Waves of Wellness Foundation

What Waves of Wellness Foundation does

Waves of Wellness Foundation (WOW) is an Australian not-for-profit mental-health charity founded in 2016 by Joel Pilgrim, a mental health Occupational Therapist, registered as Waves of Wellness Foundation Ltd (ABN 40 614 442 018) with Deductible Gift Recipient status. Its core offering is a free, evidence-based 8-Week Surf Therapy Program that combines group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy discussions led by qualified mental health facilitators with beginner-friendly learn-to-surf sessions, organised around weekly themes such as stress management, mindfulness, self-esteem, healthy relationships, and managing change. Programs are delivered across four states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA) at locations including Bondi, Manly, URBNSURF Sydney, Cronulla, URBNSURF Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Ballina/Lennox Head, Newcastle, and Perth, in four annual blocks aligned to calendar quarters.

The underlying delivery model relies on qualified mental-health facilitators working alongside surf instructors, with all equipment (wetsuits, surfboards) provided to participants, and is delivered through dedicated venues (notably URBNSURF wave pools) and partner-hosted sites (RSL Queensland veteran locations). WOW monetises primarily through tax-deductible individual donations and fundraising campaigns processed via Raisely/Stripe, supplemented by a paid Workplace Wellbeing portfolio that includes The Reset Retreat (multi-day retreat from $500 per person) and customisable 8-week programs that organisations can purchase for schools and community groups on a quote basis. Since inception, WOW has delivered 400+ programs and directly impacted 4,270+ participants, and is now marking its tenth year of operation with stated expansion plans in development.

The organisation is governed by a Board chaired by Tim Oldham (ex-banker, Non-Executive Director at Bank of China Australia and Indue), with Deputy Chairman Professor Philip Ward (clinical neuroscientist at UNSW), Director and Co-Founder Joel Pilgrim (now Executive Director), and additional directors including Elizabeth Stratford (CFO of UNSW Sydney), Helen Jenkins (former corporate lawyer), Steve Brennen (former C-level at PayPal, Uber, eBay, Virgin, and Zip), and Libby Vaughan. Headcount is stated at 11–50 employees, and the operational stack includes Salesforce (CRM), Campaign Monitor (email), FormAssembly (intake), Raisely (fundraising), and Stripe (payments), with no disclosed AI, mobile app, or proprietary software product.

Name

Waves of Wellness Foundation

Legal name

Waves of Wellness Foundation Ltd

Website

https://foundationwow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waves of Wellness Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit founded in 2016 that delivers free, evidence-based 8-week surf therapy programs combining Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with beginner surfing. It serves individuals aged 12+ facing mental health challenges across four Australian states, supplemented by paid workplace wellbeing and community programs funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (62133), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Physical Therapy & Hydrotherapy (HSADAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO), Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Mind-Body Wellness Coaching (Holistic/Integrative) (HSADAGAG)

Keywords

• Surf therapy programs
• Mental health support
• Nature-based therapy
• Outdoor wellness programs
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Bondi

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: WOW operates as a not-for-profit accepting tax-deductible donations. Charity donations of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia (ABN 40 614 442 018). The organization runs fundraising campaigns via Raisely platform and accepts community fundraising efforts.
2. Purchased Programs: Organizations can purchase 8-week surf therapy or nature-based programs for schools, local groups, or community needs. Available across NSW, VIC, WA, and QLD. Contact via [email protected].
3. Workplace Wellbeing Programs: The Reset Retreat workplace wellbeing program offered at $500 starting price, providing team retreats and mental health support services to corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Waves of Wellness Foundation delivers free, evidence-based 8-week surf therapy programs that combine group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) discussions with beginner learn-to-surf sessions. The programs are led by qualified mental health facilitators and surf instructors across four Australian states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA) and are supported by paid workplace wellbeing and retreat offerings.

Product overview

Waves of Wellness Foundation is a not-for-profit offering a portfolio of free and paid mental health programs centered on surf therapy and nature-based interventions. The core offering is the 8-Week Surf Therapy Program, a free evidence-based program combining CBT-informed group discussions with beginner surfing lessons, run across four Australian states. This core program is supplemented by paid Workplace Wellbeing offerings including team retreats and corporate wellbeing workshops. The Reset Retreat: Yucca Valley is a standalone multi-day paid retreat targeting individual and group wellbeing. All programs share a common therapeutic framework leveraging the psychological, physical, and social benefits of ocean and nature exposure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 8-Week Surf Therapy Program A free, evidence-based 8-week mental health program combining group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy discussions with beginner learn-to-surf sessions. Each week covers themes such as stress management, mindfulness, self-esteem, healthy relationships, and managing change. Delivered across NSW, VIC, QLD, and WA.
• Workplace Wellbeing

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of participants felt safe and validated by the program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MovembercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, WOW teamed up with Movember to shine a light on men's mental health and the power of community. The collaboration produced a video exploring how surf therapy provides a safe, supportive space for men to open up, connect, and improve their wellbeing.
• OneWavecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016OneWave was the founding partner with WOW in 2016. What started as a pilot program in partnership with OneWave has grown into a national movement reaching communities in four states.
• EirWavescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$5 from every EirWaves sale directly funds WOW's free surf therapy programs, bringing mental health support to those who need it most. EirWaves is a product brand that supports mental health causes through sales of their merchandise.
• URBNSURFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURBNSURF provides wave pool facilities in Sydney and Melbourne for WOW surf therapy programs. Programs run at URBNSURF Sydney and URBNSURF Melbourne locations, offering controlled wave environments for beginner surfers.
• RSL QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSL Queensland partners with WOW to deliver veteran-specific surf therapy programs. Programs include Happy Valley RSL QLD Veterans, Noosa RSL QLD Veterans, Caloundra RSL QLD Veterans (women's program), and Kirra RSL QLD Veterans programs.
• WestpacminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWestpac featured WOW in a story highlighting how Waves of Wellness is delivering innovative, accessible mental-health support through surf therapy, sharing participant experiences and program impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Blue: Australia's most prominent mental health nonprofit, addressing anxiety, depression and suicide prevention. Broad incumbent — same mission space as WOW but at national scale via awareness, clinical referrals and helplines rather than surf-therapy delivery.
• headspace: Australia's national youth mental health foundation, operating a national network of centers. Broad incumbent — overlaps on young-people mental health segment served by WOW but delivers through clinical centers rather than outdoor therapy.
• ReachOut Australia: Australia's leading online youth mental health organization. Broad incumbent — overlaps with WOW's young-person segment but delivers via digital content and peer support rather than in-person surf therapy.
• Black Dog Institute: Leading Australian mental health research and clinical translation institute. Broad incumbent — operates across the same mental health mission space but at significantly larger scale and through clinical/research channels rather than surf-therapy delivery.

Others

• Movember: Global men's mental health charity and WOW's 2019 men's mental health collaboration partner. Adjacent — operates in the men's mental health segment WOW targets through surf therapy, but functions as a funder/awareness platform rather than a therapy delivery peer.

Direct peers

• The Wave Project: UK charity delivering surf therapy programs to improve mental health and wellbeing, particularly for young people. Closest international functional peer — same surf-therapy methodology, similar not-for-profit structure, same target outcomes.
• OneWave: Australian nonprofit running free, community-based surf gatherings for mental health. Direct peer — both organizations deliver surf-for-mental-health programming in Australia, and OneWave was WOW's original founding partner in 2016.

Emerging players

• Batyr: Australian mental health charity focused on youth mental health literacy and stigma reduction through lived-experience storytelling. Emerging player — smaller and more education-oriented, but shares WOW's youth mental health and community engagement ethos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@foundationwowaus
• Instagraminstagram.com/foundationwow
• Xx.com/foundationwow
• Facebookfacebook.com/foundationwow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waves-of-wellness-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Waves of Wellness Foundation