What Butterfly Foundation does

Butterfly Foundation is an Australian non-profit organization operating as the country's national charity for eating disorders and body image issues. It is headquartered at 103 Alexander Street, Crows Nest NSW, with a staff of 151, and is registered as a charity under ABN 42 102 193 582. The foundation serves individuals affected by eating disorders, their carers and families, plus secondary audiences in schools, workplaces, sports organizations, and the broader Australian public. Its service model is entirely free to end users, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, and gifts in wills.

The foundation's service ecosystem is anchored by the Butterfly National Helpline (1800 33 4673), which delivers free, confidential phone, online chat, and email support seven days a week from 8am to midnight AEST/AEDT, staffed by qualified mental health professionals with specialist eating-disorder training. The digital platform also includes the Butterfly National Referral Database, which integrates ANZAED credentialing to connect users with vetted clinicians; online support groups; structured programs such as Pathways to Recovery, Collaborative Care Skills for carers, and Next Steps Outpatient; and the Wandi Nerida residential treatment facility. Education and prevention products include Butterfly Body Bright (primary schools), BodyKind Schools, RESET for boys, and BodyKind Workplaces and Sports enterprise programs. Awareness campaigns (BodyKind, BodyKind August, BodyPride), the Butterfly Collective lived-experience network, the Pathfinders speakers program, and the 'Let's Talk' podcast complete the offering.

Revenue mechanics are donation-led and diversified: individual one-time and monthly giving, corporate partnerships and workplace giving, fundraising events, and legacy giving via gifts in wills. Pricing is freemium with no charges to service users. Distribution is domestic-only, with international visitors directed to local services in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, and New Zealand. Recent strategic emphasis has been on programmatic diversification (workplaces, sports, demographic-specific programs) and policy-grade research output, including 'Paying the Price for Eating Disorders' (2024) and 'The Real Cost of Appearance Ideals' (2025).

Name

Butterfly Foundation

Legal name

Butterfly Foundation

Website

https://butterfly.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eating disorder and body image support services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eating Disorder Recovery Nutrition Support (HSADAFAM), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Eating disorder support
• Body image education
• Mental health helpline
• Clinician referral database
• School body image programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Crows Nest

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals supporting the mission. Donors can give once or set up regular monthly contributions through the Butterfly donation portal.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners support the foundation through financial contributions, workplace giving programs, and fundraising partnerships.
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising events and campaigns including BodyKind August and other awareness-raising initiatives that generate revenue for support services.
4. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving program where supporters can leave bequests to support the ongoing work of the foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Butterfly Foundation provides free, confidential support services for people in Australia affected by eating disorders and body image issues, delivered through a National Helpline (phone, webchat, email), an online National Referral Database of credentialed clinicians, online support groups, structured recovery and carer programs, and body image education programs for schools and workplaces. All services are offered at no cost to end users, with the organization funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising.

Product overview

Butterfly Foundation is Australia's national charity for eating disorders and body image issues, operating as a not-for-profit organization. The organization offers a multi-channel support ecosystem centered around the Butterfly National Helpline (phone, webchat, and email support staffed by qualified mental health professionals), the Butterfly National Referral Database for finding vetted health professionals, and various support programs including Pathways to Recovery, Carer Programs, and Next Steps Outpatient Programs. Education and prevention are delivered through programs like Butterfly Body Bright (primary schools), BodyKind Schools, and RESET (boys' body image). The organization runs awareness campaigns including BodyKind, BodyKind August, and Body Pride, while the Butterfly Collective and Pathfinders Program harness lived experience for advocacy. Additional services include residential treatment at Wandi Nerida, online support groups, a podcast (Let's Talk), and an events portal for professional development and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BodyKind: Body image and self-esteem campaign promoting body positivity and acceptance
• BodyKind August
• BodyKind Schools
• RESET
• Butterfly Body Bright
• Butterfly Collective
• Butterfly Pathfinders

Products and services

• Butterfly National Helpline Free and confidential telephone, webchat, and email support service for people in Australia affected by eating disorders and body image issues, available 8am-midnight 7 days a week.
• Butterfly National Referral Database Online searchable directory connecting individuals in Australia with credentialed clinicians and health professionals experienced in eating disorders and body image concerns.
• Online Support Groups Free online support groups for people in recovery from eating disorders and for carers, families, and friends.
• Pathways to Recovery Program Structured recovery support program providing guidance, tools, and peer mentoring for people in recovery from eating disorders.
• Carer Program - Collaborative Care Skills Support program for carers and family members of people with eating disorders, including collaborative care skills training and peer mentoring.
• Next Steps Outpatient Program Outpatient program supporting individuals transitioning through recovery from eating disorders.
• Single Session Support Single-session support service providing immediate, one-off assistance for people with eating disorder or body image concerns.
• Wandi Nerida Residential Treatment Residential treatment facility for people with eating disorders, delivered in partnership with Butterfly Foundation.
• Butterfly Body Bright Body image and healthy eating education program for primary schools and families with children under 12.
• BodyKind Schools Program School-based body image program for secondary school students promoting body positivity and healthy body image.
• RESET - Boys Body Image Program Body image program specifically designed for boys and young males, including targeted campaigns and men's support groups.
• Western Australia State-Wide Support Service Specialized state-wide eating disorder support services for Western Australians, with regional coverage and resources tailored to the state.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.1 million Australians affected by eating disorders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANZAED (Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for credentialing eating disorder clinicians. Butterfly's National Referral Database integrates with ANZAED's credentialing system to verify qualified practitioners. The Connected platform allows searching for ANZAED credentialed professionals.
• National Communications CharterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in the National Communications Charter initiative for consistent messaging around mental health and suicide prevention.
• Eating Disorders AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Eating Disorders Alliance (eatingdisordersalliance.org.au) for advocacy and awareness initiatives.
• Wandi NeridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidential treatment facility partnership providing specialized eating disorder treatment services (wandinerida.org.au).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SANE Australia: Australian mental health charity operating the SANE Helpline, online peer support, and information resources. Broad incumbent in mental health support with overlapping helpline and digital service delivery.
• Beyond Blue: Australia's largest mental health charity operating a 24/7 helpline, online forums, and clinical referrals. A broad incumbent in the same mental health support category where Butterfly's eating-disorder specialty sits.
• Headspace Australia: Australia's national youth mental health foundation with digital, phone, and in-person support, including body image resources. Broad incumbent addressing overlapping mental health needs for a similar demographic cohort.
• Lifeline Australia: Australia's largest crisis support helpline provider offering 24/7 phone and text support. Operates an adjacent crisis-support model relevant to Butterfly's helpline infrastructure and staffing approach.

Direct peers

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): The largest US nonprofit dedicated to eating disorders, providing helpline support, education, advocacy, and resource directories. The closest international functional mirror to Butterfly's mission and service mix (helpline, referrals, education, advocacy).
• Beat Eating Disorders: UK national eating disorder charity operating helplines, online support groups, and professional training. Directly comparable operating model and service portfolio to Butterfly, just in the UK geography.
• F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment): Global nonprofit focused on supporting parents and carers of people with eating disorders. Highly comparable to Butterfly's Carer Program, Collaborative Care Skills, and peer mentoring for carers services.
• National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC): Canadian nonprofit helpline and resource centre for eating disorders. Operates a national helpline and professional referral directory, directly mirroring Butterfly's helpline-plus-referral-database model.

Others

• ANZAED (Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders): Professional body that credentials eating disorder clinicians and integrates directly with Butterfly's National Referral Database via the Connected platform. A partner rather than competitor, but the credentialing ecosystem that channels demand to Butterfly.

Regional players

• Eating Disorders Victoria: State-level Australian eating disorder charity providing similar helpline, information, and support services but limited to Victoria, in contrast to Butterfly's national coverage. Comparable mission, narrower geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thebutterflyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-butterfly-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Butterfly Foundation