What Linkwest does

Linkwest Inc. is a not-for-profit peak body organisation that represents 143 Neighbourhood Centres and Community Resource Centres across Western Australia, from Kununurra in the north to Esperance in the south, including the Christmas and Cocos Islands. The organisation is incorporated in Western Australia and headquartered in Nedlands, with Jane Harwood serving as CEO. Linkwest operates as a membership-based intermediary, providing its member centres with training, governance support, advocacy, networking, and access to the ANHCA Public Fund for Deductible Gift Recipient status. Its member centres collectively serve approximately 34,000 Western Australians each week and engage 2,400 volunteers contributing around 2,500 hours of community work weekly.

The core product is a tiered membership platform: Neighbourhood Centre Membership, Community Resource Centre Membership (including the premium CRC Sector Support Package at A$2,637), Associate Membership, and a Parent Organisation/LGA membership category introduced in May 2019. Beyond membership, Linkwest delivers programs including the Staying in Place aged care initiative, Digital Inclusion and Literacy, Community Education, and a portfolio of services (Employee Assistance Program, coworking space in Nedlands, Grant Opportunities Portal, Essentials On Demand governance training). The underlying technology stack is a standard association website with a member portal, event registration, and resource library — no proprietary technology platform is disclosed.

The business model combines annual recurring membership fees (tiered by member centre funding level) with government funding from the WA Department of Communities and DPIRD's CRC Sector Support Package. Revenue is supplemented by ancillary services (EAP, training, coworking) and the organisation operates as part of the national Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA) network. Linkwest's go-to-market is community-led, acquiring members through advocacy, training, sector representation, and networking rather than traditional sales motions. The organisation is an ACNC-registered charity and produces an annual State Budget Submission to advocate for sector funding to the WA Government.

Name

Linkwest

Legal name

Linkwest Inc.

Website

https://linkwest.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Linkwest Inc. is a not-for-profit peak body in Western Australia representing 143 Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres. It provides membership services, training, advocacy, governance support, and access to the ANHCA Public Fund, serving 34,000 weekly users across WA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nedlands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Linkwest generates revenue through membership fees from member centres including Neighbourhood Centres, Community Resource Centres, Associate members, and Parent Organisation/LGA members. Fees vary based on funding level and membership category.
2. Government Funding: Linkwest is funded by the State Government through the Department of Communities. The organization advocates for funding for its member centres and receives operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Linkwest is a not-for-profit peak body that provides membership-based support, training, advocacy, governance assistance, and resources to a network of 143 Neighbourhood Centres and Community Resource Centres across Western Australia. The organisation offers tiered membership categories, sector representation to government, and programs such as Staying in Place (aged care support), Digital Inclusion and Literacy, and Community Education. It generates revenue through annual membership fees and funding from the State Government's Department of Communities.

Product overview

Linkwest is a membership-based peak body for Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres in Western Australia, operating a platform-plus-membership model with multiple membership tiers. The core offering comprises Neighbourhood Centre Membership, Community Resource Centre Membership, and Associate Membership, supplemented by the CRC Sector Support Package (CSSP) as the premium add-on tier. Linkwest provides programs including Staying in Place (aged care support), Digital Inclusion and Literacy, and Community Education. Additional services include the ANHCA Public Fund for DGR access, Essentials On Demand online governance training, Grant Opportunities Portal, Employee Assistance Program, and coworking space access. The organization connects 143 member Centres across Western Australia serving 34,000 weekly users and 2,400 weekly volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neighbourhood Centre Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 34,000 Western Australians use member Centres weekly - a number that has increased steadily since 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 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 core, major and minor.

• Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANHCA is the national peak body for Neighbourhood Houses and Centres. Linkwest as the WA state peak works with ANHCA on national representation, and provides access to the ANHCA Public Fund which enables member centres without DGR status to receive tax-deductible donations.
• Department of Communities (Western Australia)coreOthersLinkwest is funded by the State Government through the Department of Communities. The Department offers grant programs including Family and Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Grants that member centres may access.
• LotterywestmajorOthersLotterywest provides community grants across Western Australia with priority areas including Active Healthy People, Inclusive Thriving Community, and Connected Cultural Experiences. Linkwest promotes these grant opportunities to member centres.
• HealthwaymajorOthersHealthway's Healthy Communities Program funds health promotion activities and campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles for Western Australians. Part of Lotterywest/Healthway Community Investment Framework.
• Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR)majorOthersFRRR provides various grant programs including In a Good Place (mental health), Strengthening Rural Communities, and ABC Heywire Trailblazers. Linkwest shares these opportunities with regional member centres.
• Good Things FoundationminorOthersProvides Building Digital Skills grants (up to $20,500) to support digital mentoring for Australians aged 50+, and Get Online Week event grants. Aligns with Linkwest's digital inclusion focus.
• Australian Taxation Office (ATO)minorOthersANHCA lobbied the ATO and ACNC regarding DGR status extension for Centres. The ANHCA Public Fund is listed in Division 30, section 30-45 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)coreOthersDPIRD funds Community Resource Centres through the CRC Sector Support Package. Linkwest works with DPIRD to provide governance, finance, and capacity building support to CRCs.
• Australia PostminorOthersAustralia Post Community Grants program supports projects connecting people to improve mental wellbeing in local communities. Grants of up to $10,000 available.
• ANZminorOthersANZ Seeds of Renewal grants support vibrant and sustainable rural communities focused on environmental sustainability, financial wellbeing, housing access, and community projects.
• Rio TintominorOthersRio Tinto Community Giving program provides up to $5,000 to support WA communities where Rio Tinto operates including Pilbara, Perth, Great Southern, Mid West, South West, Broome and Derby.
• WA Digital Inclusion ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting digital inclusion initiatives across WA, complementing the 83% of Linkwest member centres that provide digital and IT support services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Smith Family: Large national charity delivering community-based education and family support programs. Comparable in mission (social inclusion, education, regional service delivery) but operates at much greater scale and as a direct service provider rather than a peak-body aggregator.

Regional players

• NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS): Peak body for social and community services organisations in NSW. Mirrors Linkwest's role and operating model in another Australian state, making it a strong functional comparable even though the geography does not overlap.
• Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS): Independent peak body representing social and community service organisations in Queensland. Operates a similar membership/advocacy/capacity-building model to Linkwest in a different state.
• Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TASCOSS): State-level peak body for the community services sector in Tasmania. Comparable structure and mission to Linkwest, but operating in a separate jurisdiction.

Others

• Our Community: Australian social enterprise providing resources, training, and capacity-building for the community sector. Adjacent to Linkwest in supporting community organisations, with overlapping audience but a different delivery model.
• Volunteering Australia: National peak body for volunteering in Australia. Adjacent rather than competitive — Linkwest's member Centres collectively rely on ~2,400 weekly volunteers, making Volunteering Australia a key ecosystem partner.
• Lotterywest: WA's official lottery operator and a major community-grant funder that channels significant dollars to Linkwest's member Centres. Not a peer in the competitive sense, but a critical counterpart that determines a meaningful share of Linkwest's downstream member revenue.
• Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR): National rural and regional grant-maker that funds many of Linkwest's regional member Centres via programs such as Strengthening Rural Communities and In a Good Place. Not a peer but a key upstream funder that shapes demand for Linkwest's grant-brokerage services.

Direct peers

• Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS): State-level peak body for the community services sector in WA. Highly comparable to Linkwest in operating model (membership peak body, government advocacy, sector capacity-building) and explicitly referenced in Linkwest's advocacy toolkit.
• Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA): National peak body for Neighbourhood Houses and Centres in Australia, of which Linkwest is the WA state affiliate. Directly comparable mission, structure, and member-base; ANHCA also administers the Public Fund for DGR status that Linkwest's members rely on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Linkwest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linkwest-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Linkwest