse in the Park, Yurauna, Civic); aged care services including in-home support, the CATS (Community Assistance and Temporary Supports) program, social groups, community transport, and Care Finder navigation; youth engagement for ages 12-25 through Gunners Place drop-in centre, case work, the THRIVE wellbeing program, school holiday programs, and Bimberi Youth Justice Centre delivery; housing and homelessness services anchored by Common Ground Canberra (40 permanent supportive apartments opened 2015 with Argyle Housing); and community development programs including NEST (with OzHarvest), free community yoga and transport, Craft & Conversation, and Board Games Group. Geographically the organisation operates across Inner North Canberra and Gungahlin in the ACT, with offices in Dickson (head office at 2 Rosevear Place), Gungahlin, Braddon (Salthouse Community Centre), Ainslie (Corroboree Park Hall), and Palmerston, and employs 101-250 staff under CEO Dan English (appointed June 3, 2024) and Board Chair Cathy Skippington.

Underlying technology is the human service delivery model itself rather than a software platform; no proprietary technology stack, AI capabilities, apps, or APIs are disclosed. Service methodology rests on trauma-informed practice, play-based early learning, strengths-based case work, and the Housing First approach to homelessness.

The business model is primarily government-funded through ACT Government commissioning (Child Youth and Family Support Funding, National Affordable Housing Agreement, National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, Commonwealth aged care, CATS) supplemented by tax-deductible donations (over $2 deductible; over $100 recognised in annual report; over $250 recognised on website and in annual report), in-kind contributions, and a small revenue stream from venue hire (hourly rates e.g. Palmerston Function Room at $49.50/hour incl. GST, Majura Community Hall at $72.60/hour incl. GST; capacities ranging from 40 to 88 people). Service reach extends via partnerships including the Gunners Place consortium (with Barnardos, Multicultural Hub, and Relationships Australia Canberra & Region), Argyle Housing tenancy management, OzHarvest curriculum, and Murrumbidgee School within Bimberi. Marketing and outreach rely on the company's own website (northside.asn.au), biannual "News from Northside" newsletter, Facebook, and community expos including Sports Expos and the Seniors Expo.

Name

Northside Community Service

Legal name

Northside Community Service

Website

https://northside.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Northside Community Service is an ACT, Australia not-for-profit (founded 1976) delivering early childhood education across five centres, aged care, youth engagement, permanent supportive housing (40 apartments at Common Ground Canberra), and community development programs for vulnerable community members across North Canberra and Gungahlin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Community services
• Early childhood education
• Aged care support
• Youth engagement
• Community housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Australian Capital Territory

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary revenue stream from ACT Government funding under various programs including Child Youth and Family Support Funding, National Affordable Housing Agreement, National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, and Commonwealth aged care programs.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from community supporters. Donations over $100 recognised in annual report, donations over $250 recognised on website.
3. Venue Hire: Revenue from hiring out community venues including Majura Community Hall, Corroboree Park Hall, Corroboree Park Function Room, Palmerston Function Room, and Salthouse Community Centre.
4. In-kind Donations: Accepts donations of resources or services from businesses and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Northside Community Service is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a portfolio of community services across the Australian Capital Territory, including five Early Childhood Centres, aged care services (in-home support, CATS, social groups, transport), youth engagement programs (Gunners Place drop-in, THRIVE, case work), the Common Ground Canberra permanent supportive housing program, community development programs, and hire of five community venues.

Product overview

Northside Community Service is a not-for-profit community organisation (since 1976) providing a diverse portfolio of community services across the ACT. The organisation operates five distinct service areas: Early Education (five Early Childhood Centres), Aged Care (in-home services, CATS program, social groups, transport), Youth Engagement (drop-in centres, case work, school holiday programs, THRIVE, Bimberi programs), Housing and Homelessness (Common Ground Canberra), and Community Development (NEST, yoga, transport, craft groups). Additionally, five community venues are available for hire. These services work together to support children, young people, older citizens, and the broader Canberra community through a Housing First, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gunners Place: Youth drop-in centre and community space located at 6 Gribble Street Gungahlin, operated as a consortium with Barnardos, Multicultural Hub and Relationships Australia Canberra & Region.
• Common Ground Canberra
• Salthouse Community Centre

Products and services

• Early Education Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 apartments providing permanent supportive housing since 2015
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Argyle HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Argyle Housing for tenancy management at Common Ground Canberra. Argyle provides on-site tenancy management services while Northside delivers support services and community engagement. This is a key operational partnership for the permanent supportive housing program.
• OzHarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OzHarvest to deliver the NEST (Nutrition Education Skills Training) program - a 6-week healthy eating and cooking course. Northside hosts and facilitates the program using OzHarvest's curriculum and often their food supplies.
• BarnardoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gunners Place youth drop-in centre. Barnardos is one of four organisations (along with Northside, Multicultural Hub, and Relationships Australia) operating this youth and community space in Gungahlin.
• Multicultural HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gunners Place youth drop-in centre. Part of the four-organisation consortium delivering youth services in Gungahlin.
• Relationships Australia Canberra & RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gunners Place youth drop-in centre. Part of the four-organisation consortium delivering youth services in Gungahlin.
• Murrumbidgee SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Murrumbidgee School (the school within Bimberi Youth Justice Centre) to deliver education and life skills programs to young people in detention.
• Good Omen GoodezeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organisation supporting the Craft & Conversation group by teaching knitting and crocheting skills. Craft donations from the group are sent to Canberra Hospital patients.
• ACT GovernmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary funder of many Northside programs including Youth Engagement (Child Youth and Family Support Funding), Community Development initiatives, CATS program, and housing programs. Receives funding under National Affordable Housing Agreement and National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mission Australia: Large national nonprofit providing homelessness, housing, youth, and community services. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping programs in housing, youth engagement, and community support, though operating at much larger national scale than Northside.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: Established Australian nonprofit delivering aged care, early years, housing, and research-driven community programs. Comparable in integrated service breadth and commitment to evidence-based practice in social services.
• The Smith Family: National nonprofit focused on children's education and family support for disadvantaged families. Comparable as a community services incumbent with similar funding model and mission-driven focus on vulnerable populations.
• Uniting (formerly UnitingCare): Large NSW/ACT community services organisation operating aged care, early learning, disability, and housing services. Comparable to Northside's aged care, early education, and community development programs with overlapping ACT operations.

Direct peers

• Anglicare Australia: Federated community services organisation delivering aged care, community housing, youth and family support across Australia. Highly comparable to Northside's integrated service model and government-funded structure, including ACT operations.
• YWCA Canberra: ACT-based nonprofit delivering housing, childcare, youth and women's community services. Comparable peer given similar geographic focus, integrated service portfolio, and government-funded operating model.
• CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn: Regional community services provider in the ACT and surrounding region offering family support, youth services, and community programs. Highly comparable geographically and in service mix to Northside.
• St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn: ACT/regional community organisation providing housing, homelessness support, and community assistance. Comparable peer given parallel focus on homelessness and community support within the same geographic territory.

Emerging players

• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest nonprofit early childhood education provider. Comparable to Northside's early education vertical but operating at significantly larger scale and with a more commercial operating model.

Others

• OzHarvest: National food rescue nonprofit and existing Northside program partner (NEST). Included as a peer because of the operational partnership delivering community nutrition programs, illustrating the ecosystem Northside operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northsidecs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northside-community-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/northsidecs
• Xx.com/NorthsideACT

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Northside Community Service